Online users in Japan followed the storms that lead to devastating floods and landslides in the western part of the country closely as they unfolded last week. The topic remained central to discussion on social media as the days went on and the full extent of the damage became clear.

Many sprung into action as scenes from affected areas became more evident, and the incident highlighted the changing way in which internet publications and users themselves respond to events such as this. Specifically, it shows how good netizens have become at supporting those impacted by natural disasters, both during and in the aftermath of what happens.

As it became clear early on how rough the situation was going to get, online news sites and Twitter users started sharing guides on what to do during a flood. This is becoming more common during the early stages of disasters — similar articles were published quickly after the recent earthquake in Osaka — and sites such as Buzzfeed quickly shared pieces detailing what to do in a flood zone, how to keep things disinfected during such an emergency and even information on toilets.