So last week, Hurricane Micheal devastated the Florida Panhandle. The pictures are hard to watch. Not only was this the strongest October hurricane of all time, but was one of the strongest storms of any time. However, many credit technology for helping out and even saving lives. Let’s look at Hurricane Michael and technology.
So many of people, like meteorologists, credit IT support and technology for saving lives. They credit radar and computer models for watching the storm’s rapid intensity. For example, on Sunday the 7th, it was just a tropical storm. But by the time it hit Wednesday the 10th, it was almost a category 5 storm.
They also thank the EOC (emergency operations center) for putting warnings out. They sent evacuation warnings to smartphones and other devices all over the land. Also, they kept using this to get the warning out. As a result, many people fled. In Franklin County, Florida, over 12,000 people left because of the warnings. Of the 1,000 people of Mexico Beach, FL, over 700 left. Cell phone companies and ISP providers set up hot spots all over the areas so people can contact missing relatives, friends and neighbors. They are sending hundreds more to help re-connect people with cell phone service. Who is doing the sending? It’s major phone companies like AT&T and Verizon.
I know on my Facebook page, people all over the hit areas mark themselves safe. People also talk about if they’re out of power. In some ways, social media gives regular people a journalist’s voice they didn’t have some 15 or 20 years ago. Oh, and like other disasters, online giving will pay a huge role in the clean up and recovery efforts. Just be careful about who you give to and accept help from. Those are just some of the ways IT service and technology are helping people whether the storm. How else do Hurricane Michael and technology go together, I mean in technology helping people?