Amateur radio emergency communicators in two western states
were kept busy in August and September, providing backup communications -- and
sometimes the only communications -- in response to wildfires in California and
both fires and flooding in Colorado. Ham radio communication was briefly
featured in an NBC Nightly News segment on the flooding around Boulder,
Colorado, that as of press time had resulted in several deaths, several hundred
missing people and massive property damage.The Colorado flood disaster continues to unfold as our November issue goes to press. Stay tuned for complete coverage of these latest examples of amateur radio's emergency response in December CQ's Public Service column.