All the Internet Projects That Help Us Through Sandy
Stuck inside with only the Internet, responsible web citizens are doing what they can to inform and aid during the storm. The Internet has created a bunch of projects to help us through Sandy, by either making it easier to parse information, or by providing places for people to send and collect more relevant data. It's pretty incredible what the Web can do, while Sandy has rendered movement useless. Below we've put together a list of all the online projects popping up in light of the hurricane. If you have more feel free to list them in the comments. For our full Sandy coverage, head to our live blog.
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Google's Crowdsourced Crisis Map
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The handiest tool online right is this Google map that pulls together information from users as well as more official sources, making it the most well-rounded information resource in one place. In addition to National Weather Service alerts and that familiar picture of the storm's path, Google has added information about active emergency shelters, traffic conditions (unsurprisingly clear) and related YouTube videos and webcams from the affected region. Visitors can zoom in on their location to watch the webcams.
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Proof that sometimes less is more, this site pulls together texts people are sending in about Sandy conditions. People can text the number listed below to give an overview of conditions in their area. Like all things Internet, SandyFeed has drawn some inappropriate texts, but for the most part it's a useful compilation of localized Sandy information.
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This organizes social and tech projects being created to help with Sandy relief. To get involved or peruse what's in the works, the group has a hashtag, Google Doc, and IRC channel. The Google Doc includes a list of idea proposals and ventures that have already been undertaken. Currently, the hackers are working on a Sandy Timeline to organize "key events" as they happen over the next few days. They are also putting together a Sandy Streams Map, which will pull together all the various livestreams in one place.
Most useful to people right now, however, is the list of resources at the bottom of the doc, including Crowdsourced maps of DC and Vermont.
Collect Water Samples for Science
This website from University of Utah and Purdue researchers asks those of us trapped inside by the rain to help them out by collecting some water samples for them for a project on water isotopes. They are asking volunteers to collect samples over 12 hour periods between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. For novice water-collectors, the website linked above has sample collecting instructions, as well as a water recording sheet.
The front page of the Internet has a Sandy subreddit dedicated to all things Sandy, which lists what's resonating on the Interwebs right now, from useful sites to funny memes.
