ARES - the Amateur Radio Emergency Service - provides backup communications when other systems fail or become overloaded, through volunteer Amateur Radio operators.  Nationwide and Statewide, ARES is sponsored by the ARRL, although ARRL membership is not required for ARES participation.
 
Here in Wake County, we work for State and County Emergency Management, and through them, a variety of agencies (like the Red Cross) and even private companies (like CP&L).  ARES can also provide some primary information - weather, damage, anything our "served agencies" ask for.  Wake County ARES also paricipates in the North Carolina Section.

By the way, it's pronounced AIR-eez, or sometimes the letters A-R-E-S.
 
For the full ARES story, here's a link to the ARRL Public Service Communications Manual.