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 Previous: Maryland CC&R Bills Proceeding Slowly Through General Assembly |  Next: Donations Help League Make Headway in BPL Interference Battle, Other Threats |
REVISED Mar 14, 2006 11:21 ET
NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 14, 2006--Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teams in Missouri this week assisted emergency managers in that state with damage assessment after a huge string of tornados swept through the nation's midsection. Nine people were reported dead in Missouri and one in Indiana in the aftermath of the severe weather March 12. Missouri Section Emergency Coordinator Don Moore, KM0R, told ARRL that he and three other radio amateurs deployed March 13 as a "quick-response team" to Pettis County, Missouri, just south of Sedalia along US Route 65 to support the county's emergency operations center (EOC).
"There was some major wind through here," Moore told ARRL. The severe weather damaged or took down utility lines along US Route 65 and elsewhere. The Pettis County Emergency Management Agency requested the ARES call-up. In all, nine ARES members activated to help seven damage-assessment teams. The Pettis County ARES team stood down later the same day.
ARES handled minimal voice traffic, Moore said. While the
ARES group was prepared to pass damage assessment reports to the EOC via WinLink
2000, that turned out not to be necessary. "But we did communicate with the
Missouri Emergency Management Agency to give them some info as well as multiple
other message for demonstration of Winlink from the field we were
operating in," Moore added.
 Missouri Section Traffic Manager Dale Huffington, AE0S (left), and Missouri Section Emergency Coordinator Don Moore, KM0R, used this communications vehicle while supporting emergency communication for the Pettis County EOC. [Brian Swartz, KC0MGG, Photo] |
As a result of the ARES activation this week, Moore says he's scheduled to demo Winlink this summer for another county EOC and two radio clubs.
During the ARES team's stay, utility workers were on duty along US Route 65 setting new poles and restoring power. "We were told that this was collateral damage from the tornadic activity yesterday," Moore added. "The actual path of the tornado was further south."
Missouri appears to have been the state hardest hit by the weekend storms, which generated hail said to have been the size of softballs. Damage in Missouri stretched from one end of the state to the other, with houses reportedly destroyed along a 20-mile path south of St Louis, officials said.
Tornadoes also struck Kansas, where the University of Kansas canceled classes March 13 due to safety concerns. The school, located in Lawrence, reportedly suffered damage to nearly two-thirds of its buildings, but no serious
injuries were reported.
On Sunday, March 12, SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Network) members were called into action in Douglas County, Kansas, when the Lawrence Salvation Army office requested the use of the SATERN Mobile Generator Trailer when the storms knocked out their power. June Jeffers, KB0WEQ, SATERN Kansas State Coordinator reported that Darren Martin, N0MZW, and Brian Short, KC0BS, handled this delivery assignment. They transported the generator from Olathe (Johnson County) to Lawrence and kept in touch with the emergency nets along the way. SATERN members and ARES members in eastern Kansas were at the ready in case they were needed.
In Arkansas, Section Manager David Norris, K5UZ, reports Franklin County ARES/RACES and Sebastian County RACES were active over the weekend on their SKYWARN nets.
"Northwest Arkansas was hammered late last night with
quite a bit of damage in Centerton," he told ARRL. He reported several
people were injured and there was a lot of property damage.
Norris said he had not heard from Benton or Washington counties. "I know Benton and Washington county ARES/RACES have been gearing up for an active storm season," he added.
Arkansas SEC J.M. Rowe, N5XFW, reported SKYWARN also was active as the severe weather approached.
In Illinois, Section Manager Sharon Harlan, N9SH, noted that severe storms rolled across her state March 12. Houses and businesses throughout the capital city of Springfield were damaged or destroyed, and roads into the city have been closed.
The violent weather developed from a line of thunderstorms
that stretched from the southern Plains and into the Ohio valley. Twisters also
hit Oklahoma.
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