Many people in Japan are finding it hard to communicate because of downed power lines and limited cell phone access following Friday's earthquake and tsunami.

Thanks to the Internet and social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, however, some quake survivors have been able to send and receive information.

Aika Ortiz was separated from her family in Sendai when the tsunami struck.

Traditional ways of communicating failed, so Ortiz instinctively turned to Facebook. Her husband did the same.

Soon, Ortiz, her husband, and their three-year-old daughter were reunited.

"Through Facebook I heard that they were going to a friend's house," she said. "We wouldn't have found each other for a whole lot longer if it wasn't for Facebook."

Social media is also helping families overseas stay updated on the situation affected their loved ones.

Google has launched a people finder service to connect quake victims and already has more than 130,000 postings.