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16 LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY MAY 2017 www.officer.com C O V E R S T O R Y N atural disasters can impact a community in a matter of minutes. Whether it's a tor- nado, a hurricane, flooding, a snowstorm or a wildfire, they are oftentimes unexpected and calamitous. As first respond- ers, law enforcement have the unique job of running towards an emergency rather than away from it, even if their own home or family is impacted by the disaster. Across the U.S., police depart- ments are tasked with preparing for and responding to a varying degree of natural disasters and are using diverse technologies to do so. The power of social media In 2016, Hurricane Matthew reached Category 5 strength in late September into early October. On Oct. 8 the hur- ricane made U.S. landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane and impacted many of the eastern states. It brought flooding to many areas, including Fayetteville, N.C., the vic- tim of more than 8 inches of rain in a 6-hour period and more than 14 inches overall. The storm had seemingly passed, so many residents were going out to malls and stores to run errands, recalls Sergeant Shawn Strepay of the Fayetteville Police Department, but then the flash flooding started. "It was disastrous and unexpected." The flood- ing caused houses to lose power and many people became stranded in their Winds of Destruction On June 11, 2016, Baker, Mont., was hit by an EF-3 tornado with little warning and no time to prepare. Photo cour tesy of Sherif f Trenton Harbaugh Law enforcement use social media and emergency notification systems to decrease response times and increase safety before, during and after natural disasters strike. by Adrienne Zimmer