List of Emergencies Hams Helped In
  Neighborhood Emergency Radio Project | Ham Radio @ SAR City. | (white paper) What to Do When the Telephone, Cellphone and Internet Fails in a Disaster? | (option) Satellite Phones. | (option) MURS. | (option) FRS/GRMS Frequently Asked Questions | FRS/GMRS As Emergency Radios | FRS/GMRS Equipment. | Using FRS/GMRSs. | (option) CB. | (option) Ham Radio. | List:  Emergencies Hams Helped In | In Honor of Jerry Martin, W6TQF, and Reid Blackburn, KA7AMF | Ham Licensing. | Practice Ham Exams. | Ham Radio Classes. | Ham Exams. | Ham Radio in the Schools, Grants, and Emergency Communcations. | x | Legal Aspects of Emergency Communications | Links: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Organizations | Volunteering, Legal Aspects and Pitfalls. | 2006, Ham Radio @ SoRo NC. | 2006, Ham Radio @ DONE Congress. | 2007, Ham Radio @ So. Central NC. | 2007, Ham Radio @ SAR City. | 2007, La Mirada Drill. | 2007, Culver City Drill. | Personal Preparedness. | Go-Kit. | Resources: Training for EmComm Operators. | Propagation.  | Antenna Restrictions and EmComm. | Understanding Antennas. | NVIS Antenna. | Unobstrusive Antennas. | Antennas Projects - HF. | Antenna Projects - VHF/UHF. | More Antenna Projects. | Safety and First Aid. | Mobile and Portable Stations. | Emergency Power. | Emergency Alerts. | Favorite Links  

List of Major National and International Disasters in Which Radio Amateur Provided Emergency Communications  

Amateur radio operators are helping their communities every week in local emergencies which never make national or international news.  Additionally hams are helping provide communications during parades, marathons, rallies.....  Keep in mind, the list below only has major events. 

2007

October - Southern California Wildfires. 

2005

Hurricane Rita.

Hurricane Katrina.

Tsunami - Indonesia, India.   

2004

Series of four hurricanes in Florida 

2003

August - Northeast Blackout. 

May - Series of Midwest Tornadoes.

February - Space Shuttle Columbia recovery.  

2002

June - Colorado wildfires. 

April - Maryland tornado.  

March - Kentucky flooding.  

 2001 

September - "9/11" Terrorist attacks; World Trade Center in New York City, New York, and Pentagon in Washington D.C.  

June - Texas and Louisianan flooding after Tropical Storm Allison.  

January - Gujarat, India, Great Quake.  

January - El Salvador earthquake.  

 2000

December - Southwest U.S. Ice Storms.

December - Alabama Tornado.

March - Alaska Avalanche.

May - Los Alamintos, New Mexico Firestorms. 

1999

September - Hurricane Floyd.  

1998

October - Texas Flooding.

September - Hurricane Georges. 

February - Florida Tornadoes.

1997

April - Grand Forks, North Dakota to East Grand Fork, Minnesota 500 Year Flood.   

January - Western U.S. Floods.  

 1995

April - Okalahoma City Bombing.   

1980

March.  Mt. St. Helens volcano explodes in Washington.   Jerry Martin, W6TQF, and Reid Blackburn, KA7AMF were manning scientific observations posts for the Washington Radio Amateur Emergency Service died when an eruption from 10 miles away buried them in boiling ash.

Please click on the page honoring these two fine hams. 

Earlier History

First report instance of hams doing emergency communications was in April 1921 when amateur radio operators at the University of Michigan and Ohio State University passed emergency traffic during severe regional windstorm and flooding.  For a review see Gil McElroy, VE3PKD's 2007 article in Sept., QST article "QRR: The Beginnings of Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, pages 48-50.