One of the 70 bridges in Honduras that were damaged or completely destroyed as a result of flooding in the wake of Hurricane Mitch. [Photo courtesy of HRN, The Voice of Honduras]
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One of the 70 bridges in Honduras that were damaged or completely destroyed as a result of flooding in the wake of Hurricane Mitch. [Photo courtesy of HRN, The Voice of Honduras] |
CHICAGO, Nov 20, 1998 -- After 19 days in emergency mode, SATERN -- the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network -- discontinued its daylong operation on 14.265 MHz on November 16. The net had operated the all-day sessions since late October to support the Hurricane Mitch flood relief effort in Central America.
SATERN Director and Salvation Army Maj Pat McPherson, WW9E, says the net has gone back to its once-daily nets (1500 UTC weekdays; 1530 UTC Saturdays) on the same frequency. "Any traffic from the affected area will be accepted then," he said today. "If the need presents itself, we will go back to the emergency format of the daylong net."
Many stations in the US have been participating in the net to relay health and welfare traffic to and from relatives, to aid in assessing damage and the emergency needs of victims, and to assist other relief agencies in the region. Ham radio continues to be one of the primary means of communication in Honduras.
McPherson said SATERN handled more than 500 pieces of health-and-welfare traffic in the days immediately following the disaster activation, plus an untold amount of emergency, logistical and strategic traffic.
"The net was able to provide the first indication to the outside world regarding the extent of the catastrophe," he said. "Consequently, the value of Amateur Radio's use during disasters has again been demonstrated." McPherson also said interfacing with the ARRL and with ARES has proved "integral to effective response."
The FCC had accommodated the SATERN operation by declaring a communications emergency on 14.265 MHz. The emergency declaration was rescinded November 17 after the net returned to its regular schedule.
SATERN continues to accept health and welfare inquiries via its Web site, http://www.angelfire.com/il/ satern411/satframe.html. The Salvation Army is calling Mitch "the worst Atlantic hurricane in two centuries." The death toll has risen above 10,000 people. Damage to the region has been estimated at $4 billion.
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