Posted: September 13, 2018

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS DURING HURRICANE FLORENCE –

1.     Have an emergency plan for your family, significant others, pets and livestock, and home and property.

2.     Check on your water and food supply.  Do you have bottled water?

3.     Have flashlights and spare batteries available.

4.     Fuel your vehicle(s).

5.     If you have a home generator, check its fuel and your supply of extra fuel.

6.     Have extra cash on hand – teller machines may become inoperable or run out of money.

7.     If you have outdoor furniture, move those items to the garage or inside your home.

8.     Check on elderly and/or infirm neighbors to assure they are aware of the impending hurricane incident.  Make sure they have water and food.  Do they have a back-up power for their medical devices, if needed?

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR YOUR PETS, HORSES, LIVESTOCK, AND POULTRY – For further information, see https://cvm.ncsu.edu/hurricane-florence-preparedness-for-animal-owners/  (source: NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine website)

AMATEUR RADIO OPERATIONS – 

1.     Check all of your radios and make sure they work.

2.     For VHF, UHF, DMR and other digital mode operations, make sure your radios are programmed for your local area repeaters.

3.     For HF operations, make sure that you have information on The Hurricane Watch Net, see https://www.hwn.org/policies/activationplans.html ; and, the Tar Heel Emergency Net and NTS traffic nets in NC, see http://www.ncarrl.org/nets/THEN/index.html and http://www.ncarrl.org/nets/index.html  It is important to note that the Tar Heel Emergency Net and/or NTS traffic nets in NC may not be on-the-air for substantial periods of this adverse weather event.

4.     Monitor your local repeaters and/or appropriate HF frequencies as often as safely possible.

5.     If you have a radio “go box”, check your equipment to make sure everything works properly.

6.     Charge spare batteries for radios, flashlights, and cell phone charger(s).

PROVIDING ASSISTANCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY –

1.     If you are available to provide assistance, please contact the ARES-NC AUXCOMM Emergency Coordinator in your county, see http://www.ncarrl.org/ares/org/lec.html

2.     In your absence, make sure your family, significant others, pets and livestock, and home and property will be safe.

3.     If selected, you will be furnished with a deployment order.  DO NOT deploy without this order.  DO NOT pre-deploy or self-deploy.

MONITORING THE WEATHER – Monitor the weather reports provided by your local radio or television station; from national weather services, eg, the Weather Channel, see https://weather.com/ or Mike’s Weather Page, see http://spaghettimodels.com/ ; and, from the National Hurricane Center, see https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ 

ReadyNC MOBILE APP – Consider downloading the ReadyNC mobile app for your iPhone or Android phone.  This app provides current information on traffic and weather conditions, river levels, evacuations, and power outages.  For further information, see https://readync.org/en/downloadapp.html

PERSONAL SAFETY – Once Hurricane Florence has passed through North Carolina, many locations are likely to be flooded severely and driving can be very dangerous.  Roads could be flooded, partially blocked, or washed away.  Use extreme caution while driving to avoid drowning or loss of your vehicle!  Clearing debris, tree branches and limbs, and removing fallen trees may lead to muscle and back strain, overexertion, injury from falling off a roof, and possibly, a heart attack.  Do not exceed your physical limitations.  Finally, be careful with cutting tools used during cleanup, particularly chain saws.    

ARRL HEADQUARTERS, HURRICANE WATCH NET, SATERN MONITORING ACTIVE STORMS – For further information, see http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-headquarters-hurricane-watch-net-satern-monitoring-active-storms  (source: ARRL website)

ARRL HEADQUARTERS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM TO ACTIVATE ON SEPTEMBER 12 – For further information, see http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-headquarters-emergency-response-team-to-activate-on-september-12  (source: ARRL website)

Thanks to all amateur radio operators that are providing service to their communities during Hurricane Florence!  And, thanks to Tom Land, KA4HKK, Emergency Coordinator (Caldwell County); Marv Hoffman, WA4NC, Assistant District Emergency Coordinator (Area 12) and NC COML Type III (AHIMT); and, Bob Rodgers, KC4TVO, Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator (Western Branch) and NC COML Type III (AHIMT), for providing much of the information in this communication!  To everyone: plan for the worst, hope for the best, and be safe!

Karl Bowman, W4CHX

ARRL NC Section Manager

Tom Brown, N4TAB

ARRL NC Section Emergency Coordinator

NC COML Type III (AHIMT)

Virginia Enzor, NC4VA

ARRL Emergency Coordinator (Central Carolina SKYWARN)

Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator (Statewide)

NC COML Type III (AHIMT)