Chennai rains: How Twitter users are making a difference to those affected by the disaster

It’s December and Chennai is submerged with torrential rain that has broken all records and disrupted daily life. The downpour hasn’t abated in days and the death toll is nearing 200.  The Armed Forces have been deployed and even the Navy is on standby as water-logging is reaching dangerous levels. Additionally, the forecast only predicts more rain for this week. CM J Jayalalithaa has also said police, fire and rescue, national and state disaster forces and Coast Guard were on standby for need-based evacuation.

As the government and Army try to help the residents stay afloat, social media has also been flooded with relief efforts and updates on situation in Chennai as #Chennairains #Chennaifloods started trending in India. Be it shelter or other material through crowdsourcing and a dedicated Google spreadsheet, Twitter has been a crucial tool to reach out to the people affected by the disaster.

Here’s a sample:

Many influential personalities also joined in the plea for help

Even Chennai’s IPL team, the Chennai Super Kings has been active in trying to help out the city

Lastly, here’s a tweet that will  show that one can always make a difference, no matter how small