Russel Honoré: AM radios were the backbone of Katrina response. This bill will keep them in cars.

On Aug. 29, 19 years ago, Hurricane Katrina slammed into our state.

It flooded one-fifth of New Orleans, leaving tens of thousands of Louisianans stranded and instigating an untold amount of harm to our families, houses and property. All told, Katrina caused $125 billion in damage and led to nearly 1,400 fatalities. Within six years, it shrunk the population of New Orleans by almost 30%.

But together, we rose to the occasion. We weathered this storm, transcending above the wreckage to show the world what Louisiana resiliency is all about.

Unfortunately, however, less than two decades later, some of the safety lessons learned from this disaster now seem clouded with static in the minds of some industry leaders, and this static can cost us in the next storm.

The leaders in question work in the automotive industry, and they are taking AM radios out of many new model vehicles. As the commander of Katrina’s Joint Task Force, I know firsthand what a problem this could create in trying to keep Louisianans safe during the next storm.

During Katrina, AM radios were critical to our ability to save thousands of lives and bring order and peace back to Louisiana and the larger Gulf Coast. Many times during this disaster, it was the only communication method that was not out of commission for tens of thousands of storm victims.

Despite the vast number of collapsed power grids and telephone lines throughout the Gulf Coast, AM radio continued functioning well because of its long wavelengths, which allow it to travel longer distances than most other signals without facing interference.

That is why I joined a broad, bipartisan coalition of Louisiana emergency responders in sending a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise asking them to schedule the bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act for a vote in Congress. This bill would require automakers to put driver and passenger safety first by requiring AM radio access in all vehicles.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that every leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency from the Clinton through Trump administrations has endorsed this legislation. Because AM stations are often the only means of communicating with the public during emergencies, FEMA has made AM radio stations the backbone of the nation’s National Public Warning System, and local and regional emergency responders rely on AM radio stations to power the Emergency Alert System. FEMA has invested millions of dollars into AM station infrastructure, including generators and offsite transmitters, making this emergency management infrastructure storm-proof.

While Katrina put our alerting infrastructure’s durability to the test in a big way, the 12,000-gallon diesel fuel tank FEMA strategically installed in Louisiana years earlier at a powerful AM radio station kept it going. As a result, when the power was out and other communications platforms failed, emergency management teams were able to use AM radio signals to locate, communicate with and rescue stranded civilians. They were also able to connect storm victims with locations to obtain food, water, shelter and reconnect missing family members. We truly couldn’t have done our jobs without it.

If automakers continue removing AM radios from their vehicles, emergency responders will not be able to conduct their rescue and recovery efforts as well during the next storm.

Speaker Johnson already co-sponsors this bill, as does the vast majority of both the House and Senate. The bill is ready to become law, but it needs to be brought up for a vote to do so. Luckily, Louisianans are represented by both the House speaker and the majority leader, who have the power to push this important legislation through Congress and into law.

As we recognize the anniversary of Katrina, it is important that we honor those who faced and braved that awful chapter in our state’s history and ensure we are prepared for the next disaster. Enacting the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would be an important step forward in protecting all Louisianans — rich or poor, Democrat or Republican.

I have every faith that Speaker Johnson and Majority Leader Scalise will make enacting this bill a top priority once Congress reconvenes. Doing so would ensure that the many lessons we learned during that fateful day aren’t soon forgotten.