Web sites to help those displaced by Gustav

With a hurricane approaching Louisiana, I got to thinking about how Web 2.0 sites can play a role not only in informing people about impending danger, but in linking those who are en route to somewhere safe. The category 4 hurricane, called Gustav, and a second hurricane, called Hanna, will likely hit landfall around this Monday morning, according to news reports.

One of the best Web 2.0 sites for obtaining the most accurate and current weather conditions in the area is the MSNBC site for Gustav. The site has several important enhancements over other hurricane tracking sites: it's very easy to use and does not have a lot of clutter, which is helpful for those who may not have access to a computer for long periods. It shows an animated tracker for Gustav so you can see the path of the hurricane. It also runs fast, and the interface lets you click on the map to see current wind speeds. Source.

The National Weather Service page is also a good one to bookmark for official information about the storm and any official alerts and advisories.

If you have not already signed up for Twitter on your phone, point a browser to http://m.twitter.com/ and create an account. You can let people know your personal URL - for example, mine is just twitter.com/jbrandonbb - and people can follow your whereabouts. FaceBook is another good portal for those who want to keep track of you, and you can also access it from a mobile phone. Here's a link to a blogger located in Lousiana, who is using Utterz, as a good example of how to post on social nets and what to say.

iGoogle, which has recently become more of a social platform, has this gadget and this one to add to your homepage with hurricane tracking information. You can track Gustav on Google Earth as well, using these tools.

This site has a map and live video feeds.

Computerworld has IT-related information about Gustav, including a report on bracing for the storm, and a report on how cellular operators are prepared.

Ning has a good Gustav tracking social network to bookmark as well. I'll post a few more sites on Monday.

Update: Here is the wiki on Gustav. It has information on more links, weather info, volunteer resources, and more.

Note: As with all potential storms of this magnitude, you can do your part by not visiting any of the sites I have listed here during the actual storm to keep the servers running at full power, unless you need to use them.