Emergency Communication When the Grid Goes Down

When the Grid Fails

During Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico lost 95% of cell towers. After the 2021 Texas freeze, millions had no phone or internet for days. It's not a question of if communication infrastructure fails — it's when.

Your family communication plan needs layers that work when the grid doesn't.

Layer 1: Family Communication Plan (Free)

Before buying any gear, establish a plan:

• Rally points: Primary (home), secondary (nearby school/church), tertiary (out-of-town relative)
• Out-of-area contact: Choose one person everyone calls to relay status (long distance calls often work when local doesn't)
• Wallet cards: Print cards with all emergency contacts, rally points, and frequencies
• Check-in schedule: If separated, attempt contact at set times (8am, 12pm, 6pm)

Practice this plan twice a year. A plan nobody remembers is useless.

Layer 2: FRS/GMRS Radios ($30-100)

Family Radio Service and General Mobile Radio Service radios work without any infrastructure:

• FRS: No license needed, limited to 2 watts, 1-2 mile range realistic
• GMRS: Requires FCC license ($35, no test), up to 50 watts, 5-25+ mile range with repeaters
• Best picks: Midland GXT1000VP4, Motorola T800
• Tip: Pre-program your family's channels and privacy codes

GMRS is the sweet spot for family/neighborhood communication. The license covers your entire immediate family.

Layer 3: HAM Radio ($50-300)

Amateur (HAM) radio is the backbone of emergency communication:

• Technician license: $15 exam fee, 35-question test, grants VHF/UHF access (local/regional)
• General license: Next level up, grants HF access (hundreds/thousands of miles)
• Best starter radio: Baofeng UV-5R ($25) or Yaesu FT-60R ($150)
• HF radio: Yaesu FT-891 or Icom IC-7300 for long-range

HAM radio is how you communicate across states or even continents when everything else is down. The prepper community is huge in HAM — you'll find local nets and emergency groups everywhere.

Layer 4: Mesh Networking (Meshtastic)

A newer option using cheap LoRa devices to create decentralized text networks:

• How it works: Small radio devices form a mesh — messages hop from device to device
• Range: 1-10 miles per node, effectively unlimited with enough nodes
• Cost: $30-60 per node (Heltec, LILYGO, RAK)
• Best for: Neighborhood or community communication networks

No license required, no infrastructure needed, and the network gets stronger with more users.

Layer 5: Satellite Communication ($200-600)

For when you need to reach beyond radio range:

• Garmin inReach Mini 2: Two-way satellite texting, SOS, GPS ($350 + $15/mo plan)
• Zoleo: Satellite messenger with app integration ($200 + $20/mo)
• Starlink Mini: Portable satellite internet ($599 + $50/mo) — the ultimate grid-down internet solution

Satellite is your insurance policy. Even if every local system fails, satellites still work.

Power for Your Radios

Communication gear is useless without power:

• Rechargeable batteries (Eneloop AAs/AAAs) with a quality charger
• Small solar panel (Anker 21W or Goal Zero Nomad) to charge devices
• USB power bank (20,000+ mAh) — charges phones and small radios
• Hand-crank radio (Kaito KA500) — AM/FM/weather/shortwave with built-in charger

What to Listen For

Even if you can't transmit, listening provides critical intel:

• NOAA Weather Radio: 7 frequencies broadcasting 24/7 weather alerts
• AM/FM Radio: Local emergency broadcasts
• Shortwave: International news when domestic media is offline
• HAM frequencies: Local emergency nets, ARES/RACES traffic

Buy a good multi-band receiver and learn your local emergency frequencies. Information is survival.