Harden the Cell Towers! Love the Hams!

 The Almost Total Loss of Communications

 Was a Major Complication in the Response

 to Helene in Western North Carolina

LOOK OUT,  HERE COMES MILTON!

- 60% to 80% of the Helene outages were caused by direct damage to the cell towers.

- We know how to make them hurricane-proof. (Tougher structurally, backup power, backup network connections)

- Right now the hardened towers are only in the areas threatened by hurricanes in "normal" times. 

- Since America has become hugely dependent on cell phones for primary communications, we must invest in protecting cell service even in the most catastrophic situations. Especially in those times.

- Catastrophes that can wipe out cell service go far beyond hurricanes.  Wildfires are a biggie. Earthquakes, or a major solar storm could do it. A nuclear explosion, even one in space, would zap the electronics.

- Hardening against all these threats will seriously bump up our survivability score.

Only government mandates will move the big cell providers to do this. Only a persistent outcry from the voters will move government to mandate it. 

So how about a little outcry, fellow voters!

And when all else fails, HAM RADIO OPERATORS 

have for decades been the backup. 

No different this time

Read it HERE

I was a ham in my youth (W5RYI, 13-18 yrs old) and participated in "hamfests" where emergency communication was practiced. These folks are better than ever at backup communications when it's needed the most.  

FEMA  recognizes this valuable asset which costs the government VERY LITTLE and taps Americans' desire to help one another.  Yay HAMS!

Graphic by CoPilot