@311Somerville Steps Up to Hurricane Irene!



View of Lil' Vinny's Ristorante from Olde Magoun's Saloon in Magoun Square.


The frequently criticized (mainly because it's misunderstood) social media outlet, Twitter, proved itself this past weekend as users utilized the tool to give friends and followers up-to-date accounts of Hurricane Irene. Pictures, power outage reports, and advice were right at the finger tips of anyone who has welcomed this resource into their lives.

One of the best handles to follow for residents was @311Somerville The city's "one call to City Hall" Twitter account has shown that some people don't even need to make a phone call to report issues in their neighborhood. A laptop, iPad, or smart phone is all it takes to get information streamed by numerous users within seconds. Downed tree limbs, non-functioning street lights, and the latest storm tracker news was spread via @Somerville311 in lightning speed to keep residents and followers informed and ready for what Irene had in store.

Do you have a Twitter handle? Be sure to follow all of Somerville's Twitter accounts to stay informed when there's a big storm brewing or when you just want to know whether or not your yard waste will be picked up that week. If you don't have a Twitter handle, think about getting one. The amount of information flow is determined by the user and it can be incredibly informative and useful! Oh, and follow @Ward5Online when you decide to get one!

A huge THANK YOU goes out to @311Somerville, the DPW, and resident tweeters for keeping us all connected, safe, and assisted during this weekend's weather scare.