So...when the power grid is down and cell phones are inoperative, Morse Code is the way to go.  The National Traffic System created by the American Amateur Radio Relay League is a way to get messages of a routine or welfare nature through.  Although the FCC removed the Morse Code or Continuous Wave (CW) requirement for amateur licensing, this mode is gaining in popularity and use.  Morse Code is one more tool in the toolbox for emergency communications.