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 Previous: The K7RA Solar Update |  Next: Surfin': Get Help Digging Up DX |
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 3, 2004--For the third day, the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) on 14.325 MHz has worked hand-in-hand with WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to relay weather data and damage reports as a downgraded Hurricane Frances continues on what appears to be an inevitable collision with Florida's Atlantic Coast. As of 1800 UTC, the National Hurricane Center said Frances was "relentlessly lashing central and western Bahamas" while slowly heading for Florida.
 The projected path of Hurricane Frances as of 1500 UTC (click link for latest graphics). |
"We continue to have torrential rains," Marti Brown, KF4TRG/C6A, on Abaco reported to the HWN net control station at 1610 UTC today. "It's essentially a whiteout condition." Her report, typical of those being gathered, may portend what Southern Florida can expect. Another Amateur Radio report from C6AID in the Bahamas indicated that seas were breaching the dunes of the beach at his location, and residents were evacuating.
All such reports, which typically include real-time measured weather data, are being passed along to WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center for forecasters to review. HWN operators have been handling and relaying all reports with businesslike efficiency, despite occasional QRM--some of it possibly intentional.
HWN Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP, in Boca Raton, Florida, briefly checked into the net using an indoor antenna "in case we need it," he told net control.
The National Hurricane Center forecast (click link for latest update) shows a hurricane warning still in effect for the east coast of Florida from Florida city northward to Flagler Beach, including Lake Okeechobee. Although Frances has been downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane, it's packing sustained winds of 115 MPH with higher gusts. Its forward motion is expected to continue to slow, however, buying some time for Floridians now in the process of preparing for or escaping the storm's anticipated wrath.
As of midday, Hurricane Frances was 200 miles
east-southeast of the lower Florida east coast. The NHC continues to predict
that heavy rains and storm surge conditions are likely when Frances arrives on
the US shoreline.
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teams throughout Florida continue to prepare for another punishing storm as the state continues to recover from Hurricane Charley in mid-August. Some communities hard-hit by last month's storm are right in the potential path of Hurricane Frances.
Special sessions of the Southern Florida ARES Net (SFAN) to coordinate response activities (Florida Midday Traffic Net and Tropical Phone Traffic Net, both on 7242 kHZ) were called up this week. Southern Florida ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Jim Goldsberry, KD4GR, reported that the Broward County Emergency Preparedness Net activated September 2, operating from the Broward County emergency operations center (EOC).
Palm Beach County also has been recruiting ARES volunteers for shelter and EOC communicator duty. Palm Beach County RACES Officer Mark Filla, KS4VT, reported coastline and mobile home evacuations were under way.
"This is not a drill," emphasized Polk County Assistant Emergency Coordinator Wayne Miles, KG4TCJ, in a message to the Florida ARES reflector. One of the areas assaulted by Hurricane Charley, Polk County ARES has begun conducting informational nets (146.985 MHz, 127.3 Hz tone) at the top of every hour to announce the latest emergency communications information.
Earlier this week, Indian River County Emergency Management's Nathan McCollum put that county's Auxiliary Communication Services (ACS)--a Citizen Corps group--on a "Level 1" alert on August 31. The ACS includes Amateur Radio and REACT communication resources.
A fairly new all-CW entity, the National Radio Emergency Net (NREN), activated September 3 in response to Hurricane Frances. Net members have been asked to monitor 14,050 kHz and 7050 kHz for health-and-welfare, emergency traffic and hurricane information throughout the weekend. A cooperative effort of several US CW net managers, NREN is aimed at providing an alternative public service network geared to low-power, portable and mobile stations.
ARRL West Central Florida Section Manager Dave Armbrust, AE4MR, reports that Hillsborough County ARES is preparing for ARES Mutual Assistance Teams (ARESMAT) deployments to handle mutual-aid requests via state officials after the storm strikes. "Sarasota County and others are doing the same," he noted. "If your county is not directly hit, please be ready to lend a hand elsewhere if requested."
Hillsborough County of Emergency Management Director Larry Gispert, KR4X, said in a message to the Tampa Amateur Radio Club that many emergency workers were "very impressed" by what Amateur Radio volunteers were able to accomplish during Hurricane Charley.
"As I have mentioned before, in this day and age of ubiquitous Internet access and prolific cell phone usage, it is still amazing that when the chips are down the only reliable form of communication is a bunch of hams with their radios," Gispert said.
SATERN Activating
SATERN, the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network, plans to activate September 4 at 1400 UTC on 14.265 MHz to assist areas impacted by Hurricane Frances. SATERN volunteers already are monitoring the net frequency if needed to handle emergency traffic. "If the need arises, the net will immediately be activated," said SATERN National Coordinator Pat McPherson, WW9E.
"Frances is reportedly twice the size of Charley, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 80 miles from its center," McPherson noted. "The path of destruction could be much wider."
During today's routine SATERN session, Jeff Daniels, KC5ZQQ, a Salvation Army Commander from Ada, Oklahoma, reported on the organization's activities via mobile HF radio from Sarasota.
SATERN will
handle emergency and health-and-welfare traffic for those attempting to get
news of friend and relatives in the affected areas. SATERN also accepts
specific H&W inquiries via its Web page.
NASA Takes Precautions
 In the KSC Orbiter Processing Facility, workers prepare to close the payload bay doors on space shuttle Atlantis in preparation for the expected impact of Hurricane Frances on September 4. [NASA Photo] |
With the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) located near the predicted Hurricane Frances strike zone, NASA is taking no chances and is taking the storm threat seriously. KSC closed September 2, and its nearly 14,000 workers were sent home to make preparations.
For the past several days, KSC workers have been taking steps to protect the Space Shuttle fleet, spacecraft hardware, and facilities against damage.
"KSC houses some of the jewels of America's space flight program," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Readdy. "We've taken every precaution to secure our spacecraft and facilities and to keep our workers safe."
During hurricanes and severe weather emergencies, trained HWN members work in cooperation with WX4NHC to provide observed or measured weather data and damage reports via Amateur Radio for relay to forecasters. The ground-level weather data assist NHC forecasters in predicting a storm's path and behavior. WX4NHC also gathers similar data via the Internet from non-Amateur Radio sources. The HWN also provides essential communication support to WX4NHC, which disseminates storm updates via the HWN.
The National Hurricane Center reports a new storm is
already in the wings. The National Hurricane Center also is issuing advisories
on Tropical Storm Ivan, located some 745 miles southwest of the Cape Verde
islands.--some information from NASA and
NHC
| Previous: The K7RA Solar Update | Next: Surfin': Get Help Digging Up DX |
