I just did a quick calculation based on the frequency separation used on the FRS band where there are 14 frequencies. The nearest frequency band for amateurs is our 70cm band which runs from 420 mhz (million cycles per second) to 450 Mhz. a span of 30 Mhz.

Using the FRS frequency separation (frequency difference between channels) we have 2400 channels available.

Now figures lie because some of that is for amateur TV which uses much more width, and there is satellite work and many other wider band applications.

However this still leaves a big number of channels available. Also, at these frequencies, range is about 2-3 miles between hand held units. Add repeaters of course range goes up.

The point I am trying to make is that there is ample room for community wide communications. Congestion has never proven to be an issue. Even during events like the bombing in Boston or Hurricane Sandy, local communications was not impaired because of congestion.

On a regional or national level the situation is more complex. Operating a radio on the frequencies that provide regional, national or international coverage is complex and not just a matter of hooking an antenna to a radio and talking.

It is a carefully guarded secret but radios operate by using magic smoke inside the components. If you do things wrong, the magic smoke gets out and the radio does not work. <feeble humor attempt off>

That is part of the reason we suggest getting a license and learning how things work. Most folks take quite a while getting a long range (we call them HF for High Frequency) station together and operating. It is not very difficult, but it must be done right or the smoke gets out.

So far, even with the ability to communicate for thousands of miles, disasters like Haiti, the nuclear event in Japan and others have not been hampered by the problems speculated about in the posts above.

As to information reliability, this is a problem in the best of times. Ham radio is no different. You need to know your source and validate information from multiple sources. Can't even begin to do that without some sort of communications.

Nomad.
aka Ron, N1AHH
http://tinyurl.com/GDC-Welcome