Ham Radio Emergency Communications: Be Prepared When Everything Else Fails

September 2017. Hurricane Maria knocks out every cell tower in Puerto Rico. Every single one. Internet gone. Landlines gone. The entire island goes dark for weeks.

Ham radio operators provided the only communication link between hospitals, shelters, FEMA, and the outside world. For days. Not as a backup — as the primary system.

That's not ancient history. That's recent. And it's why emergency communication remains one of ham radio's most important roles.

Why Radio Still Matters

Cell towers need power, backhaul connections, and functioning equipment. Take away any one of those and your iPhone becomes an expensive flashlight.

Ham radio needs: a radio, a battery, an antenna. No infrastructure. No internet. No tower. No subscription. You can communicate from a car, a hilltop, a shelter — anywhere.

When Derecho storms hit the Midwest in 2020, entire counties lost cell service for 4-5 days. HAM operators ran health-and-welfare traffic, coordinated supply deliveries, and relayed hospital communications. I helped relay medication requests from a nursing home that had no other way to reach their pharmacy supplier. A clipboard, a radio, and someone at the other end.

That's the whole system. That's why it still works when everything modern fails.

The Organizations

ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service)

ARRL-coordinated volunteer organization. During disasters, ARES members deploy to shelters, hospitals, and emergency operations centers to provide communications.

No cost to join. Your local ARES group likely has monthly nets (check-ins on a repeater) and occasional exercises. Find your section Emergency Coordinator on the ARRL website.

Commitment level varies. Some groups just want you on a weekly net. Others run full deployments with go-kits, generators, and 12-hour shifts. You decide how deep you go.

RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service)

Government-affiliated version. Operates under direct authority of local emergency management. More formal — you may need a background check and specific training.

In practice, ARES and RACES memberships often overlap. Same people, slightly different hats depending on who's asking for help.

Skywarn

National Weather Service program. Trained volunteers report severe weather observations via ham radio nets. Tornado spotted? Hail size? Flooding? You report it directly to your local NWS office through a Skywarn net.

Free training (online or in-person every spring). This is probably the most accessible entry point — you observe weather, report what you see. No equipment beyond an HT and a local repeater needed.

I've been a Skywarn spotter for 6 years. Called in two confirmed tornado reports that went into official NWS warnings. No idea if those extra minutes saved anyone, but the system works.

CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)

Not ham-specific, but many CERT teams use ham radio for coordination. Free FEMA training that covers basic disaster response. Pairs well with ham radio communication skills.

Building an Emergency Station

The Go-Kit

A grab-and-go bag (or case) with everything needed to operate independently:

Radio: Dual-band HT minimum. HF portable for longer-range work. My kit has:

• Yaesu FT-65R (VHF/UHF simplex and repeaters)
• Xiegu G90 (HF, runs on 12V, built-in tuner)

Power:

• LiFePO4 battery (12V, 10-20Ah)
• Solar panel (foldable 50-100W) for extended operation
• AA/AAA batteries for the HT as backup

Antenna:

• HT: Signal Stick or roll-up J-pole
• HF: End-fed wire + throw line (entire antenna fits in a stuff sack)

Support:

• Pen and paper (message forms — ICS-213)
• Headlamp
• Printed frequency list (no phone to look things up)
• USB charging cables
• Weather-resistant case

All of it fits in a medium Pelican case and a backpack. Set up time: under 15 minutes from car to operational.

Home Station Backup Power

Your home station is useless in a blackout without backup power.

Options ranked by runtime:

1. UPS (1-2 hours for a 100W radio — buys time)
2. LiFePO4 battery bank (4-8 hours depending on capacity)
3. Generator + battery charging (indefinite but needs fuel)
4. Solar + battery (indefinite during daylight)

I run a 100Ah LiFePO4 battery with a 200W solar panel. Powers my entire station indefinitely as long as there's some sun. Cost about $500 total. Overkill for most — a 20Ah battery covers 4-6 hours of casual operating.

How Emergency Nets Work

During an event, a Net Control Station (NCS) manages communications on a designated frequency:

1. NCS calls the net to order
2. Stations check in with their location and capabilities
3. NCS assigns traffic priorities
4. Messages are passed formally — sender, recipient, text, confirmation
5. Emergency traffic (life safety) gets priority over everything

Proper net discipline matters here more than anywhere else in ham radio. Short transmissions. No editorializing. No unnecessary commentary. Say what needs saying, then release the frequency.

Winlink: Email Without Internet

Winlink is a global radio email system. Send and receive email via HF or VHF radio — no internet required at your end. Messages relay through radio gateways to the internet.

During disasters, Winlink carries health-and-welfare messages, supply requests, damage reports, and coordination between agencies. It's used regularly by Red Cross, FEMA, and SHARES (government HF network).

Setup: Winlink Express software (free) + your radio + a sound card interface. Practice during non-emergency times — there are regular practice sessions.

Getting Involved Without Waiting for Disaster

1. Join your local ARES group. Show up to one meeting.
2. Check into weekly ARES/RACES nets. Practice net discipline.
3. Take Skywarn training. Online, free, 2-3 hours.
4. Participate in exercises. SET (Simulated Emergency Test) happens annually. Field Day is partly an emergency preparedness exercise.
5. Build your go-kit. Then test it. In your backyard. In the dark. Does everything work on battery power?

The best time to figure out your emergency setup is NOT during an emergency. I've seen people show up to ARES activations with dead batteries, radios they've never programmed, and antennas still in packaging. Don't be that person.

The Honest Reality

Most hams never deploy for a real emergency. Your area might go decades without needing emergency communications. That's fine.

But being prepared — having the skills, equipment, and practice — means you're an asset when something does happen. And when it happens, it happens fast. There's no time to learn how Winlink works or program repeaters into your radio.

Prepare now. Hope you never need it. Be ready if you do.