“The Use of Social Media for Disaster Recovery” Guide Available Free Online

Contact: David Burton, civic communication specialist
Tel: (417) 881-8909
E-mail: burtond@missouri.edu

University of Missouri Extension’s popular publication “The Use of Social Media for Disaster Recovery” is available online for free just in time for tornado season.

Since being posted online in March of 2012, the guide has been downloaded and printed over 15,000 times, used at FEMA trainings, and even distributed by Texas Governor Rick Perry to county emergency management personnel in Texas.

The guide has been profiled in national media and called “informative and useful” to anyone interested disaster recovery or creating a successful social media presence.

The free guide is written by Rebecca Williams and Genevieve Williams, creators of Joplin Tornado Info on Facebook, and David Burton, civic communication specialist for University of Missouri Extension and creator of Branson Tornado Info on Facebook.

The publication also contains information about similar pages done in Woodward, Oklahoma and Wichita, Kansas as well as the Missouri Flood Info page and the brand new US Tornado Info community on Facebook.

The 32-page guide draws from experience with Joplin Tornado Info (47,000 followers) as well as the things learned when implemented with Branson Tornado Info (17,000 followers). Some of the guidelines and suggestions for doing similar pages have also been updated.

The guide “Using Social Media in a Disaster” is available for free download online at http://extension.missouri.edu/greene.

For speaking engagements or training opportunities about using social media in disaster recovery, contact the authors of this guide directly: Rebecca and Genevieve Williams at joplintornadoinfo@gmail.com and David Burton at burtond@missouri.edu.

Source: Rebecca Williams, Joplin Tornado Info, 417-501-5187, email at joplintornadoinfo@gmail.com