The International Red Cross has a website where victims of large-scale disasters can register to let friends and family know they are okay and how to contact them. It's a worthwhile site to have bookmarked in case you ever need it. Of course you also need to let your friends and family know about it so they can check it to track you down or vice-versa.
Red Cross Safe & Well Registry

-Blast

My first thought was....that's a great idea!

My second thought was...wait, how would I get on the internet in a wide scale emergency? I don't carry an internet capable device as part of my bug-out gear. Plus, if 9/11 is at all indicative of how a major disaster in the future would go down.....then I won't have cell phone or internet service for days.

It's still a good thing to keep in mind though. You just never know which resources will and won't be available after a wide-scale emergency.

My understanding is you can also sign up on the registry at Red Cross stations.

In regards to the Japan earthquake, I read somewhere that Facebook is turning out to be the communication medium of choice for people as many can access it from smart phones. Apparently their cell phone system is much more robust than ours.

-Blast

Google has someting similar...

Brilliant idea! Thanks Blast!

Great info, thanks.

Many amateur radio stations are rigged to run off backup power and many are capable of accessing the Internet via packet radio networks.

I was a Red Cross Responder (also a ham) doing communications during Katrina. We provided internet service via a Red Cross Satellite Link to many shelters and other locations. People could do whatever they wanted and many used the service.

There were several other organizations providing similar services although some would not let people actually use the computers but were restricting them to a sort of "telegram" service. Some filtered the content quite severely.

There always seems to be a way to get on the internet. Ham radio is also frequently used, although slow, it does work well. Here again, it usually requires people to write their messages as sort of a telegram and it is sent by operators. Although in some situations now, standard e-mail programs are interfaced and people can type their own messages. One sees this more where large agencies such as hospitals are communicating via ham radio. These are usually situations where a lot of prior coordination has take place. Such as between a hospital and a local Emergency Operations Center etc.

I assume that the situation is very dynamic and getting more available and user friendly every day.

Nomad.

I live near Joplin MO and after the May 22 tornado someone used there Facebook page and helped a lot of people connect and find loved ones. Of course this would not be an option in a grid down scenario or teotwawki.

Thanks for sharing such an important information.Red Cross is very best institute providing lot of rescue services all over the world.