Digital and social media played a huge role as the region began to come to grips with record snowfalls and the biggest snowstorm of the century.

Visits to VOCM.com doubled during the State of Emergency, and from weather updates to power outages, food sharing and school closures, much of the information was coordinated and shared using social media.

Local tech blogger and educator Kevin Andrews says now most people get their information online, including from radio, and while social media has a bad reputation for exposing the ugly side of human nature, the last week showed it’s power for good.

He says there’s a lot of negative stuff to be said about Facebook and Twitter, but what happened during Snowmageddon 2020 turned that around

You could see people’s compassion going viral though posts, hashtags and videos, helping people out, keeping each other connected, and changing lives.