Radio Asheville, WPVM, at 103.7 FM, was one of the few voices that was not silenced by the rage of Hurricane Helene in 2024, which threw the power grid, the internet and cell towers throughout the region into the dark. The station has since launched an emergency alert network that includes the cooperation of amateur radio -- and is a system that is designed to be resilient.

According to an article on the Mountain Xpress website, households throughout the region are now being encouraged to connect to this new system by signing up at RadioAsheville.org/alerts (Radio Asheville dot org stroke alerts).

The partnership with hams reflects the ability during the storm for amateurs to relay information in real time, such as wellness checks, road conditions and water-distribution points. The partnership, along with agreements with emergency-radio networks, makes use of Winlink peer-to-peer radio messaging, all done wirelessly.

The website quoted the radio station's general manager, Davyne [Davv-Vine] Dial, who said: [quote] "We wanted to build something that keeps working when everything else stops — solar power when the grid fails, ham radio when the internet fails, and a text or satellite message when even your phone can’t get a signal." [endquote]