The Pew Internet & American Life Project's September-October 2005 survey
of 2,251 Americans showed that:

In the aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes, 13 million Americans made donations to relief efforts online and 7 million set up their own hurricane relief efforts using the internet.

In addition to using the internet to respond directly to the crisis, 50% of online users sought out news and information online, with most (73%) of their newsgathering happening at Web sites of the mainstream media. Sources such as blogs and international news sites served as important news supplements, with one quarter of those who got Katrina news online turning to one of these sources.

* The number of Americans who say they've ever made a donation to
charity online grew by 53% in our latest survey compared to January
2005.

* 4% of internet users, or approximately 6 million Americans, say they
posted comments, links, or pictures pertaining to the hurricanes to chat
rooms, bulletin boards, or blogs.

* 9% of internet users, or approximately 13 million Americans, used the
interet or email to check on the safety of someone who might have been
affected by the hurricanes.

- Report: Major News Events
- Report als pdf

(Quelle: Pew Internet)