Sara Smith
saramhsmith.bsky.social
Sara Smith
@saramhsmith.bsky.social
Working to understand and improve the online information environment for disaster survivors. Turned my chronic anxiety into a profession by working in the world of emergency management.
Reposted by Sara Smith
An annual summit, organized by the nonprofit group After the Fire, brings together survivors, emergency responders and other disaster experts to trade ideas about recovery and to symbolically swear-in the latest class of devastated communities.
This club of catastrophe welcomes people who have lost everything
Victims of major wildfires gather at an annual conference to mourn what they’ve lost and share what they’ve learned.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
No matter what, extreme heat, bad air quality, storms and power outages are hard on my body.

More often than not disabled people aren’t factored in to emergency planning.

Include us & plan for us. It’ll make everyone safer.

www.disabledginger.com/p/disabled-p...
Disabled People are the Canaries in the Coal Mine
When it comes to natural disasters, pandemics, or disruptions to "normal" life, disabled people are proverbial canaries. We get hit harder and faster than others. Why aren't we factored into plans?
www.disabledginger.com
June 19, 2025 at 8:46 PM
I will follow USCPSC on any and every platform. Honestly, there was something calming about seeing their trademark unhinged content on Bluesky today.
Not verified yet, but you'll still know it's us because no one else can do this.
April 21, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
Never forget that in 1861 Charles Darwin wrote in a letter to a friend…

“But I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything"

…because this is my favorite reminder that we can do great things even if we don't always have great days
March 12, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
How AMS and NWA have stepped up for the weather and climate community
www.forbes.com/sites/marsha...
Weather Organizations Support Federal Workers And Researchers
2 leading weather organizations step up for federal workers and researchers. Here's what they did.
www.forbes.com
February 22, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
Federal workers make democracy work for all of us—but their hard work often goes unnoticed. Today, let’s change that. Share your stories of how civil servants have impacted your life in the comments below and use the #FedLove hashtag to spread the message! (1/2)
February 14, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
February 13, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
This is a really nice, simple distillation of the vital role NOAA and the NWS play and how private companies cannot replace what they do.
Why Private Forecasting Companies Can’t Replace the National Weather Service
NOAA and the NWS provide public weather data that private companies cannot recreate
www.scientificamerican.com
February 11, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
I do think it’s funny when the car companies are like “we may be divided but now more than ever, I think we can all agree: car ❤️”
February 10, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Reposted by Sara Smith
Kendrick brought America together the way that "Country Roads" ad was supposed to.
February 10, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Reposted by Sara Smith
Instead of directly correcting false claims, “bypassing” offers an alternative strategy: focus on positive, truthful statements about the same topic. New research suggests it can be very effective and I cover it in more detail here!
substack.com/home/post/p-... #MisinfoResearch
"Bypassing" is a new way to counter misinformation, but how does it work?
A new study found that "bypassing" can counter misinformation without direct confrontation.
substack.com
January 26, 2025 at 4:13 AM
Reposted by Sara Smith
I think we’re back in the place where you have to say the obvious things out loud so people don’t forget them: diversity makes emergency management better. It quite literally ~saves lives~. We have research on this from around the world.

Different people have different needs related to disasters.
January 31, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
Everybody needs level-headed friends who give constructive advice. But everybody also needs feral friends who feed you margaritas while you vent and vibe off your energy until you both just wanna burn it all down. It takes a village.
January 22, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
Thread for those new to BlueSky. First of all, welcome. It feels like a safer space, doesn’t it? But also perhaps a bit disorienting initially? Here’s some tips for getting your bearings.
November 13, 2024 at 5:59 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
Incidentally, the timing of shutting TikTok down as people were still actively using it to get critical information about the LA fires and organize relief is particularly shitty.
January 19, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Reposted by Sara Smith
I think somebody needs to let that groundhog know just how serious we are about ending winter in a timely manner this year
January 19, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
Remember, friends, never rely on just one method of receiving tsunami alerts! Be signed up for multiple ways to receive alerts so you're always in the know. I'll link some resources below.
December 5, 2024 at 10:16 PM
Reposted by Sara Smith
The tsunami scare today in the Bay Area illustrates how Elon Musk has changed X for the worse in emergencies.

This is the real account of Berkeley PD. But changes in verification means it no longer has a verified badge. Anyone searching for immediate info might be uncertain if this post is legit.
December 5, 2024 at 8:46 PM