08/23/2020

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN[1]) will activate for Hurricane Marco today (Sunday, August 23) at 2100 UTC on 14.325 MHz, switching to 7.268 MHz at 2300 UTC, where operation will continue until 0100 UTC. Just barely a category 1 hurricane, Marco is forecast to make landfall on Monday afternoon.

"The purpose of this activation is to line up reporting stations for Marco as well as for Laura, which is to affect this same region most likely late Wednesday or early Thursday," HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said. "The HWN will reactivate on Monday, August 24, at 1300 UTC on 14.325 MHz to collect and forward surface reports to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center."

Louisiana Section Emergency Coordinator Jim Coleman, AI5B, reported earlier this weekend that Louisiana Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES¨) was on alert status, and the LA-ARES HF net was on active standby, set to begin monitoring 3.878 MHz after 0100 UTC on Monday, August 24, [Sunday evening in North America]. ARES will go to stand-by status at that time. One ARES team in Manatee County, Florida, is on stand-by status.

In a message Saturday evening to Louisiana ARES members, Coleman said net coordinators for the Louisiana ARES Emergency Net, the Louisiana Traffic Net, and the Delta Division Emergency Net were being notified that their services will likely be needed this week.

"Emergency [Ham Aid[2]] communications kits from ARRL Headquarters have been pre-positioned in Louisiana in preparation for this event," he said. "The American Red Cross may need volunteers to provide emergency communications at shelters."

As of 1800 UTC on Sunday, Marco was about 280 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and about 440 miles southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 75 MPH. Marco is moving to the north-northwest at 14 MPH.

The National Hurricane Center reported at 1800 UTC on Sunday that Marco is expected to continue on its current track and motion through Sunday night, followed by a turn to the northwest by Monday. "On the forecast track, Marco will cross the central Gulf of Mexico [Sunday] and will approach southeastern Louisiana on Monday. A gradual turn toward the west-northwest with a decrease in forward speed is expected after Marco moves inland," the NHC said.

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Morgan City, Louisiana, to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and for Lake Borgne. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Morgan City to the mouth of the Pearl River

Tropical Storm Laura is not likely to make landfall in Louisiana until the afternoon of Wednesday, August 26. As of 1800 UTC on Sunday, TS Laura was heading toward eastern Cuba. Heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding continue over portions of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

As of 1800 UTC, Laura was about 55 miles from the eastern tip of Cuba and 80 miles south east of Guantanamo Cuba, with maximum sustained winds of 50 MPH. The storm is moving west-northwesterly at 21 MPH.


[1] http://www.hwn.net/
[2] http://www.arrl.org/ham-aid

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þ Synchronet þ Whiskey Lover's Amateur Radio BBS

09/13/2020

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN[1]) has announced plans to activate today (Sunday, September 13) at 2100 UTC on both 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz as Hurricane Paulette is predicted to make landfall on Bermuda early on September 14 as a Category 2 storm. HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, noted that activation plans are subject to change as weather forecasts unfold.

As of 1500 UTC on Sunday, Hurricane Paulette was moving to the northwest toward Bermuda at about 14 MPH, with strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rain expected to begin there by evening, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported. A hurricane warning is in effect for Bermuda. Paulette was some 240 miles southeast of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 80 MPH.

"Monday morning, after landfall, we will do what we can to gather weather data and damage reports while operating on both 20 and 40 meters," Graves said. "Once we've completed operations for Paulette, we will switch gears and begin operations for Sally immediately.

The HWN will be on 20 meters during daylight hours, switching to 40 meters in the evening, although propagation could dictate going to 40 meters during daylight as well.

Tropical Storm Sally is forecast to become a Category 1 Hurricane on September 14, with landfall expected on the evening of September 15, somewhere along the coast of Mississippi.

"Of course, should the forecast track be adjusted to the left or right of the current track, landfall timing and location will change," Graves noted. "Everyone in the forecast path of Sally should follow the directions of local emergency management.

"Once Sally has been downgraded to a tropical storm, we will focus on helping to gather any post-storm reports from the areas that had been hit. This includes the relaying of any emergency or priority traffic." Graves said that a clear operating frequency would be appreciated during net operations.

"As a reminder, we are always available to provide back-up communication to official agencies such as emergency operations centers, Red Cross officials, and shelters in the affected area," he said. "We also collect and forward significant damage assessment data to FEMA officials stationed in the National Hurricane Center."ÿ


[1] http://www.hwn.org/

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þ Synchronet þ Whiskey Lover's Amateur Radio BBS

11/15/2020

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN[1]) will activate on Monday, November 16, at 1300 UTC, for Hurricane Iota, now a strong Category 1 storm. The HWN will begin operation on 14.325 MHz, remaining there for as long as propagation holds, then moving to 7.268 MHz.

Iota is expected to be a major hurricane by the time it makes landfall on the eastern coast of Central America, where it's expected to bring potentially catastrophic winds, life-threatening storm surge, and extreme rainfall.

As of 1300 UTC, Hurricane Iota was some 170 miles east of Isla de Providencia, Columbia, and 315 miles east-southeast of the Nicaragua-Honduras border, with maximum sustained winds of 90 MPH, moving to the west at 9 MPH.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects Iota to rapidly strengthen and possibly reach Category 4 with sustained winds of 140 MPH. The net invites observed ground-truth weather data from stations in the affected area, which are relayed to NHC forecasters.

The net remains available to provide back-up communication for official agencies such as emergency operations centers, Red Cross officials, and storm shelters in the affected area. The net also collects and forwards significant damage assessment data to FEMA officials at the NHC.

WX4NHC at the NHC will be on the air starting on Monday, November 16, at 1700 UTC, monitoring the Hurricane Watch Net on 14.325 and 7.268 MHz, as well as the VoIP Hurricane Net[2], Winlink, APRS, and other modes listed on the
station'sÿwebsite[3].ÿ

Relay any reports from stations or ships at sea in the affected area with or without weather data for use by NHC forecasters. A WX4NHC online Hurricane Report Form[4] is on the station's website.ÿ


[1] http://www.hwn.org/
[2] http://www.voipwx.net/
[3] http://www.wx4nhc.org/
[4] http://w4ehw.fiu.edu/WX-form1.php

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þ Synchronet þ Whiskey Lover's Amateur Radio BBS