Social media’s impact during Irma

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Hurricane Irma sent residents into a mode of panic and confusion a couple weeks ago, even though the storm did not create major damage to the area.

One thing that kept residents calm and informed during the chaos was social media.

From day to day, and sometimes from hour to hour, law enforcement and emergency officials kept residents informed on the latest information regarding Hurricane Irma such as road and park closures, flooding, hurricane wind speeds and location, tornado warning or watches and power outages.

Vero Beach Police Department spokeswoman Anna Carden and Indian River County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Eric Flowers often did Facebook Live videos to give residents crucial information.

This video was taken before Hurricane Irma came through Indian River County. Source: Vero Beach Police Department

Carden said the police department also used social media during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and decided to take it a step further this year. She said the department sent updates throughout the entire city using Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor and the police department app.

Police also used a text messaging app to keep residents updated.

“Social media was the only outlet some residents had because of power outages,” Carden said. “We had all the information our citizens needed in one place.”

Carden said citizens appreciated the police using social media during Matthew and Irma. She said for Irma, police did more frequent social media updates and also did live Facebook feeds.

“It was very engaging. Folks were tuned in right away,” Carden said. “People perceive that better than reading a paragraph. I was thinking of myself as a resident and what a resident would want to know.”

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Eric Flowers, who also sometimes acts as the spokesman for the county, often gave live updates on Hurricane Irma from the Emergency Services Department, along with County Administrator Jason E. Brown.

Flowers said the Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Services Department reached many people through social media and gave them information that they weren’t getting anywhere else.

“People loved it. We received hundreds of thousands of views on our Facebook Live videos,” Flowers said.

In addition to doing Facebook Live updates, Flowers also updated residents while on the radio at stations such as WQCS and all five of the Treasure & Space Coast radio stations.

“I’m grateful we supplied them with so much information, especially to those residents that were out of town,” Flowers said.

This video was taken after Hurricane Irma came through the county. Source: Indian River County Emergency Services Department

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