Digital Lifelines: Understanding Social Media’s Role in Communicating Hurricane Impacts on the Georgia Coast Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

Hurricane events pose a wide range of ecological and social threats to the Georgia coast. With the predicted increase in frequency and intensity of these hurricane seasons linked to climate change, communicating critical safety information about hurricanes has become an important task for governing bodies along the Georgia coast. Strong hurricane communication systems are crucial for ensuring the safety of coastal communities and environments. The influence of social media has become a valuable tool for hurricane communications, a comprehensive study synthesizing best digital- communication practices for both public and ecological safety during hurricanes on the Georgia coast has not yet been developed. This study aims to understand how ecological concepts played a role in Twitter (X) discussions during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and learn what types of digital communication strategies are best for communicating both ecological and social impacts of hurricanes. Results from this study found little mention of ecological damages in tweets posted during Hurricane Matthew, and that engagement was largely dependent on previously established audiences for individual accounts. Accounts with large audiences were observed to be using visual aids and clear language to communicate hurricane information across scientific and non-scientific communities. These strategies were used to guide creation of a video for general-public viewing that explains hurricanes on the Georgia coast, and communication networks associated with hurricanes. Understanding how the Georgia coast has been affected by hurricanes, as well as developing a comprehensive guide for digital communication best practices, will be important for creating a safer and more prepared coastal community.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction..........................................................................1

Background..........................................................................3

Methods...............................................................................10

Results.................................................................................12

Discussion...........................................................................17

Conclusion..........................................................................19

Works Cited.........................................................................22

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Environmental Studies
Degree	B.S.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Multimedia Communications Climate Change Environmental Studies
Keyword	Twitter Hurricane Communication
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Anthony Martin, Emory University
Committee Members	Michael Reinhard, Emory University Shaunna Donaher, Emory University

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