Facebook & the Toowoomba Flash Flood

Dr Kelly McWilliam (Senior Lecturer, Media Studies)

kelly.mcwilliam@usq.edu.au

WeatherZone Forum

Toowoomba

Murphy’s Creek

Withcott

Helidon

Grantham

‘Toowoomba Flood’ & Facebook

Toowoomba Flood Appeal Page (1,200 people like this)

 Toowoomba & Darling Downs Flood Page (36 people like this)

 Toowoomba Flood volunteer helpers (56 people like this)

 Toowoomba and Darling Flood Missing Persons (9 people like this)

 Hearts Go Out To The Toowoomba Flood Victims (7 people like this)

 We need a hand to clean up some of the flood damage in Toowoomba (10 people)

 R.I.P. Families who lost members in the Toowoomba Flood (group, 43 members)

 Help queensland on their flood crisis and donate some money!! (group, 2258 members)

 Help Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley district ANIMALS in FLOOD! (group, 559 members)

 My teacher told me ‘Toowoomba will never flood’ (group, 3 members)

Facebook - Toowoomba and Darling Downs Flood Photos and Information

First 24 hours: Local people searching for missing friends/relatives.

First 48 hours: Local, interstate and international people searching for missing friends/relatives/information.

Days 3-5 : The number of people searching for the missing declined and were limited largely to those looking for people who were still missing, presumed dead. international searchers who were not aware of which areas were

hit and which were not (many non-locals thought the whole of Toowoomba had been flooded.)

People also began seeking information about where to buy bread and milk as well as other staples such as nappies & formula, since the floods had hit Brisbane and no supply trucks were getting through.

1 week+: People began using the page to seek volunteers to help out at both evacuation centres and private residences.

2 weeks +: People began organizing charity events to raise money for the flood appeal.

Time Activity Stage/s

24 hrs Locals search for info about missing 2-3

48 hrs Locals & non-locals search for info missing 2-3

3-5 days Searches for missing friends/relatives ongoing;Searches for basic supplies (bread, milk) emerged as Brisbane supply trucks cut off.

4-6

1 week+ Organising volunteers 7

2 weeks+

Organising charity events/raising money 7

Eight Socio-Temporal Stages of Disaster(Powell, 1954; Dynes, 1970)

see Palen et. al