Tech is making life a lot more efficient…but it can do a lot more than get you a ride home. It holds the potential to save countless lives and greatly reduce the damage when nature strikes.

1. T E C H ’ S G R O W I N G R O L E
Bennat Berger
IN THE WAKE OF NATURAL DISASTERS

2. Tell Alexa you want a pizza.
Let Google Assistant direct
you to the nearest bar.
Order an Uber with a few
clicks.
Tech is making life a lot more
efficient…but it can do a lot more
than get you a ride home. It holds
the potential to save countless lives
and greatly reduce the damage
when nature strikes.

3. S O C I A L M E D I A A N D M O B I L E : P R E P A R E D N E S S A N D R E S P O N S E
Decision-makers, politicians, celebrities and others have the power to spread
information across their networks and call on others to do the same.
Jason Samenow, a meteorologist and
weather journalist, attests that, with
Facebook, Twitter, and other
platforms, “Messages about how
severe Hurricane Katrina was and the
importance of preparedness would
have permeated society,” potentially
saving lives.

4. This enabled anyone
with a mobile device
or internet access to
see the latest
information, and
helped responders
work more
effectively, saving
lives.
When Hurricane Sandy hit, more
than 3.2 million Tweets using the
hashtag #Sandy were published on
the first day. During the height of
the storm, people posted 10 pictures
of what was happening on Instagram
every second.

5. B I G D A T A A N D I O T C R E A T E P R E D I C T I O N S A N D A C C U R A T E
R E A L - T I M E I N F O
Thanks to gauges that had been
installed inside Harris County’s
intricate bayou system, which is used
to collect and drain water, residents
and rescuers could see in real time
where flooding was most severe.
FEMA and other responders were
then able to quickly mobilize
resources to help areas in danger.

6. As IoT expert Chris
Wilde says, “Although
the severity of the
disasters might
increase, the loss of
life has been greatly
reduced by
improvements in
communications and
the distribution of
information.”
NASA and NOAA, along with
municipalities, are now utilizing
sensor data, satellite imagery, and
other surveillance to give first
responders and volunteers valuable
information into potential problems
— before they happen.

7. A U T O N O M O U S T E C H N O L O G Y D E L I V E R S S U P P L I E S , F I N D S
S U R V I V O R S , A N D A S S E S S E S D A M A G E
In China, the National Earthquake
Response Support Service is using
drones to find survivors, deliver food
and supplies, and coordinate rescue
attempts.
Once Hurricane Irma in 2017 had
passed, drones flew over areas in
Florida, assessing the damage to
buildings, roads, tunnels, bridges,
and more.

8. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto
Rico in late 2017, Google’s Project
Loon sent balloons to the island, and
beamed internet connectivity to
more than 100,000 people.

9. T E C H N O L O G Y : T H E K E Y T O D R A S T I C A L L Y
I M P R O V I N G D I S A S T E R R E S P O N S E
I’ve been amazed by how we’ve come together during natural disasters.
Major advancements in technology, especially social media, mobile,
and AI, have equipped us with tools to do an even better job. We must
be sure to use these tools to the fullest extent when a hurricane,
tornado, earthquake, or other disaster hits. It’s the key to saving lives.

10. T H A N K Y O U !
Bennat Berger
W W W . B E N N A T B E R G E R . N E T