[SFDXA] ARLB031 Radio Amateurs in Mexico Prepare as Powerful Hurricane Patricia Nears Landfall

[Bill]

> Subject: ARLB031 Radio Amateurs in Mexico Prepare as Powerful Hurricane Patricia Nears Landfall
> 
> SB QST @ ARL $ARLB031
> ARLB031 Radio Amateurs in Mexico Prepare as Powerful Hurricane
> Patricia Nears Landfall
> 
> ZCZC AG31
> QST de W1AW  
> ARRL Bulletin 31  ARLB031
> From ARRL Headquarters  
> Newington CT  October 23, 2015
> To all radio amateurs 
> 
> SB QST ARL ARLB031
> ARLB031 Radio Amateurs in Mexico Prepare as Powerful Hurricane
> Patricia Nears Landfall
> 
> An emergency net has been established on 7060 kHz (LSB) from
> Manzanillo in the Mexican state of Colima, in anticipation of the
> powerful Hurricane Patricia, which is threatening Mexico's Pacific
> Coast. According to Zian Aguirre, XE1ATZ, the emergency net will
> also be using 14,120 and 21,120 kHz, and he asked the Amateur Radio
> community to keep all three frequencies clear for emergency traffic.
> States of emergency are in effect for three Mexican states.
> 
> Omar Alvarez, XE1AO, a faculty member at the University of Colima,
> initially activated the net on 7060 kHz from the University, which
> has its own amateur station. He said other stations had checked in
> from the capital city of Colima.
> 
> "We don't have any damage at the moment, just rain since yesterday
> evening," Alvarez told ARRL. "We are expecting the first effects at
> 1500 local time. Now I am at home. In the last hour I have had nine
> stations report in on HF and three on VHF, but without any emergency
> reports."
> 
> He further reported that major grocery outlets in Manzanillo were
> closing this morning, although they would remain open in Colima,
> where other economic activity has been shut down. After 1300 local
> time, the water supply in Manzanillo would shut down as well. "Most
> of the tourists were evacuated from all the coastal hotels," he
> said.
> 
> The National Hurricane Center in Miami is calling the Category 5
> storm "potentially catastrophic," as it heads toward landfall in
> southwestern Mexico. As of 1500 UTC, the storm was located about 125
> miles southwest of Manzanillo and 195 miles south of Cabo
> Corrientes, Mexico. Evacuation of some 60,000 residents in the
> storm's path is under way.
> 
> The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 Area C
> Emergency Coordinator Arnie Coro, CO2KK, has alerted emergency
> coordinators within Amateur Radio range of Mexico that Hurricane
> Patricia is packing winds of up to 200 MPH. "Preparations to deal
> with the huge storm should be completed by now," he said. "I expect
> Mexican radio amateurs to be operating in the area of 40 meters used
> for emergency traffic. Please be on the alert in the frequency range
> between 7050 and 7100 kHz for possible emergency related traffic
> from Mexico."
> 
> The National Hurricane Center said in its 1500 UTC summary, "On the
> forecast track, the center of Patricia should cross the coast in the
> hurricane warning area late this afternoon or early this evening.
> After landfall, the center of Patricia is expected to move quickly
> north-northeastward across western and northern Mexico."
> 
> Hurricane Patricia is the most powerful storm ever recorded by the
> National Hurricane Center. The storm is expected to generate
> torrential rains and flooding. The storm is moving to the north at
> about 10 MPH. The National Hurricane Center has reported that the
> minimum central barometric pressure is at an extraordinary 25.99
> inches.
> NNNN
> /EX