Full Circle Associates

Gabriel Shirley emailed earlier about how he was keeping in touch with his extended family in New Orleans. His response so intrigued me I asked him to blog it. Voila!

"y mother's side of the family is from New Orleans and the surrounding area, including the parts of Mississippi hardest hit by hurricane Katrina over the past day.

My aunt and uncle evacuated, another uncle works in the emergency room, and other friends and neighbors are whereabouts unknown at this point. Of course the family is worried and hungry for news.

A cousin of mine in Atlanta, realizing he would be asked the same questions by so many family members, quickly set up a listserv and invited the family to join. Now members of the clan from Phoenix to Seattle to New York and Washington DC are tuned into this ad-hoc 'family network.'

At the moment, we believe our people are safe (though we haven't heard from everyone yet) and the big question is: how much flooding and wind damage has been done to the evacuated house my elderly aunt will one day return to?

Ad hoc communication networks are a community indicator, a sign of resiliance when ordinary "lines" are down.

In this case, offline used online. In online groups, offline alternative means of communication are often deployed, particularly during any sort of disruption.

In the meantime, here's beams to the Gulf Coast.

community_indicators, Katrina