With the focus of the national news moving from the EF-5 tornado that hit the city of Tuscaloosa to the death of Osama Bin Laden, many local radio stations and volunteer groups are using their own means of communication to transfer information about the ongoing relief efforts between the victims and volunteers.
Five days after the storm ravaged through some of Tuscaloosa’s low-income areas, many residents are still without power or Internet. Rosedale Court, part of the public housing provided by the Tuscaloosa housing authority community, was one of the hardest hit areas in the city.
Kayla Dunn, a resident of Rosedale Court, said she has been using the radio to get information about relief efforts.
“I have 3G on my phone but I can’t get on the Internet or make calls because it says there is no reception, so I listen to the radio when I’m in the car,” she said.
Rosedale Baptist Church, located near the housing complex, has been sending volunteers to surrounding neighborhoods asking them what they need. Volunteers from the church are also distributing food, water, toiletries and bibles to those who have been displaced.
As Virginia Herrod sorted through donations at the church, she explained that the radio has helped her find necessities including food and water.
“Now I’m just looking for clothes for my grandchildren,” she said.
Quinn Roe, the youth minister at Rosedale Baptist, said the church has been using Twitter and Facebook to post updates on radio fan pages to telling people what items are needed and how they can come help.
Roe said the biggest need at the moment is individually wrapped chips and sweets.
The University of Alabama radio station WVUA 90.7FM The Capstone went off-air around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday after the tornado caused a power outage throughout the University. The station went back on-air Friday at 12:30 p.m. with the goal of using their medium to inform the community of volunteer efforts, donation locations and any other information related to the tornado relief effort.
“We feel that the radio is a powerful tool in times like these to get information out quickly and effectively,” WVUA-FM station manager Chris Dodson said. “The unique aspect of our situation is that we are airing both on the Internet and the radio so that our message is able to reach those who may not have the sources to listen on the Internet.”
Dodson said that WVUA-FM is using social media, including both Facebook and Twitter to pass along information as well.
“Our main purpose is simply to communicate to the listeners where the help is needed,” Dodson said.
99.1 WDGM on-air personality Trent Davidson said his show will be used as an information port to utilize all the resources available, whether on air or on the Internet, to get the help where it needs to go.
“If we aren’t in the station trying to get information out, we are out in the hard hit areas trying to get supplies to the people in need,” Davidson said.
