Cross-referencing social media and public surveillance camera data for disaster response

Abstract

Physical media (like surveillance cameras) and social media (like Instagram and Twitter) may both be useful in attaining on-the-ground information during an emergency or disaster situation. However, the intersection and reliability of both surveillance cameras and social media during a natural disaster are not fully understood. To address this gap, we tested whether social media is of utility when physical surveillance cameras went off-line during Hurricane Irma in 2017. Specifically, we collected and compared geo-tagged Instagram and Twitter posts in the state of Florida during times and in areas where public surveillance cameras went off-line. We report social media content and frequency and content to determine the utility for emergency managers or first responders during a natural disaster.

See the World Through Network Cameras

“…Since network cameras continuously acquire data, it is possible to conduct "before-after" comparison as shown in Figures 3 (c) and (d) when the highways returned to the normal conditions. Our recent study [6] suggests that data from network cameras can complement postings on social networks during emergencies. Network cameras continuously acquire and transmit data without human efforts; thus, network cameras can be used to monitor locations that have already been evacuated.…”