But to clarify, for the purposes of amateur radio, "emergency traffic" is defined as: > essential communication needs in connection with the immediate safety o

But to clarify, for the purposes of amateur radio, "emergency traffic" is defined as: > essential communication needs in connection with the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are not available (47 CFR § 97.403) That is, just because your communications are related to an ongoing emergency doesn't automatically give you the right to transmit without a license.