Hurricane Ida and its fierce category 4 winds have made its way towards Louisiana this past weekend, and the effects have left more than 1 million without power and adequate drinking water. As locals are scrambling to stay safe, and President Biden prepares emergency aid for the state, Subtext hosts USA Today and NOLA.com have created emergency campaigns to provide essential communications amid the storm.
As of late, these campaigns are aiding over 15,000 individuals through these hard times. Many of which wasted no time subscribing by using the frictionless signup method of keyword instant sign ups. In an effort to get people the information they need, the teams behind the campaigns have been texting news as it breaks, and sharing updates from fallen trees, to where locals can still buy gas and groceries.
Subtext takes pride in helping newsrooms launch campaigns that provide communities in need with with critical information. As unexpected natural events like Ida become more prevalent, hosts have found incredible success in using SMS to support and communicate with locals. That's why when the teams at USA TODAY and NOLA reached out looking for a way to communicate safety relief information with their readers in the final hours leading up to the storm, we had them up and running within hours.
These newsrooms are helping to build communities around hope, and truly proving that information equity holds more power than we even know.
Here are a few examples of how USA Today and NOLA.com spread timely information during and after the storm.
For those who evacuated, hosts informed them that state officials are encouraging them to stay where they are until further notice.
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For locals who stayed, hosts informed them they are being asked to stay off the roads.
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Subscribers are consistently asking for updates about the status fo the state including when power will be back on and whether the boil water advisories are still in effect. Hosts are actively responding to subscribers to ensure locals are in the know.
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Finally, if you or any of your loved ones are facing the devastating effects of Hurricane Ida, please know that you are in our thoughts. Stay safe and here's to the light at the end of the tunnel.