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The American Red Cross has conducted a very interesting survey among U.S. citizens aged 18 and over to gauge their reliance on social media in obtaining information about emergencies such as earthquakes or severe weather. While the numbers are still somewhat small, the survey shows that there are rapidly growing expectations regarding the use of social media in emergencies.

As expected, the survey recorded widespread usage of social media in general: nearly three in four respondents said they use some form of it – topped by the likes of Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. When it comes to public emergencies, however, the uptake is less widespread. The overwhelming majority still get their emergency news from more traditional media like TV (63%), radio (44%) and news websites (37%) while a much smaller proportion rely on social media like Facebook (14%) and Twitter (6%).

But the trend towards greater use of social media is clearly apparent, especially among those aged 18 to 34. Here’s what the survey’s 1,058 adults told the Red Cross:

• About 50% would sign up for emails, text alerts, or applications to receive emergency information, and about the same number would post emergency information on their personal pages or sites;
• 18% would turn to digital social media if calls to 911 were unsuccessful;
• 69% believe emergency response agencies should regularly monitor their Web sites and social media networks so they can respond promptly to any requests for help posted there; and
• 74% say they would expect help to arrive within an hour.

The survey can be found here.

In a posting about the Red Cross survey and its related Emergency Social Data Summit, the Center for Health & Homeland Security Blog zeroed in on the use of Twitter and made a few additional points worth sharing. It observed, for example, that “when responding to disasters it’s all about the relationships you’ve already built.”

“In social media,” the blog noted, “building real relationships requires a long-term focus driven by consistent engagement and substantive interaction, and it’s no secret that Twitter is an especially fertile ground for both. However, all too often emergency management agencies use Twitter as a one-way-street for information dissemination rather than a tool for conversation, valuable outreach, and, in times of crisis, immediate situational awareness and information gathering.”

CHHS found in its own research that “42 state emergency management/homeland security agencies maintain Twitter accounts (43 counting D.C.), and only one of those accounts is ‘verified’ by Twitter. Surprisingly, 16 of those agencies do not link to their Twitter page from their agency homepage.” And of the 27 that do, it added, only a handful give Twitter particularly prominent homepage placement.

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