10 Ways to Use Patch During Hurricane Sandy

With Hurricane Sandy setting her sights on Long Island, the need for up-to-the minute info is even more important. At Patch, we will be working around-the-clock to cover the storm, but as with of our reporting, the more interaction we get from users the more comprehensive our coverage will be. Garden City Patch is as much your site as it is ours.

So in wake of Sandy, here’s how you can use Patch to help paint the local picture of the event.

1. Get the news. When we know about storm-related news, so will you. From important town and village announcements, damages, power outages and floods, we’ll have all the news covered 24-7. Refresh the homepage often, we move fast.

2. Comment. If you have relevant information to add to an article, jump in and make a comment. We’ll follow up and likely add it to the article. These storm stories will continue to evolve as we speak to more officials and locals. You can be a real-time source by commenting.

3. Connect with the local editor. Carisa Giardino’s email address and phone number are listed in her profile. Use them. If you have tips, call, e-mail or more often text to conserve cell phone power.

4. Follow us on Social Media. Before we write an article we tweet the news out to our followers and post it on our Facebook fan page. Want the info the fastest way possible? Follow @GardenCityPatch on Twitter and "Like" Garden City Patch on Facebook.

5. Take photos. Please, stay indoors if you plan to wait out the storm. But any photos you take of the aftermath we’d prominently display on your Patch. Upload them directly to our Hurricane or Weather groups.

6. Shoot videos. Same goes for video. Our smartphones have put high-powered video cameras in our pockets. Upload clips to our Hurricane or Weather groups to help us report on the effect of Sandy in your backyards.

7. Ask a question. If trees are down in your neighborhood but you want to know if your neighbors a few blocks away have the same damage, or if you want to let us know about a local business braving the storm, comment in our Closed Streets group.

8. Ask for Volunteers. Our Volunteering group lets readers post requests for volunteers. Use it. Depending on the scope of the disaster, volunteers are going to be crucial to mend the community. Any Volunteers Needed announcements posted on the site we will feature prominently on the home page.

9. Blog about it. When all settles, scores of your fellow community members will have “I was there” stories to share. Don’t keep them to yourself. Sign up to create a blog group and let your neighbors know how you held up during the storm.

10. Start a group. Perhaps residents of a certain section of Garden City want to share info or you want to talk about storm updates. Create a group of your own right on Patch and invite your friends to follow/join it!