SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX011
ARLX011 Hurricane Watch Net Activating for Hermine, Hawaii Dodges
Madeline, SKYWARN Eyeing Lester
ZCZC AX11
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 11 ARLX011
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT September 1, 2016
To all radio amateurs
SB SPCL ARL ARLX011
ARLX011 Hurricane Watch Net Activating for Hermine, Hawaii Dodges
Madeline, SKYWARN Eyeing Lester
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) has announced plans to activate for
Tropical Storm Hermine at 1400 UTC. The storm is expected to develop
into a hurricane before making landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast. The
net typically operates on 14.325 MHz until nightfall, then moves
7.268 MHz for the remainder of the evening. Given current band
conditions, however, the HWN will be active on both frequencies
simultaneously. The net will remain in operation until further
notice, HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said.
"It seems we've been tracking this system, which began as a tropical
disturbance, for nearly 2 weeks," Graves said. "Yesterday, this
system finally became Tropical Storm Hermine. It is expected to make
landfall late Thursday evening or early Friday morning as a Category
1 Hurricane somewhere between Panama City Beach and Cedar Key,
Florida...of course, this could change."
As of 1200 UTC, Hermine was reported strengthening. It's located
about 235 miles west-southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds
of 65 MPH, moving north-northeast at 12 MPH. A Hurricane Warning is
in effect from the Suwannee River to Mexico Beach. The NWS said
interests along the US East Coast should monitor the progress of
this system.
Graves said the HWN would be available to provide back-up
communication to entities such as emergency operations centers and
Red Cross offices in the affected area. "We will also be interested
to collect and report significant damage assessment data to FEMA
officials stationed in the National Hurricane Center," he added.
Florida's Emergency Operations Center is at full activation, and
evacuation shelters are on standby.
SKYWARN Tracking Pacific Hurricane Lester
ARRL Pacific Section Emergency Coordinator Clement Jung, KH7HO, said
the National Weather Service (NWS) will activate SKYWARN for
Hurricane Lester at 1800 UTC on Saturday, September 3, continuing
until midnight on Sunday, September 4. All four Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) districts on the Big Island of Hawaii
remain in active status for Hurricane Lester, to support each other
and served agencies. KH6SW remains on the air from the NWS Honolulu
Forecast Office on HF, VHF, and UHF.
The NWS reports that a weakening Madeline, now a tropical storm, was
passing "well south of the Big Island," with maximum sustained winds
of 50 MPH, but the storm was dumping a lot of rain on the Big
Island, and a flood advisory was in effect for some areas.
Predictions call for up to 10 inches of rain, and possibly more.
Hurricane Lester, now a Category 2 storm, continues its westward
movement toward the Hawaiian Islands. As of 0900 UTC, Lester was
some 800 miles east of Hilo and 1030 miles east of Honolulu,
boasting maximum sustained winds of 110 MPH. The storm is moving at
14 MPH. Some weakening was forecast through late Friday. No watches
or warnings are in effect.
ARES teams remain ready to initiate local repeater nets, holding
146.52 MHz simplex in reserve in case repeaters go down. Plans call
for using HF (7.180 and 3.975 MHz) to relay traffic via Auxiliary
Communications Service (ACS) nets to the Hawaii County Civil Defense
Agency Emergency Operations Center (EOC). SKYWARN traffic will use
Fldigi MT63 1KL or voice on 7.080 MHz (USB), with 3.888 MHz (LSB) as
an alternate frequency, and 7.095 MHz available to support informal
and tactical traffic.
Public schools in Hawaii remained closed on September 1, and Hawaii
Gov David Inge has urged residents of the Big Island to take steps
to protect people and property. Some government offices and
businesses also have closed. A dozen schools have been designated to
serve as emergency evacuation shelters.
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/EX
