Ham Radio For Family Communications During Major Blackouts

"Back in the day" Amateur Radio was used a lot more and was also used as the 'long distance telephone' for some families. Back when it cost a caller by the minute to make a long distance phone call, some used Ham Radio to avoid those charges. My grade school band teacher was one of those people. He had family on the other side of the state and they used HF to talk and avoid racking up the phone bill.

Here is another example- From themainepotatonet.net "The Maine Potato Net is a Rag Chew Net founded by potato farmers in Aroostook County Maine in November of 1976. During that period of high long distance telephone charges, the Maine Potato Net served as a convenient and low cost alternative for potato farmers who were also Ham Radio operators to communicate among themselves over the large area of Aroostook County."

Nothing has changed, Ham Radio still works today.