How to Assist Tornado Victims

As tornado season approaches, tragic loss and devastation often grace your television screen and internet browsers. Fortunately, there are ways you can assist with the power of the internet. This blog will attempt to share resources as a way for you to repost and act to help victims of these horrific natural disasters. Below are five ways the internet can assist tornado victims, according to CBS.

1. The internet has quick information for donation sites and rescue efforts. The internet offers swift, 24-hour access to frequently updated, current information and donation location sites such as Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and World Vision (just to name a few) to help tornado victims rebuild. You can also donate a cell phone for victims whose mobile devices were destroyed or lost. The ability to donate from your laptop or smartphone has sped up the process of aiding tornado victims and other victims of large-scale tragedies at an unprecedented speed. Be careful to donate to reputable sites.
2. The internet has been a rich source for checking victims’ status. Family and friends can look for their loved ones via internet check sites rather than a team required to field endless, unfruitful calls to local law enforcement and first responder offices. Facebook groups are a great way to find and share information, and there are also lost and found pages for people who cannot find their pets.
3. Often, many lost and found sites are set up for victims, so they may attempt to recover lost items such as family pictures and keepsakes that may have blown hundreds of miles away. People can also post photos of items they found that were blown away by the tornado.
4. Twitter can also be a great way to get continuous, up-to-date information. Many non-profits in affected areas will provide valuable information, direct first responders to meeting places, and post where shelters have opened their doors to victims.
5. Online resources continue to be updated and created. Those affected by tornadoes in the St. Louis, MO, area can visit OzarksFirst.com, a local community site. They put together a list of help hotlines, other useful phone numbers, and important websites for volunteers, victims, and loved ones.

This blogger has noticed another way the internet is assisting tornado victims. It is through the frequent posting and reposting they are involved. Also, conversations and comments users make when interacting online promote credible, informative sites. The creation and popularity of these sites occur overnight to inform thousands simply by individuals “liking” the Facebook sites. Therefore, you as an individual can help promote quality information by simply posting valuable sites on your websites, Facebook pages, LinkedIn pages, and Twitter. Individuals can promote informative sites by following them on social media, thus voting for that site and increasing the likelihood the site will come up quickly when someone does an informational search.

As mobility and technology increase, so does our awareness and accessibility to more communities. Victims of tragedies seem like they are more next door to us. As an individual and consumer of information, you can truly help others through your search efforts on the internet. So help yourself feel less helpless by working on community engagement and information promotion by seeking worthwhile sites to aid victims. In this era of social media, individuals can regain some of the influence they may have perceived to have lost as the United States and the world becomes so populated. Many people have the sense their one vote does not matter. However, this is simply not true. More than ever, one voice makes a difference. Individuals make a difference as we are a collection of our individual efforts.

We at The Cagle Law Firm encourage everyone to get involved in assisting those suffering through tragedy. As storms take personal and financial tolls, each of you can contribute through direct volunteering and donations. As well, use your individual power to share worthwhile knowledge, information, and valuable sites with others. We all need to be rebuilding our neighborhoods and supporting our neighbors through positive actions.

Contact The Cagle Law Firm for additional resources or questions at (314) 276-1681.