Social Media in the Aftermath of the Earthquake in Chile

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Social media tools and other Web-based resources have been a key source of information about the 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile on Saturday that has so far left about 700 people dead. They are helping family members to find out about their loved ones – and in one case, to find a missing family member.
 
Throughout the weekend, Chileans have been sharing photos on Twitter of the devastation caused by the quake. But it's been useful in other ways, too. Sheryl Breuker, a digital media adviser in Washington, was unable to track down her sister-in-law in Santiago, Chile’s capital. Power and phone lines were down in many areas near Santiago, so texting, calling or e-mailing weren't options.
 
So Breuker turned to Twitter, using hashtags to connect with Santiago locals near where Maria lives:
 
“Any info on Maria Alicia Moya, please update http://tinyurl.com/yfjtzed or contact @kencamp or @sherylbreuker ASAP #chile #quake”
 
A stranger in the area then contacted her via Twitter, asking how he could help. Breuker gave the man Maria’s address, and he physically went to check on Breuker’s sister-in-law. Within two hours of their initial contact, Breuker received a direct message on Twitter from the man: “found her! she is OK…. she told me to tell Twinkie to stay cool, she is fine!”
 
Breuker’s ecstatic tweet: “We just got word that Mariali is safe and ok thanks to an amazing new friend and the power of Twitter! OMG! Awesome!!!”
 
Breuker told Masahable.com, "I am so thankful for social media, grateful to the power of networking and beyond ecstatic my sister-in-law was safe and her home intact."
 
It is powerful stuff; Social networks provide communication channels that extend across all borders and transcend traditional media.
 
Other resources for the Chile quake include:
- Twitter list: the New York Times has collected various Twitter accounts with info about the latest in Chile
- Twitpic: uploaded images of the devastation in and around Concepcion
- Livestream: live video feed from Chilean TV via the Livestream service
- Person Finder: a Chilean version of a tool that Google originally created to help during the Haiti earthquake
 
Photo source: The Daily Mail / Google Images