Recently, I had the opportunity to make contact via HAM radio with another HAM in Virginia. Our conversation turned to the recent Hurricane and the response from local HAMs. I was told the local paper had carried a story of the NWS who apparently failed to adequately activate the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) I understand the system was activated 2 hours before the landfall of the storm and deactivated shortly thereafter for safety. He also said the local Christian Broadcasting Station kept playing music on the FM dial and two AM stations were airing talkshows throughout the storm. I exchanged a couple more contacts to find out more, but haven't raised him since. With all of the recent posting and a post I made about radios etc. I have a couple of questions? Did anyone in the storm area experience this? Is there really a need for the portable radio in our survival gear?