Carnegie Mellon University
September 14, 2021

Leveraging Twitter to Understand Natural Disasters

A new study suggests that monitoring social media during hurricanes could help communities better plan for and mitigate the impacts of climate change

In the face of a potentially disastrous storm like Hurricane Ida, people take to Twitter and other social media sites to communicate vital information. New research published in the journal Risk Analysis suggests that monitoring and analyzing this social media “chatter” during a natural disaster could help decision makers learn how to plan for and mitigate the impacts of severe weather events in their communities.  

Gabriela Gongora-Svartzman, assistant teaching professor in Information Systems and the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy and Jose E. Ramirez-Marquez from the Stevens Institute of Technology, performed an analysis of more than 6 million Twitter posts over time during three major hurricanes that made landfall in 2017: Harvey (Texas), Irma (Florida) and Maria (Puerto Rico). Their study developed a new method for measuring social cohesion, an important factor in a community’s resilience.

“If we measure and understand social cohesion within communities, then we can seek to increase cohesion - through policies, community programs and other strategies - which in turn will increase the resilience of communities,” said Gongora-Svartzman. “People in a more resilient community are more willing to volunteer and help each other during a disaster. A more resilient community is also better informed, therefore knowing who to ask for help, what resources are available and how to help during a disaster.”

Social cohesion has been described as “the glue that holds society together.” It affects how a community comes together in times of need. Social cohesion can help reduce the number of vulnerabilities experienced by a community during a disaster and reduce the time it takes to rebuild. The stronger the social cohesion, the more resilient a community is.

Read more about Gongora-Svartzman’s study