Adapting to evacuation: Using information technology for social support

Recent natural disasters forced thousands of people to relocate involuntarily and damaged or destroyed many communities. Information and communication technologies appear to have played a significant role in helping victims cope with the aftermath of the disasters. Informal reports suggest that evacuees, and people who helped evacuees, used the Internet to find family and friends, to search for updates on the state of their neighborhoods, to search for housing and jobs, and to exchange needed services, goods, and monetary aid. Many of the informal reports also suggest that great strides still need to be made if technology is to be used effectively in disasters. For instance, a flood of poor quality information, such as misspellings of people’s names, made searching quickly for family and friends through people-locator sites difficult or impossible. The research focuses on how technology may have affected the exchange of help and support after an involuntary relocation in the wake of this natural disaster and in the search for family and friends lost in evacuations. Research on the effects of disasters consistently shows that women and victims of lower socio-economic status are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of forced relocation. This research investigates how information and communication technologies played a role in the Hurricane Katrina disaster for disadvantaged populations. Specifically, in what ways did information and communication technologie