As most readers are aware I am originally from New Olreans, my relocation to Cincinnati occurred only a touch over a year ago. As a result I have the majority of my social circle there in addition to almost 300 years of family history. That is why it breaks my heart to see the entire Gulf Coast suffering this slow motion disaster.

Four and a half years ago our levees failed (Katrina had passed us over quite a bit earlier), and many of us began to use the relatively new technology of blogging to share info, find friends, navigate the FEMA paperwork labyrinth, etc. In the intervening time technology has advanced like a greyhound on meth giving us a vast array of social media tools with which we can share information and try to make a positive impact.

If you live near , or are soon travelling to, the Gulf Coast and you own an iPhone or Droid then you can help. You see, as people are fond of saying, there’s an app for that. Here is a quick excerpt from Andy Carvin’s announcement about it on NPR:

CrisisCommons, a coalition of volunteer software developers that I’ve been involved with since the Haiti Earthquake,rolled out the Oil Reporter app yesterday. Available for free on both iPhone and Android phones, the app is a simple interface for people who encounter oil along the Gulf Coast. Oil Reporter lets-you to snap a picture of the oil or tar ball, describe the context and offer additional details regarding wildlife and wetlands impact. When you submit your report, the app detects your location using your phone’s GPS, so your report can be pinpointed on a map.

The data collected through Oil Reporter, which will be curated and managed by San Diego State University’s Visualization Center, is open for anyone to access and use to create their own visualizations or analysis. CrisisCommons and the university are also inviting organizations to request specific visualizations, as well as custom versions of the app containing new data fields relevant to their oil spill related response activities.

There’s more on the way, Crisis Commons is doing some bang up work on digital response to this disaster. Look for more announcements here or pick up their RSS Feed.

George “Loki” Williams is the owner of SocialGumbo, LLC