Social-networking sites calling for volunteers

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — When Kevin Tobosa got word Thursday that a friend needed help building a sandbag dike, he immediately posted a status update on his Facebook page: “Heading to 2825 Lilac Lane in North Fargo — needs to be raised another 2 feet.”

When city officials needed volunteers at other dikes, Tobosa suggested setting up a Facebook group. By Thursday, it had attracted more than 4,550 members and was constantly picking up new ones.

“We really need volunteers again today to get the dikes buttoned up and fill the rest of the sandbags,” read a message sent to the group Thursday.

Social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have become vital tools for volunteers as they wage a desperate, round-the-clock battle to protect Fargo from the river and spread the word about rising floodwaters.

“Oftentimes, the government Web sites and phone lines are overloaded and don’t have the capacity to answer all the queries,” said Jeannette Sutton, a University of Colorado sociologist who has researched the use of social networking in emergencies.

As the river rose higher, thousands of weary volunteers scrambled Thursday to extend the city’s dikes by another foot. Their work was made more difficult by temperatures below 20 degrees that threatened to weaken the effectiveness of the sandbags, which do not stack as tightly if frozen.

Tobosa, 34, said he learned to appreciate the speed and efficiency of social networks at the online marketing company he owns.

“I use it to reach customers, so I thought, why not use it to reach volunteers?” he said.

Besides serving as a handy tool for marshaling volunteers, social-networking sites also offer a close-up view of the action for people who are interested but do not live nearby.