I remember reading during hurricane Katrina (2005) the only local radio station was run by a near poverty level ham radio boffin who had his own equipment to broadcast messages. All the professional stations were remote with no employees.
Brice Phillips' low power FM radio station, WQRZ LP, was one of only 4 stations in the region that remained on the air after Hurricane Katrina devastated Hancock county, Mississippi. He and a small group of volunteers remained on air 24 hours a day, broadcasting alerts and pointing survivors in the direction of vital aid.
"He's probably saved as many people after the storm than he did before the storm because of being able to tell them where to go get food, water, and ice," explains Brian "Hooty" Adams, director of Hancock County's emergency operations center.
