On the Same Wavelength: Amateur Radio Bridges the Gap:

When two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in 2001, and four years later when Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, it was important for emergency officials to be on the same wavelength. That's difficult to do when emergency communication goes down, as was the case during 9/11 and Katrina. Situations such as those prove just how important amateur radio is, according to Pat Williams, spokesman for Brightleaf Amateur Radio Club of Greenville. "In 9/11, when the second tower fell in New York City, cellphone towers went with it," he said. "In 45 minutes, ham operators were on the ground with antennas and equipment to communicate." Amateur radio operators, or "hams," are able to communicate without cell networks or the internet. Hams communicate by voice through microphones, through Morse code or through interfacing a radio with a computer or tablet to send data, text or images. They can set up anywhere with generators and antennas.

from Ham Radio Times http://ift.tt/2sVQF0m
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