[SFDXA] ARLX011 Hurricane Watch Net Activating for Hermine, Hawaii Dodges Madeline, SKYWARN Eyeing Lester

[William Marx]

> 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.
> NNNN
> /EX