Are You Ready for an Emergency?

You never know when disaster will strike. That became abundantly apparent after the September 11 terrorist attacks earlier this decade. It became apparent last night too, when my neighborhood experienced an ‘end-of-the-world-like’ thunder and lightning storm.

emicus is a community-powered emergency network, and it could be the most important social media site you register for.

When the crap hits the fan your first course of action is to make sure you and your loved ones are safe. Not too far after that, you will want to know the whereabouts of everyone else you care about.

emicus offers an “I’m OK Service” which allows you to easily alert people you choose that you are swell (and alive!).

Beyond that, the site is designed to help you prepare, react and recover from a natural disaster. From locating the nearest pet shelter to monitoring the hurricane tracker, staying safe just got all Web 2.0 on us.

The site also has an after the storm section where you can find volunteer opportunities for affected areas and see ways to donate supplies and money. You can also contribute content and verify the information provided by others.

It is important to keep in mind that the site exists purely for informational purposes, and any true emergency, should be reported to 9-1-1. Data is collected from government agencies, news media, voluntary organizations, social networking sites and people just like you an me.

Coming soon: SMS integration, preparedness info, and more real-time information sharing.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.