Facebook and Hurricane Sandy

When Hurricane Sandy hit social media sites buzzed like crazy (at least for those who had power).  On Facebook, there were thousands of pictures of the aftermath of the storm .  Before the storm even hit there were several groups that anyone could join for constant updates on how to prepare and what areas would be hit the worst.  Groups like this helped spread the word before some news sites even covered the information, and got everyone on the same page.
Once the storm was over the groups and pages became a way of showing the massive destruction caused by the storm from the everyday person's point of view.  Also little by little once the rebuilding and damage control was taken care of, the groups became a way to try and get supplies and other necessities to those who needed them most.  If someone had an extra mattress, they could go on the group page and find someone needing one.  This way of connecting created a sense of community among group members and built up the trust and reliability of each other.