Understanding the Power of Social Media as a Communications Tool in the Aftermath of Disaster

Senator PRYOR. I want to welcome everyone to the Subcommittee. I want to thank you all for being here, and all of our witnesses for being here, and all the interested parties. I also want to thank Senator Brown for being here today, and I look forward to his service in this slot. It may be temporary, but we certainly appreciate you and all that you are doing. It has been a pleasure working with you and your staff on this hearing.Let me start by just saying that we have two panels today, very qualified witnesses. I certainly want to thank Director Fugate for being here. As busy as he is around the country right now, his time is very precious, and he has been generous with his time and always helpful to this Committee and Subcommittee and helpful to the Senate. So thank you for being here, and all the other witnesses as well, all the ones who are involved in various disasters around the country. We really appreciate all that you all have done and appreciate you being here today.Last week, a series of severe storms swept across the Southern United States causing immense damage and a historic loss of life. The storm system spurred powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding, and it was the second deadliest day of tornado activity in U.S. history, killing 341 people in seven States, including an unimaginable 249 in Alabama. At least those are the latest figures I have. Fourteen people lost their lives as a result of the storm in the State of Arkansas, and I want to offer my most sincere condolences to the families of those impacted or killed during those storms. I hope that your families are comforted through this very difficult time.