Social Media and the New Zealand Earthquake

Saturday, Sept. 4, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake caused massive damage and disruption in Christchurch, New Zealand. Early that morning, nearly one million South Islanders were jolted awake by what has turned out to be the biggest earthquake event in New Zealand since 1931. I have a true affection for the Kiwis, as I was invited to speak at their annual supplement industry conference in 2009.

The most memorable things about the 2010 earthquake is that there were no immediate casualties and the role of social media in breaking the story. While many phone and Internet connections were impacted and it may be some hours or days until links are restored, clearly not all connectivity was cut as social media sites quickly helped to spread the news. The most personal and immediate news came via Twitter. Along with attempts to use Twitter to locate friends and family, a Facebook group, Earthquakes in New Zealand, was started, but traffic has been limited. With Internet access comments from the affected area narrowed and with no loss of life, the outpouring of help from other parts of the world is limited, compared to other natural disasters. But nevertheless, social media rides to the rescue.

My sympathies and thoughts go out to all those impacted by the earthquake.