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 Previous: The K7RA Solar Update |  Next: Five Radio Amateurs Now Aboard ISS; Power Upgrade, PCSat2 Retrieval Set |
The position and projected track (click link for latest graphic) of Hurricane Florence as of 1500 UTC on Monday, September 11. [NOAA Graphic] |
"Our contact in Hamilton, Bermuda, VP9HK, Tony Siese, has reported measured wind gusts out of the east-southeast of 50 knots," Director of Operations Rob Macedo, KD1CY, reported early today. "He has just lost power and reports power and phone outages across parts of the island." Macedo said over the weekend that there's just Echo-IRLP mode on the island, and it does not have back-up power.
The VoIP Hurricane Net uses a cross-link between an IRLP Reflector channel and an EchoLink conference to allow the NHC to access Amateur Radio operators who do not have HF access as well as Amateur Radio operators located at National Weather Service (NWS) offices and emergency operations centers (EOCs) to provide another path to forward severe weather and damage reports to WX4NHC.
The NHC said the center of Florence was expected to move away from Bermuda later today. While Florence is not expected to make landfall along the US shoreline, the NHC says large ocean swells and dangerous surf conditions, including strong rip currents, already are affecting the Bahamas and portions of the US East Coast as well as the Canadian Maritimes. A Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of nearly 90 MPH, Florence was not expected to gain strength in the next 24 hours, the NHC has forecast.
The HWN activated Sunday afternoon after it became clear the Florence would gain Category 1 hurricane status. HWN Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP, says the net had been maintaining regular contact with several Bermudan stations, but it closed when the 20-meter band closed down at 10 PM Eastern Time. The net resumed operation this morning but announced it would secure at 1600 UTC.
"We are pleased to report that through our many contacts with the VP9 ham radio operators on the island this morning there has been no indication of significant damage or loss of life," Pilgrim said. "For that we are thankful."
Florence has been forecast to generate heavy rains and storm surges of 6 to 8 feet above normal tide levels. Large and dangerous battering waves are likely along Bermuda's coast as the storm passes nearby.
If the storm's present path continues, Hurricane Florence could be affecting the Canadian Maritimes by early Wednesday.
Pilgrim says it's time to turn attention to the east, where Tropical Depression 7 has cropped up just north east of the Leeward Islands and is very closely following Florence's path.
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