Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (A)
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Sep 08 2017 04:38 pm
Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2080, for Friday, September 8, 2017
Amateur Radio Newsline Report Number 2080, with a release date of
Friday, September 8, 2017, to follow in 5-4-3-2-1.
The following is a QST. For hams, it's all eyes as Hurricane Irma
storms through the Caribbean. Radio operators in India help with
monsoon safety and supplies -- and RadioGrams surface as an
important resource in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in the
Houston, Texas region. All this and more, as Amateur Radio Newsline
Report 2080 comes your way right now.
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BILLBOARD CART
**
PAUL/ANCHOR: This has been a season of challenging weather worldwide.
Our top story this week is Hurricane Irma, which, at the time Newsline
went to production, was sweeping through the Caribbean, and taking aim
squarely at Florida in the U.S. Kent Peterson, KC0DGY, talked to Bobby
Best, WX4ALA, about this historic weather system.
KENT'S REPORT:
BOBBY: Hurricane Irma is the second strongest hurricane ever in the
Atlantic basin, second only to hurricane Allen in 1980.
KENT: Newsline reporter Bobby Best, WX4ALA, is also a broadcast
meteorologist, who says there are some similarities in this hurricane
season, to ones from the past.
BOBBY: It's mindful of 2005, but if you look at Jose right behind Irma,
it makes you wonder.
KENT: Best says a lot was learned from all the storms of 2005.
BOBBY: We learned a tremendous amount, not only from Katrina, but from
that entire year 2005. We ran out of names, we went into alpha beta
naming hurricanes, we had so many. And, we did learn a tremendous
account. And I want to give credit April 27th of 2011, the largest super
outbreak of tornadoes. We learned a lot about ham radio operators coming
in, and providing emergency communication assistance to law enforcement,
rescue personnel, etc.
KENT: Best thinks hams in the surrounding area will be in a good
position to help.
BOBBY: Hams in the panhandle are not likely be affected by Irma.
Additionally, Alabama hams have been placed on standby to assist Florida,
if necessary.
KENT: When this report was being prepared on Wednesday afternoon, Best
said the National Hurricane HF network was up and running.
As Irma slowly moves to the west, the HF net should be getting a lot of
good info in, and get some good info out, to hopefully save some lives.
By Friday, the latest models are predicting a right hand turn for Irma
sometime between Friday night. Just how far a turn could make all the
difference in the world for people in Florida. If it makes enough of a
turn, it would mean the east coast of Florida would be on the east side
of Irma which is the least powerful side. At that time, we would be
relying on local VHF and UHF nets, along with the 75 meter with the
Florida State Net.
With thanks to Newsline's Bobby Best, WX4ALA, I'm Kent Peterson, KC0DGY,
reporting for Amateur Radio Newsline.
**
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO MONSOONS IN INDIA
PAUL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, South Asia has been struggling with the effects
of powerful monsoons - but just like their counterparts in the U.S.,
and the Caribbean, the monsoon victims were able to rely on ham radio,
as we hear from Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.
JIM's REPORT: As the United States continued to count the toll from
Hurricane Harvey's assault on the Houston, Texas area, India, Nepal,
Pakistan, and Bangladesh, were struggling with brutal monsoons that
brought the subcontinent its worst rain in decades. In India, amateur
radio operators were dispatched in Pune and Mumbai, where public
transportation was immobilized by flooding, and electricity was cut
off. Amateurs Satish Shah, VU2SVS, and Ankur Puranik, VU2AXN, were
among those in Mumbai, bringing food and resources to a local school,
where children were stranded. Even with VHF equipment in short supply,
amateurs were able to make connections using an app that turns a
smartphone or tablet into a walkie-talkie - Zello, the same app that
proved useful to U.S. rescuers during Hurricane Harvey.
Communications in the affected region in India were being overseen by
Jayu S. Bhide, VU2JAU, the national coordinator for disaster
communication in India. He reported that hams in East Bengal and Patna,
were involved in getting emergency traffic passed. There were no reports
of ham involvement in Bangladesh, but the big challenge remains the same
now, as in many other storm-hit areas: the need for safe, fresh drinking
water, and available food.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF.
(SOUTHGATE AMATEUR RADIO NEWS)
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