With Hurricane Sandy - aka Frankenstorm - bearing down on Lindenhurst, Long island and the entire East Coast, the need for up-to-the minute information is paramount.
At Patch we'll be working around-the-clock to cover Hurricane Sandy, but as with all of our reporting, the more interaction we get from users, the more comprehensive our coverage will be.
Lindenhurst Patch is as much your site as it is ours.
So in wake of Sandy here’s how you can use Patch to help paint the local picture of the event.
1. Get the news. When we know about storm-related news, so will you. From important Town and Village announcements, damages, power outages and floods, we’ll have all the news covered 24-7. Refresh the home page often; we move fast.
2. Comment. If you have relevant information to add to an article, then jump in and make a comment. We’ll follow up and likely add it to the article. These storm stories will continue to evolve as we speak to more officials and locals. You can be a real-time source by commenting.
3. Connect with the local editor. Barbara Loehr’s e-mail address and phone number are listed in her profile. Use them. If you have tips, then call, e-mail or more often text to conserve cell phone power.
4. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Want the information the fastest way possible? Follow @LindyPatch and on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/LindenhurstPatch. Interact with us there, too.
5. Get the iPhone app. If the power goes out, your smartphone may end up being your only tool for getting the info on what’s going on in your community. Click here to get the Patch app for free on iTunes. Not only can you read news on it, but you can also post photos and videos.
6. Take photos. Please stay indoors if you plan to wait out the storm. But any photos you take as you prepare for the storm and of the aftermath we’d prominently display right here on Patch. E-mail them to your local editor at barbara.loehr@patch.com, upload them directly to articles, post them to Facebook page and tweet them to @LindyPatch, or upload them here: http://lindenhurst.patch.com/pics.
7. Shoot videos. The same advice goes for video. Our smartphones have put high-powered video cameras in our pockets. Send clips our way to help us report on the effect of Sandy in your backyards.
8. Get the word out about storm-related event cancelations and postponements and closings, and ask for volunteers. Our Announcements section lets readers post requests for volunteers. Use it. Fellow residents will be seeking information about what's closed and open and postponed because of Sandy - especially since halloween is in a few days. And, depending on the scope of the disaster, volunteers are going to be crucial to mend the community. Any storm-related and Volunteers Needed announcements posted on the site we'll feature prominently on the home page.
9. Blog about it. When all settles, scores of your fellow community members will have “I was there” stories to share. Don’t keep them to yourself. Sign up to be a blogger and let your neighbors know how you held up during the storm.
10. Sign up for free newsletters and breaking news alerts. Stay on top of Sandy and get all of the latest coverage by signing up here: http://lindenhurst.patch.com/newsletters.
Stay safe, Lindy!
Related:
- Hurricane Sandy Long Island
- The Latest on Sandy
- Hurricane Sandy Emergency Contact List
- Your Family and Storm Planning
