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 Previous: Interference Complaints Prompt FCC Queries to California Repeater Owners |  Next: Surfin': Distaff Amateur Radio |
 A National Weather Service graphic (click link to update) depicts the probable path of Hurricane Rita, now a Category 3 storm as of 1800 UTC with winds of 125 MPH. [NOAA Graphic] |
Prospective volunteers may sign up for possible deployment in the region via the Hurricane Rita Disaster Communications Volunteer Registration & Message Traffic Database. Only volunteers who are willing to travel into the disaster area should indicate their interest in this database. This list is being maintained separately from the Hurricane Katrina volunteer list. SMs and SECs in the Hurricane Rita strike zone emphasize that volunteers should not self-deploy. |
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 23, 2005--As Hurricane Rita (click for latest advisory) continues on course for landfall sometime early Saturday morning along the Gulf Coast between Texas and Louisiana, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)/Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and other Amateur Radio groups are at the ready. The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) on 14.325 MHz has announced plans to remain active until 0300 UTC or as long as the 20-meter band is available--whichever comes first. ARRL Headquarters is maintaining regular contact with Section Managers and Section Emergency Coordinators in the Gulf Coast region as they muster their own volunteer resources, some of whom already have been deployed to emergency operating centers and other strategic sites.
"Once again, the entire ARRL organization--including our volunteers in the field, our Headquarters staff and our members--are gearing up as Hurricane Rita approaches to provide needed emergency communications when all else fails," said ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B. He has announced that Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will be staffed throughout the September 24-25 weekend to monitor emergency nets and assist as needed. W1AW also remained available through the weekend after Hurricane Katrina struck the region in late August.
Hurricane Rita now is a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of nearly 125 MPH with higher gusts. Further weakening is expected, but the National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Rita "is still expected to come ashore as a dangerous hurricane."
A hurricane warning remains in effect from Port O'Connor, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Louisiana's southeastern coast--including metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.
The HWN has announced plans to reactivate Saturday, September 24, at 1300 UTC and remain in session until the storm is downgraded to a tropical storm. "Obviously, among our priorities will be to listen for people in the affected area who might have emergency or priority needs," said HWN Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP. "Otherwise, we seek observed and/or measured weather data which can be used to supplement other input for forecasters to create and/or validate their forecast projections." The HWN will work with WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center to relay the information to forecasters.
Emergency Nets On the Air
As it did in the Katrina response, the West Gulf ARES Emergency Net on 7.285 MHz (days) and 3.873 MHz (evenings) has activated for the latest weather threat. The net also will utilize 7.290 MHz (days) and 3.935 MHz (evenings) for health-and-welfare (H&W) traffic. ARRL South Texas Section Manager Ray Taylor, N5NAV, says the net will be on 40 meters from 8 AM until 6 PM CDT, when it will switch to 75 meters. If the net shuts down for the night, it will resume on 75 meters at 6 AM CDT, returning to 40 meters at 8 AM CDT.
Briefings on the West Gulf ARES Emergency Net are taking place daily at noon CDT (7.285 MHz) and at 7 PM CDT (3.873 MHz).
Local resource nets are opening up on various VHF-UHF repeaters, including: Harris County, 147.000 MHz+ (103.5 CTCSS); Bastrop County, 443.75 MHz+ (114.8 Hz CTCSS); Hays and Caldwell counties, 147.1 MHz+ (141.3 Hz CTCSS) and 147.06 MHz+ as well as 147.58 MHz FM simplex; Highland Lakes, 146.66 MHZ- (88.5 Hz CTCSS); Travis County, 147.36 MHz+ (131.8 Hz CTCSS) and Williamson County, 146.64 MHz- (162.2 Hz CTCSS).
The Harris County, Texas, emergency operations center (EOC) activated earlier this week and already has been receiving requests for Amateur Radio support. EOCs in other counties and cities in the potential strike zone will have Amateur Radio operators on site--some around the clock. ARRL West Texas SM Bill Lawless, W5WRL, says the EOC in Lubbock has activated with Amateur Radio support.
The American Red Cross has established its headquarters for the Hurricane Rita emergency in the Texas capital of Austin, and Taylor reports the ARC's station, W5KA, already has checked into the West Gulf ARES Emergency Net.
Sections Recruiting Volunteers
ARRL South Texas Section Emergency Coordinator Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, reports the Red Cross already has opened nearly two dozen shelters and seeks Amateur Radio communication support. Reimer and his counterparts in the Gulf Coast region are currently recruiting Amateur Radio volunteers from within the region or from outside. One problem, Reimer noted this week, is that radio amateurs in coastal counties were under mandatory evacuation orders.
Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, told ARRL Headquarters that he's holding some volunteers who reported for Hurricane Katrina duty for quick deployment in the wake of Hurricane Rita. He notes that the Montgomery, Alabama, American Red Cross volunteer marshaling center where he's been stationed for more than three weeks continues to supply Amateur Radio volunteers to hard-hit areas of Mississippi--especially Hancock and Harrison counties--where he expects they'll be needed at least until month's end. Louisiana SEC Gary Stratton, K5GLS, is maintaining a similar holding pattern, although he reports that most ham radio activity in his section associated with Hurricane Katrina has wound down.
Prospective volunteers may sign up for possible deployment in the region via the Hurricane Rita Disaster Communications Volunteer Registration & Message Traffic Database. Only volunteers who are willing to travel into the disaster area should indicate their interest in this database. This list is being maintained separately from the Hurricane Katrina volunteer list. SMs and SECs in the Hurricane Rita strike zone emphasize that volunteers should not self-deploy.
SATERN and NREN Join Forces
Elsewhere, The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) Net on 14.265 MHz has announced plans to activate in emergency mode at 0000 UTC Saturday, September 24 "unless conditions warrant an earlier activation," said SATERN National Director Pat McPherson, WW9E. "SATERN will run its two-pronged operation, handling as first priority emergency communication and as second priority health-and-welfare traffic." SATERN also handles H&W inquiries via its Web site.
The National Radio Emergency Net (NREN) will be working with SATERN during the Hurricane Rita response, maintaining liaison with SATERN's 14.265 MHz operation and providing an alternate circuit for operators who want to handle traffic on CW. NREN operations will be on 14.050 and 10.115 MHz days and 10.115 MHz and 7.050 MHz evenings. NREM members will be standing watch on those frequencies throughout the Hurricane Rita response and encourages NTS stations to monitor the NREN frequencies to expedite delivery of traffic.
Keep Net Frequencies Clear!
Amateur Radio stations not involved in the Hurricane Rita emergency are requested to give all HF emergency net frequencies a wide berth of at least 5 kHz on either side. The FCC is aware of all emergency frequencies in use during the Hurricane Rita emergency.
Hurricane Evacuation Impacts Northern Texas
ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, who lives in Dallas well north of the projected Hurricane Rita strike zone says the weather emergency has made things hectic. "It's still just utter chaos," he said. "I can imagine what San Antonio and Austin and Waco are like." Haynie says highways remain clogged with those evacuating from the coastal counties, hotel and motels are filled to capacity--some are camping out alongside the road--and gasoline is getting to be in short supply.
Amateur Radio volunteers in the Dallas area are prepared,
he said. "They've been real busy," Haynie said. One worry, however, is that the
City of Dallas wants to keep ARES/RACES volunteers in reserve should the
hurricane affect the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, possibly with heavy rains or
tornadoes. "If it went straight north, it would go right over the City of Dallas," Haynie noted.
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