Social media shines as source of flood information
THERE is no denying the valuable role social media played during the flood in Warwick last week.
It was used by everyone, from grandparents and grandchildren to the council and emergency service crews, to check updates or to use the power of instantaneous social networks to communicate information to the masses.
Based on the Daily News' extra 1300 "likes" on Facebook over just two days, it became obvious more people were turning to the site to get information.
Councillor Neil Meiklejohn was one of many who were highly active on Facebook during the flood, sharing updates and writing posts.
"Initially I got Facebook purely for close family who were overseas and further afield, but disaster management proved it was crucial for people hungry for information," Cr Meiklejohn said.
He said it was a way to spread the word quickly and to the people who needed it.
"It won't cover everybody, but it definitely keeps people informed and it's another tool in the toolbag for emergency crews to use to get information across," Cr Meiklejohn said.
Louise Brosnan of Killarney said she too found Facebook helpful during the floods as she was able to follow her friend's updates on rainfall from further up the mountain, and judge the moment when Killarney would be hit by the wall of water.
