getting news out from the floods: pick up the tools and run

A few days ago, I posted about BBC Berkshire’s google maps mash-up showing areas affected by flood warnings, the location of council emergency
centres, places where BBC Radio Berkshire has reported from (called
outside broadcasts or OB’s), videos of the flooding on YouTube and
photos emailed to the website by audience members.

It turns out that Ed Parsons had already spotted and blogged about it (see the comment from BBC Berkshire’s Oliver Williams on the post). The Guardian’s Bobbie Johnson linked to Parsons and then got a link himself from Jeff Jarvis. (Thanks Martin for the call alerting me to all the coverage)

It’s on a comment on the buzzmachine post that I found a link to the blog you see to the left – created by Cheltenham Borough Council to keep citizens informed in the time of crisis. The quote, which appears to come from a Council employee involved in setting up and using the blog, explains:

"We’re using the skills we have to help in a difficult situation and the
response has been outstanding. The blog was a quick decision made in a
crisis. We’re raising awareness and giving our community support.
Thanks for watching."

Sometimes you’ve just got to pick up the tools that are already out there and run with them.