The spring of 1952 brought record floods to Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa. One of the critical needs was patrolling the dikes, and local hams were pressed into action for the job. For ten days and nights, volunteers manned the dikes constantly, reporting any leaks or signs of weakness back to city hall. From there, emergency crews were dispatched to shore up any weak spots.

The equipment used here consisted of Motorola Walkie-Talkies. The equipment was supplied by the Union Pacific Railroad, and operated on the railroad’s frequency of 160.29 MHz.

This report appeared in the July 1952 issue of Radio News, July 1952,