Having experienced three earthquakes already in my lifetime (two in Seattle and one in the Bay Area), I cringe every time I see a headline about an earthquake. It can be a really terrifying experience.
Thank goodness the Los Angeles earthquake this week was relatively mild and caused only minor damage. (Kudos to the Californians who seem to have learned the hard (and horrible) way about earthquake readiness.)
Naturally, though, after the earthquake, everyone got on their phones to call loved ones to make sure friends and family were safe and accounted for. Unfortunately, that surge of calls can have a major impact on phone systems and, indeed, there were outages associated with the LA quake.
The good news is that in this day and age, we have other quick (and sometimes more effective) resources for getting in touch with one another. I read on CNET that many people used Twitter, for example, to let friends and family know they were ok.
I really hope that people were also able to use our Facebook application, Whereboutz, which, in my opinion, is a perfect (and free) way to quickly let all of your Facebook buddies know with one entry where you are and what you are doing. You can even do it directly from your mobile phone (provided you have cell phone coverage) - which is quicker then calling everyone and also helps cut down on network congestion.
I mentioned using Whereboutz for something like this in a blog post when we initially launched it. I know I intend to use it this way if (God forbid) I experience another earthquake or natural disaster in Seattle. My sister is on Facebook, my husband is on Facebook, etc. It just makes sense as long as I have access to a computer or cell phone.
Whether it’s Whereboutz or another online social network, it’s worth exploring these options as a supplement to your natural disaster communication plan.
Anyone in LA or otherwise use Whereboutz for this purpose?
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