No matter where you live in the world, everyone should have a battery-powered or self-powered (hand-crank) portable radio in their home.

Recently, the pace of articles here on the SWLing Post has slowed down. That’s because I live in Swannanoa, North Carolina—a town that was particularly hard-hit by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Helene, which brought unprecedented rainfall and caused widespread destruction.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been chronicling my experiences on my ham radio blog, QRPer.com. I’ve also been sharing regular audio updates with supporters on Patreon.

In short, our rural mountain community was completely cut off for several days. Our bridge washed out, and a critical section of road crumbled daily.

At one point, two families had to be helicopter-evacuated for medical reasons, and less than a week after the storm, the Sheriff’s department came door-to-door recommending evacuation.

Our amazing community pulled together: we cleared our road of hundreds of downed trees and made sure everyone had food, water, and supplies. We took care of each other.

Now, things have improved dramatically. After two and a half weeks without power, we’ve been reconnected to the grid. The Kentucky Department of Transportation repaired our road, making it accessible to regular vehicles again. On Tuesday, an arborist crew finally made it up the mountain to remove fallen trees from houses.

Although things are starting to feel more normal at home, the impact on Swannanoa, Asheville, and surrounding areas has been profound. Entire neighborhoods are gone, numerous businesses have closed, and several grocery stores were severely damaged.

The Communications Void

It’s often said that modern communications infrastructure fails us after a disaster.

I can confirm, first hand, that this is true.

The mobile phone network went offline during the storm, leaving us without service for days. Even now, three weeks after the storm, mobile phone service remains unreliable. Calls drop every few minutes.

Mobile data services at home are still down at time of posting (October 18, 2024). Internet services like cable, fiber, and DSL are mostly still out across the county. Only those with satellite internet have a connection—I’m fortunate to be one of them. Our cell tower still only supports basic voice calls and text messaging, without data or media attachments.

Radio to the Rescue

As many of you know, I’m not just a radio listener, but also a licensed amateur radio operator, and both of these hobbies became essential post-Helene.

As highlighted in an article by WIRED, amateur radio proved to be our lifeline for communication when everything else failed.

Using the local repeater (N2GE on Mount Mitchell), I was able to pass wellness checks, coordinate helicopter evacuations, and arrange supply drops for our community. I handed out a few handy talkies to unlicensed neighbors so we could stay in touch.

My wife and daughter, who are also hams, helped tremendously. While I was out with a chainsaw, clearing driveways, they acted as net control operators on our community’s simplex frequency (147.555 MHz), passing critical messages.

For that first week especially, amateur radio truly was our community’s connection to the outside world.

AM/FM Radio: A Lifesaver

Fortunately, our local TV station remained online after the storm, but few people could access it. Many people rely on cable or internet to watch TV, and in areas like ours, the digital transition over a decade ago left many without the ability to pick up over-the-air signals.

In contrast, FM and AM radio became the most reliable sources of information. Here in Buncombe County, public information and news were broadcast on 99.9 MHz (FM) and 570 kHz (AM). Both stations stayed online throughout the disaster, and the information they provided reached a vast audience. Check out this feature from CBS Evening News:

In Henderson County, the local AM station WTZQ stepped up as well. They did incredible work serving their communities post-Helene, as highlighted in a report by Queen City News:

Information Lifeline

As a presenter in the above story pointed out, everyone should have a battery-powered (or self-powered) AM/FM/Weather radio in their home.

After a disaster, you’ll rely on that radio for essential updates like where to find clean water, how to apply for FEMA assistance, what businesses are open, and when services will be restored.

Even three weeks after the storm, much of the Asheville area is still without water, so radios remain vital for getting updates.

Here at SWLing Post HQ, I shared my extra portable radios with neighbors who needed them. I used my CC Skywave SSB 2 in the kitchen window to tune into local news on 99.9 MHz and 570 kHz. I also relied on my XHDATA D-109 and CC Radio 3—they became our constant companions for information.

Many of you here on the SWLing Post are already radio enthusiasts, so no doubt I’m preaching to the choir. But let this serve as a reminder to stock up on alkaline batteries and check your radios regularily to make sure they’re fully functional. Keep spares on hand so you can lend them to neighbors if needed—they’ll never forget your generosity.

And don’t assume your area is safe from natural disasters. Western North Carolina was considered one of the safest regions in the country for weather, yet we were hit by one of the most devastating storms in state history.

Stay prepared. Don’t become complacent.

Thank You!

Over the past few weeks, many of you have reached out with kind words and support, and I can’t thank you enough!

As of this morning, I have 310 messages in my inbox.

I’ve been too busy to reply to emails and comments—though I’ve read each one—but I truly appreciate your patience as I try to catch up. My days have been consumed by helping neighbors and getting our own life back in order. It’s been exhausting but incredibly rewarding, and we still have months of work ahead of us.

Thank you also to the contributors who have kept the SWLing Post running during my absence, and a special shout-out to my friend Vince (VE6LK), who has taken on a huge role in keeping QRPer.com updated.

Again, I’ve been posting updates on QRPer.com and sharing more informal audio updates on Patreon.

Thank you so much for your support and understanding—and, again, keep those radios ready. You never know when they’ll become your primary source of information!

Best & 73,
Thomas (K4SWL)