Sunday Salon: November 4, 2012

Thank you all for you concern and support over the past week as the city and the surrounding areas have dealt with Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath.  I escaped with no damage and only lost power briefly on Monday but I have been saddened to see the city and so many people coping with total devastation.  Please keep these families in your thoughts as they grieve their losses and move on to rebuilding.

Social Media in a Crisis
In many ways, this week in the city resembled the days after 9/11 to me - like then, the city was at a standstill and isolation set in as they "sealed" the city by closing all the bridges and tunnels.  Unlike 9/11, however, both because of the rise of social media and the fact that cellular networks remained largely intact, there was a community to tap into online.

Credit: Outdoor.com

I was home alone on Monday as Sandy bore down on the city and at first wasn't concerned about riding  the storm out alone at home (I was not in evacuation zone).  But as things got worse - power loss, windows shaking mightily from the wind and trees snapping right at their roots outside I started to crave contact with the outside world, information and reassurance.  And I found it in my social media outlets - Twitter and Facebook.  From each, I got invaluable information and felt connected though alone in my apartment.  Twitter provided up to date reports of critical info  -status of the mass transit system, recommendations to stay away from windows in case of breakage due to wind, and information on what to expect next with the storm.  On Facebook, I checked in with friends across the city and tri-state area and had friends near and far reach out to me to make sure I was OK.  One writer referred to social media during the storm as a "virtual campfire" and I think that captures it perfectly.  In the week following the storm, social media has continued to provide critical information about recovery efforts, fundraising and good collections.  And, of course, some humor and the all important "human" connection.  Thank you again to everyone for reaching out during the storm.

On the Blog
In other news, I am trying to finish (or least plot out a path to complete) my 2012 reading challenges.  I think I may come closest this year - finally! Reviews posted in October:

Gilded Age by Clarie McMillan
Bella Fortuna by Rosanna Chiofalo (plus author guest post)
Gold by Chris Cleave
Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn
Lola's Secret by Monica McInerney
Dune Road by Jane Green

I hope everyone has a great week!