Paper Title
The Role of Social Media During Crisis Situation: A Case Study on Kerala Flood

Abstract
Kerala, a southwestern state on the Malabar Coast of India was hit by one of the most severe floods on 24th August, 2018. The flood was caused due to the unusual heavy downpour and 80 of its dams were opened after being overwhelmed. The flood was pronounced to be a National Disaster and the rescue operation whilst the Kerala flood is said to be one of the biggest rescue operations in India and the only one with huge social media and public participation. Social Media facilitates speedy communication and dissemination of ideas, opinions and perspectives, a significant advantage. Especially during a disaster it allows accessibility via smart phones as well as computers. India has seen an increase in unfortunate catastrophes where people are displaced from their families and need to seek information about their dear ones and their well being. Facebook and WhatsApp being the common mans social media platforms compared to Twitter has over 1 billion active users, with a majority of users accessing it via mobile devices. The study is framed around the assumption that the dependence on social media was pivotal for the rescue operations in Flood-Hit Kerala which was declared a Level 3 Calamity by the Indian Government. The present study seeks to identify the role of social media during the Kerala floods in rescue and rehabilitation processes; in crisis management; to understand if it created more of panic or tranquility and how it can act as a rescue and coping mechanism for other unforeseen events. The study adopts both qualitative and quantitative methodology employing expert interview and survey conducted in the most affected area of Ernakulum district, being Aluva; Paravur; and Perumbavoor (The Hindu , 2018). Keywords - Crisis Communication, Facebook, Kerala Floods, Social Media, WhatsApp