Abstract

Volunteers represent a valuable asset during emergencies caused by natural phenomena. A recent flurry of contributions has underscored the capabilities of so-called digital volunteers to provide effective contributions by providing useful information, helping mitigate the damage and supporting the recovery in the aftermath of disasters. Social media have been identified as specific enablers of volunteer work, as they provide a bottom-up coordination tool. We contend that albeit useful for broadcasting information and corroborating other sources of information, the use of social media by a vast network of volunteers cannot substitute for the highly contextual knowledge developed locally on the scene. We explore the issue by analyzing volunteer work – both digital and physical – occurring during the Genoa flood of 2014.