Link: In past tragedies, fliers were posted looking for the missing. Today it’s social media.

Joplin Globe’s Facebook page locates, reunites missing people in tornado aftermath

After a massive tornado roared through Joplin, Mo., Sunday night, much of the city was left isolated without electricity, telephone service, or Internet connections. Survivors have found it difficult to communicate with loved ones, while frantic relatives trying to call family members in Joplin can’t get through.

So the city’s newspaper – the Joplin Globe – established a Facebook page to link tornado survivors with their family members and friends. The page encouraged Joplin residents to post a note if they made it through the tornado safely, and it allowed other people to post inquiries about friends and family members they haven’t been able to contact.