Hurricane Harvey and Increased Volunteerism: How Social Media Impacted Individual Participation in Emergency Management Responses

• In Event: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Information in Governance

Abstract

This paper examines the use of social media and how it impacted volunteerism immediately following Hurricane Harvey. It focuses on relief efforts by private volunteers in non-profit organizations such as the Cajun Navy and the American Red Cross, and hypothesizes that volunteerism increased as a result of social media. The numbers of volunteers that assisted in relief efforts during and after Hurricane Harvey will be compared to the number of volunteers that assisted during and after pre-Harvey hurricanes (Katrina, Rita, and Ike) and post-Harvey hurricanes (Irma and Florence). The paper concludes with a discussion of how volunteerism during Harvey impacted emergency management response in subsequent natural disasters.

Author

• Terri B. Davis, Lamar University