Hurricane Watch Net Revises Activation Plans for Fickle Ophelia
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 12, 2005--As Ophelia continues its erratic behavior off the Eastern Seaboard, the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) is poised to activate on 14.325 MHz Tuesday, September 13, at 1900 UTC. WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) will activate at the same hour. The HWN cancelled plans to activate over the weekend after then-Hurricane Ophelia, now once again a tropical storm but nearly a Category 1 hurricane, failed to make landfall. According to the NHC, as of 2100 UTC, Ophelia was some 260 miles south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, moving slowly northwestward packing maximum sustained winds of nearly 70 MPH. The NHC says Ophelia "has the potential" to regain hurricane strength during the next 24 hours.
"Given the history of 360-degree loops, stalled actions, and extremely slow forward progress, it has not been possible to predict when, if, or where landfall might be," HWN Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP, pointed out. "Now it appears she has begun to make up her mind and may be moving--slowly--toward a possible landfall someplace on the shore of North Carolina, the Outer Banks, and/or beyond, beginning as early as Wednesday."
As of 2100 UTC, a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch were in effect for the southeast US coast from Edisto Beach, South Carolina northeastward to Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Ophelia may generate storm surges of four to six feet and rainfall of up to eight inches over the next three days. Rivers and bays could experience storm surges of up to seven feet.
Pilgrim said the primary purpose of the HWN activation would be to identify reporting stations in potentially affected areas that could be available the following day to inform the net of ground-level weather conditions. The net relays the information via WX4NHC to aid forecasters in fine-tuning their predictions.
Pilgrim said the HWN plans to activate again at 1300 UTC on Wednesday, September 14, and remain available for as long as long as needed to support reporting stations, emergency operations centers or other emergency management entities needing the net's assistance. He said the HWN would continue to keep a close eye on forecasts, and he didn't rule out the possibility that Ophelia's changeable moods could once again affect the net's activation plans.
Amateur Radio Assistant Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, notes that WX4NHC will monitor VoIP-WX EchoLink WX-Talk Conference Room and IRLP node 9219 in addition to 14.325 MHz.
Page last modified: 06:08 PM, 12 Sep 2005 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
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