Penang floods

PETALING JAYA: Facebook users can now use ‘The Flooding in Penang, Malaysia’ Crisis Response page to stay informed and coordinate help for the Penang floods.

Available at http://bit.ly/2hIa6oU, the page also provides the Safety Check feature so people can connect with their friends and loved ones.

According to Facebook’s Help Centre, Safety Check is activated if enough people in an affected area post about an incident.

“When an incident such as an earthquake, hurricane, mass shooting or building collapse occurs where people might be in danger, a global crisis reporting agency alerts Facebook,” it added.

People in the area may receive a notification from Facebook to mark themselves safe.

Other can check in on their friends in the affected area with the ‘Ask If Safe’ feature,

Clicking on the Support tab will aid Facebook users in giving or finding help, should one be in the affected areas.

As of Sunday night, there are 20 posts asking for assistance and over 150 posts offering help, with people extending aid in the form of food, water, transportation, school uniforms, and even pet supplies.

Good Samaritans can also create or donate to fundraisers to support recovery efforts.

Penang sought help after typhoon-like winds and torrential rain lashed the state since Saturday (Nov 4).