Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to share information with the public through various forms of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, which would allow the public to be prepared for natural disasters.

The letter, signed by a bipartisan coalition of Republicans and Democrats, explained that information about natural disasters has typically been released in forms that are inaccessible to the general public.

“In a natural disaster, information – usable information – has the capacity to save lives. When people know which areas are unsafe or could soon become unsafe, and know which precautions are advisable, we will reduce the number of deaths, as well as damage to homes, that occur in natural disasters,” said Congresswoman Clarke. “In Hurricane Sandy, families in South Brooklyn used social media to contact family members and neighbors, share information about which gas stations and grocery stores were open, and to plan relief efforts. With more information, the communities impacted in a natural disaster will have better access to resources.”

The letter was also signed by Congresswoman Susan Brooks of Indiana, Congressman Eric Swalwell of California, Congressman Peter King of New York, Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. of New Jersey, and Congressman Steven Palazzo of Mississippi.

As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Congresswoman Clarke has been dedicated to improving our ability to reduce the damages that occurs as a result of natural disasters.

U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke is a member of the House Committee on Small Business, Ethics, and Homeland Security, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. She represents many neighborhoods in central and southern Brooklyn, NY which include Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, parts of Park Slope and Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.