Volunteer amateur radio operators serving in the ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® (ARRL®) Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) are embedded with local served agencies in the areas of central Texas affected by devastating floods.

The needs and assignments have been changing, but ARES volunteers are stepping up to the dynamic needs of their communities. “This is a very fluid situation. It changes by the hour,” said ARRL South Texas Section District 7 Emergency Coordinator Terry Jones, K5LGV.

The trained ham radio operators were activated starting on Friday, July 4, 2025. Radio amateurs are providing communications capabilities to agencies whose primary systems were damaged in the flooding event or where they suffer poor connectivity due to the terrain.

ARES members helped the American Red Cross with setup of a reunification shelter in response to the floods. Ten hams were assigned to search-and-rescue teams.

Dozens of health and welfare messages were passed by ham radio operators who provided a critical link when phone lines were overwhelmed. “A lot of this is tied to circuit overload preventing folks from making direct contact with family members in the area,” said Kevin McCoy, KF5FUZ.

During the flooding event and subsequent search and recovery missions, ARES members have been deployed to serve many different counties, including hard-hit Kerr and Kendall Counties. Mutual aid has been offered between several surrounding ARRL sections.

This page will be updated as new information is confirmed.

About ARES®

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment with their local ARES leadership, for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes.

Amateur radio operators use their training, skills, and equipment to provide communications during emergencies When All Else Fails®. Hams serve their communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers, and wired and wireless networks. Amateur radio can function completely independently of the internet and phone systems. An amateur radio station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Hams can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others.

About ARRL®

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® was founded in 1914 as The American Radio Relay League, and is a noncommercial organization of radio amateurs. ARRL numbers within its ranks the vast majority of active radio amateurs (or “hams”) in the US and has a proud history of achievement as the standardbearer in promoting and protecting amateur radio. ARRL supports members with opportunities to discover radio, to develop new skills, and to serve their local communities. For more information about ARRL and amateur radio, visit www.arrl.org.