In times of personal need, the Internet can become an even more important resource than in normal times. And the neediest times can be right after a personal disaster, such as the recent devastation caused by Tropical Storm/Hurricane Ivan.

I've already heard stories of families who now have no place to live due to Ivan's torrents, and the breadwinners in these families simultaneously lost their earnings because the storm affected their jobs. Many businesses that were closed during the storm will never open again, forcing layoffs. Unfortunately, some of these families were living paycheck to paycheck before the storm. Adding to that already difficult financial burden: the problems of no place to live, no job and having to deal with the storm mess.

While the volunteers comb the counties to help those who need plumbing, carpentry and other physical help, the need for psychological, medical and job assistance remains. That help is as close as your Internet browser, with such resources as the United Way of Allegheny County. The United Way has been lending assistance for years to those who have these needs -- through seminars, pamphlets and phone assistance. In the last few years it has ramped up its efforts via the World Wide Web.

It provides emergency numbers, tips on food safety and what to do if your neighborhood has been hit by flood damage, including information about the National Flood Insurance Program -- all placed online in the wake of Ivan. It also shows how to apply for emergency assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and links to the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, which also does a nice job of addressing Ivan-related issues.

The United Way also has posted several of its popular booklets online -- including "Help for the Uninsured," and "Handbook of Help for the Unemployed and Underemployed," both available as Adobe Acrobat downloads. While these handbooks have tremendous value during other times -- especially during economic downturns -- they are particularly useful for natural disasters in which people lose their jobs unexpectedly.

According to Betty Havryluk, vice president at the United Way of Allegheny County, the Web site "is there to try to help people who have everyday questions about life's problems." Yet, she maintains, certain events increase the visits to the Web site.

Anne Fogoros, consultant for the organization, says even those without Internet access find a way to get access to the Web site (www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org). They often have neighbors with access, or go to the library.

After getting hit by Ivan, losing Internet access may seem to many of the newly disconnected people to be a minor problem. Yet it provides the information they need to overcome their critical, time-sensitive problems. The handbook for the unemployed, for instance, was originally put together in the '80s to deal with the steel industry downsizing. Yet, according to Joseph Delale, the United Way's AFL-CIO community services liaison, it has been a critical component of helping US Airways employees prepare for a possible life after US Airways.

While the information on the United Way of Allegheny County's site is aimed at Pittsburgh area citizens, much of it is useful nationwide, as it deals with problems that have no geographic or political boundary. And it puts things in perspective for us -- that personal despair issues take the front seat over business as usual, even as we slave over tweaking our own e-commerce Web sites to increase our response rates by a few important percent.