[SFDXA] Fwd: [pr:14011] Hurricane Matthew update - Thursday 1500z

[Mark Horowitz]

Sent from my iPhone

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From: "Kutzko, Sean, KX9X" <kx9x at arrl.org<mailto:kx9x at arrl.org>>
Date: October 6, 2016 at 11:11:53 AM EDT
To: pr <pr at arrl.org<mailto:pr at arrl.org>>
Subject: [pr:14011] Hurricane Matthew update - Thursday 1500z

http://www.arrl.org/news/ares-activates-as-florida-girds-for-hurricane-matthew


ARES Activates as Florida Girds for Hurricane Matthew
10/06/2016

The entire State of Florida now is under an Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Level 1 - or full - activation as Hurricane Matthew heads for landfall in the US. The deadly storm already has caused 16 deaths, most of them in Haiti, as it moved northward through the Caribbean. Northern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator Strait Hollis, KT4YA, will oversee the ARES activation for the entire state. The Northern Florida ARES Net, under HF Net Manager Don Duckett, N9MN, has been called up on 3950 or 7252 kHz - depending upon propagation - starting at 1300 UTC and will remain operational for the duration of the threat.

"This net is for life safety communications," ARRL Northern Florida Section Manager Steve Szabo, WB4OMM, stressed. "This net is not for collecting weather data, idle conversations, or 'chit chat.'" Szabo called on operators outside of the Northern Florida or Southern Florida sections having "good solid access to HF" tocontact<mailto:n9mn at cfl.rr.com> Duckett with their availability to serve as net control stations and to check into the net.

The Statewide Amateur Radio Network (SARnet<http://www.sarnetfl.com/>) also has been activated for statewide use for life safety communications, starting at 1300 UTC and continuing until terminated. SARnet is a network of linked UHF repeaters serving Florida. Szabo asked operators in the Florida Panhandle or in the West Central Florida Section with solid access to SARnet to contact<mailto:davedavis1 at embarqmail.com> Assistant Section Manager Dave Dave Davis, WA4WES, with their availability to serve as net control operators.

________________________________

For more information on hurricane preparedness, visit<https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes> the Ready.gov<http://Ready.gov> website or read<http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4340160_Hurricane.pdf> the American Red Cross "Hurricane Safety Checklist."

________________________________

"Severe Hurricane Matthew approaching Andros Island in the Bahamas...outer rain bands already approaching Florida," the National Hurricane Center (NHC<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>) in Miami reported at 1200 UTC. As of 1200 UTC, Matthew, a category 3 storm, was about 30 miles south-southwest of Nassau, the Bahamas, and some 215 miles southeast of West Palm Beach, Florida. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 125 MPH and is moving northwest at 12 MPH. Additional strengthening is expected.

"A turn toward the north-northwest is expected tonight," the NHC predicted. "On the forecast track, the eye of Matthew should pass near Andros Island and New Providence in the northwestern Bahamas during the next few hours, pass near Grand Bahama Island late today, and move very close to the east coast of the Florida peninsula tonight through Friday night."

Some 3000 Florida residents already have evacuated to shelters. "We are already getting requests for operators for shelters with few takers in both the NFL and SFL sections," Szabo said in a section-wide alert. "Please prep your 'go kits' and stand by for requests through ARES leadership," he said. "Do not self-deploy."


73,

Sean Kutzko, KX9X
Media and Public Relations Manager

ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio
225 Main St.
Newington, CT 06111
860-594-0328
skutzko at arrl.org<mailto:skutzko at arrl.org>
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