Hurricane Ivan Continues its March in the Caribbean

NEWINGTON, CT, September 13, 2004 -- The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, reported at 2 PM EDT that Hurricane Ivan is an "extremely dangerous Category 5 storm that is continuing its slow movement toward western Cuba and the Yucatan Channel."

"AT 2 PM EDT...1800Z..THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IVAN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.7 WEST OR ABOUT 70 MILES...110 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE WESTERN TIP OF CUBA."

The Air Force Reserve's Hurricane Hunter Aircraft reported that maximum sustained winds remain near 160 miles per hour with higher gusts, and some fluctuations in strength are expected during the next 24 hours.

The Hurricane Watch Net is also continuing its operation on 14.325 MHz. Assistant Hurricane Watch Net Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said that during the height of the storm, the Hurricane Watch Net "operation will be from 7:30 AM EDT - 11:30 UTC until 11:00 PM EDT - 03:00 UTC or until the 20-meter band closes."

Graves went on to explain the two main goals of the Hurricane Watch Net's operation: to make the storm advisory information on a regular basis to those in the affected area of the forecast path of the storm, and to identify and collect a list of stations in the path of the storm who may be available throughout this event for the purpose of reporting local weather measurements and observations to us for conveyance to the forecasters in the National Hurricane Center.

WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, has been on 14.325 MHz, and has been collecting weather-related reports all weekend long.

On Monday, two Amateur Radio stations from Grand Cayman Island were heard on the Hurricane Watch Net and were transmitting with emergency power after Ivan severely struck the island with nearly 150 mile-per-hour winds during the day on Sunday.

As Hurricane Ivan takes aim at the western part of Cuba, Arnie Corro, CO2KK, says that Amateur Radio operators have been getting ready. "Cuban Civil Defense has declared the top hurricane alarm for all Central and Western Cuba. We have several hundred radio amateur stations active in emergency communications."

They will be using the following frequencies in Cuba to handle hurricane-related communications: 7040, 7060, 7070, 7110 kHz, and 3740 kHz.

Arnie says, "My own station CO2KK is acting as liaison with the Hurricane Watch Net on 14325 kHz. We expect total loss of ac power when wind gusts reach 50 miles per hour as a Cuban utility safety measure."

Arnie expect CO2KK to be on battery power with 5 W on 14325 kHz after power loss.

Amateur Radio operators on Grenada and on boats near Grenada have been using Winlink 2000 over the last several days to help handle health and welfare messages. Hurricane Ivan struck the island on Wednesday and then hit Jamaica on Friday night and Saturday.

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