Social Media sites help aid agencies and families after a disaster

We have been talking for quite some time about how we are living in the social age, with the ability to connect via twitter, Facebook, or Google from anywhere in the world and as GIS professionals we have been finding more and more ways of getting useful information into the hands of our users when they need it most.

Certain social media outlets are combining the power of GIS and creating an invaluable aid tool in the face of disasters for both agencies trying to assist and families who have been effected.

This article from News Channel 5 in West Palm Beach highlights how GIS is being used during disasters to reunite families and provide aid agencies with the most up to date information available and while it does point out some of the difficulties being faced by using GIS and social media the overall approach seems very positive.

Click here for story

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CFGIS March 2, 2012 Ignite Videos

At this past users group we had two brave presenters and a video ignite ignite. Hope you enjoy them!!!

In addition to the usual Ignite presentation, CFGIS also featured an ignite presentation given at a TED event all about how to give an ignite presentation.





Tim Kitchen presented on Where in the World is the EM Team.



Claudia Paskauskas told us about the importance of not hitting that snooze button

Then and Now: The 2011 Japan tsunami

The devastation caused by the tsunami which struck Japan last year serves as a reminder of the power that nature can release. It has been a year since the disaster and NBC has put together a series of before and after pictures from many of the sites impacted by the tsunami. The images which slide depict the location during the flooding of the tsunami and of what the area looks like today. Despite a large amount of cleanup which is still occurring to remove all of the debris many of the areas are beginning the stages of recovery.

Click here to view images and story. Image from cnn.com

Great turnout at CFGIS Users Group Meeting!!!

We are very happy to see such a great turnout at the 1st CFGIS meeting of 2012. We have more than 70 attendees here today to learn more about GIS and how it is be used thoughout Central Florida. We want to say thank you to everyone for attending the meeting and being involved in CFGIS. Your attendance and participation is what makes CFGIS and the entire Central Florida GIS community strong. Thank you, we hope you enjoy the meeting and look forward to a great 2012!!!