Subj : Hurricane Lee: Radio Amateurs and Nets Activated
To : QST
From : ARRL de WD1CKS
Date : Fri Sep 15 2023 07:43 pm
09/15/2023
Hurricane Lee[1] is expected to impact portions of New England in the
Northeastern United States and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Canada. The
storm has had the full attention of forecasters and the volunteer organizations
that coordinate Amateur Radio response to hurricanes.�
Amateur Radio Emergency Service[2]�(ARES�) volunteer groups are in an elevated
state of readiness and alert ahead of the storm.
ARRL Sections in the areas forecast to be impacted have activated. Section
Manager of the ARRL Maine Section Phil Duggan, N1EP, sent an email to members
in the section on Thursday encouraging them to ready their stations and homes.
"Because of all the rain we have been getting, the likelihood�of trees toppling
is increased and most likely power outages," he wrote. Duggan said the
Washington County ARES group would be on the air starting Friday.
Portions of Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island have been dealing with
flooding rain and tornadoes over the past week. Other areas of New England have
had amateur radio activations throughout the week. Section Emergency
Coordinator of the ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Rob Macedo, KD1CY, who
also serves as SKYWARN Coordinator for the National Weather Service
Boston/Norton (MA) office[3] and as Operations Manager for the Hurricane VoIP
Net says formal activations are planned of the SKYWARN program. "We will
support Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency efforts via the SKYWARN
mission giving situational awareness and disaster intelligence information on
storm damage, coastal flooding, any flooding from heavy rainfall and rain gauge
reports," he said.�
The Hurricane Watch Net[4] (HWN) is planning to activate on Saturday morning at
8:00 am EST on on 14.325 MHz (USB). HWN will activate on 7.268 MHz (LSB) at
9:00 AM EDT (1300 UTC) or after the Waterway Net concludes, whichever occurs
first.�
Net Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, says the storm still has a lot of
uncertainty. "Over the past couple of days, the forecast track and intensity
have been changing, so it is hard to know for sure if Lee will be a Hurricane
at landfall. Regardless, as with any landfalling tropical cyclone, there is a
strong potential for flooding, flash flooding, storm surge, damaging wind, and
spin-up tornados. Unlike other regions of the US where it has been extremely
dry, the New England States, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia have been very
unseasonably wet. The saturated soil will allow flooding, flash flooding, and
for strong winds to push over trees and power poles, so, widespread power
outages can be expected," said Graves. �
The Hurricane VOiP Net[5] is planning to activate on Saturday, according to the
groups Public Information Officer, Lloyd Colston, KC5FM, "The VOIPWX.net will
be activating Saturday on Echolink 7203 and IRLP 9219 for possible Hurricane
Lee reports from New England and Canadian provinces...The net will also connect
to the Kansas Sunflower System (www.sunflowernet.us) with connections to
Allstar, Hamshack Hotline, TGIF DMR, Dstar, Fusion, M17, and P25," said Colston
in an email. ��
The WX4NHC station at the National Hurricane Center will be active on the HWN
frequencies and also on the Hurricane VoIP Net.�
The station will also be monitoring WinLink reports via
[email protected][6]
(subject line must contain //WL2K). An online reporting form is also available.
Link:
https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/WX-form1.php[7]�
As ARRL Field Organization leaders begin activating volunteers, radio amateurs
are encouraged to prepare their stations with the ARES go kit checklist[8].�
This story was last updated at 2:30 EST on Friday, September 15.�
About Amateur Radio and ARRL
Amateur Radio Service licensees use their training, skills, and equipment to
practice radio communications and develop radio technology. Amateur Radio
Operators volunteer their qualifications and equipment for communications duty
in public service and during emergencies. Amateur Radio also provides a basis
for hands-on STEM education and pathways to careers.
ARRL� The National Association for Amateur Radio[9]� was founded in 1914 as The
American Radio Relay League, and is a noncommercial organization of Radio
Amateurs. ARRL numbers within its ranks the vast majority of active Radio
Amateurs (or "hams") in the US and has a proud history of achievement as the
standard-bearer in promoting and protecting Amateur Radio. For more information
about ARRL and Amateur Radio, visit�www.arrl.org[10].
About ARES�
Amateur Radio Operators, or "hams," have a long history of serving their
communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication
infrastructure, such as cell phone towers and fiber optic networks. Amateur
radio functions completely independently of the internet and phone systems, and
a ham radio station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Amateurs can
quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and
power source, and communicate effectively with others.
The ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service� (ARES��www.arrl.org/ares[11])
consists of hams who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and
equipment with their local ARES leadership for communications duty in the
public service when disaster strikes. They use their training, skills, and
equipment to prepare for and provide communications during emergencies When All
Else Fails�.
[1]
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#Lee
[2]
https://www.arrl.org/ares
[3]
https://wx1box.org/
[4]
https://www.hwn.org/
[5]
https://voipwx.net/
[6] mailto:
[email protected]
[7]
https://w4ehw.fiu.edu/WX-form1.php
[8]
https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Go-Kit-Checklist.pdf
[9]
https://www.arrl.org/
[10]
https://www.arrl.org/
[11]
http://www.arrl.org/ares
---
� Synchronet � Whiskey Lover's Amateur Radio BBS
