The recent Seattle earthquake managed to shake up communication lines even in Portland, so imagine what could happen to the local communication system if a quake were centered here. The drill will test all emergency services in the area. There could be complete chaos if the normal radio system went down and there was no backup communication. Ham radio offers benefits that many two-way radios do not. The ham radio network relies on a repeater, a tower that receives and transmits radio waves.
Repeaters have extensive range capabilities and are very reliable during emergencies.
If they were to get damaged, ham radios could easily be switched to modes that do not use repeaters. Additionally, most ham radio gear can operate in adverse conditions with very little power, and the equipment is designed to be portable, lightweight and durable. The radios can communicate via voice, data or Morse code. In comparison, the two-way radio system relies on both a repeater and a complex computer system. The computer system can overload during a mass emergency.