‰ NOW 13 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM JULY 2014 QST PAGE 91 ‰ WAS MONITORING A TROPICAL DEPRESSION NORTH OF MELLISH REEF. EVENTUALLY THIS WEATHER EVENT CAUSED DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, AND WOULD LATER BE OFFICIALLY NAMED CYCLONE ITA, A VERY LATE IN THE SEASON CYCLONE. WE CONTINUED OPERATING FOR 5 FULL DAYS BUT IT WAS BECOMING EVIDENT THAT THE WEATHER WAS GETTING WORSE. THE SKIPPER WAS CLOSELY MONITORING THE SITUATION AND KEEPING US UPDATED. HE WASNT IN PANIC MODE YET, BUT DID EXPRESS CONCERN THAT THE STORM WAS GROWING. IN CASE WE HAD TO ƒ QST DE W1AW ‰ MAKE A FAST DEPARTURE WE REMOVED ALL NON ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT FROM THE ISLAND SHORTLY AFTER THE FORMATION OF THE STORM, DISMANTLED SOME ANTENNAS AND SCRATCHED DEPLOYMENT OF OTHERS. DURING THE NIGHT SHIFT OF APRIL 4 THE WIND AND RAIN BECAME A REAL CONCERN. WHILE THE OPERATING TENTS WERE HOLDING UP REASONABLY WELL, THE BREAK TENT HAD BEEN SEVERELY DAMAGED THE DAY BEFORE. THE ANTENNAS WERE TAKING A BEATING AND REQUIRED CONSTANT ‰ END OF 13 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ