Data shows texting spikes after Joplin tornado
People who didn’t have other forms of communication at hand turned to their cell phones to send text messages to friends and families.
After a disaster that knocks out landline phones and electricity, it’s hard to underestimate how important a text message that simply says “I’m OK” can be.
Texting traffic more than doubled in the hours following the tornado that hit Joplin, Mo., and the surrounding area the evening of May 22, according to William Dudley, group director of operator services at Sybase 365, SAP’s messaging network.
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