Review article: Social media for managing disasters triggered by natural hazards: a critical review of data collection strategies and actionable insights

Gopal, Lakshmi S.; Prabha, Rekha; Thirugnanam, Hemalatha; Ramesh, Maneesha Vinodini; Malamud, Bruce D.

doi:10.5194/nhess-26-215-2026

Articles | Volume 26, issue 1

https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-215-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-215-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 26, issue 1

Review article

| Highlight paper

|

27 Jan 2026

Review article | Highlight paper |

| 27 Jan 2026

Review article: Social media for managing disasters triggered by natural hazards: a critical review of data collection strategies and actionable insights

Lakshmi S. Gopal, Rekha Prabha, Hemalatha Thirugnanam, Maneesha Vinodini Ramesh, and Bruce D. Malamud

Data sets

Social Media Literature Database Lakshmi S. Gopal et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10803017

Executive editor

This paper systematically reviews 250 studies (2010–2023) on the use of social media data (SMD) in disaster management, highlighting its applications in relevance filtering, actionable information extraction, and decision-making enhancement. It develops a comprehensive literature database and identifies key trends, advantages, and challenges, proposing best practices for leveraging SMD to improve disaster response, communication, and management strategies.

Short summary

This paper critically reviews 250 studies (2010–2023) on how social media are used to manage disasters triggered by natural hazards. Supported by a newly created Social Media Literature Database, it identifies trends, data collection and analysis strategies, actionable information types, and major research gaps. Best practices are proposed for community use of social media during disasters and for researchers seeking to enhance its integration into disaster management and resilience strategies.