Social Networking Sites Keep Families Connected in Disaster

By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- As Typhoon Parama continues to pound the Philippines, relatives abroad are trying to reach out to their loved ones in that country, and thanks to technology, relatives are finding a lifeline.

Typhoon Parama is just one of several storms that has hit the Philippines in the past week. When a tropical storm attacked the Philippines last week, some called it the Hurricane Katrina of the country. It dumped the heaviest rains in the Philippines in 40 years killing hundreds and many are still missing.

Colette Blasquez said she initially couldn't get in touch with her sisters after high flood waters destroyed thousands of homes in the Philippines.

"It's scary because at that time when it was happening I was able to communication with my older sister. She gets to e-mail me, I answered back, but when the e-mails stopped, that was the time I panicked," Blasquez said.

Blasquez's sisters live in the suburbs near Manila, which remains under water, and for days there were no e-mails and no phone calls.

"We were watching the news and I found out that they don't have any electricity. And so, my sister in Houston, we were really panicking because we don't know what's going on," Blasquez said.

After days of worrying and praying, an e-mail eased Blasquez's worries. Her only other means of checking on her family has been Facebook.

Blasquez said her family lost their 20-year-old business in the Philippines and pictures of the area showed the cleanup process had barely started.

"That's the heartbreaking there. This is the only source of income for her," Blasquez said. "For victims like my sister who lost her only source of living, people that lost the houses they lived in and most especially for the victims that lost their loved ones, this is heartbreaking, and I think those are the people, you know, that really need help," Blasquez said.

Typhoon Parma alone has already killed at least 16 people.