Hurricane Sandy is causing significant waves not only in the Atlantic, but also on social media.
On Twitter, @AHurricaneSandy, created by user Elijah Daniel, ballooned to over 178,000 followers since its creation on Oct. 26. The account portrays Hurricane Sandy as a violent, but sarcastic being who takes massive pride in the destruction she causes.
“OH SHIT JUST DESTROYED A STARBUCKS. NOW I’M A PUMPKIN SPICE HURRICANE,” @AHurricaneSandy tweeted on Oct. 28 as the storm began to affect North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland.
Another account, @MittStormTips, was created on Oct. 28. The account features a user posing as Mitt Romney, providing “Storm tips for the 1%,”.
“Leave car elevator on top floor in case of flooding. #MittStormTips,” @MittStormTips tweeted on Oct. 28, shortly after the account’s creation.
The mood is more serious on Facebook. The Hurricane Sandy Community page, created on Oct. 27, provides updates on the storm’s progress and safety tips to the 17,500+ people who have clicked its “Like” button. Community members are exchanging prayers and well-wishes with each other, and posts are coming in from all over the world, including Europe, Australia, and South Africa. Additionally, members are sharing information as the storm approaches their areas.
“Damn!! this is how you know this hurricane is the real deal! My brother said he went to pick up his garbage can outside and a pit bull was hiding inside,” Hunter Priscilla wrote on an Oct. 28 post.
On Foursquare, the moving target “Frankenstormapocalypse 2012” has seen over 1,300 check-ins. The name is taken from a winter storm system that combined with the hurricane over the mid-Atlantic states.
“Got beer. Crisis averted,” user David T. wrote.
The subreddit r/sandy has been given its own link on Reddit’s front page. It was created on Oct. 26 by Reddit general manager Erik Martin, known as hueypriest on the site. So far, over 2,000 Redditors have subscribed, sharing storm-related photos, updates, and memes as the storm makes its way north.
Photo via NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Flickr
