FCC Declares Communications Emergency for Gulf Coast

WASHINGTON, DC, Sep 24, 2002--At the request of ARRL Mississippi Section Manager Malcolm Keown, W5XX, the FCC has declared that a general communications emergency exists for Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. After striking the western tip of Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Isidore--at present a tropical storm--is headed for the US Gulf Coast. Forecasters believe that Isidore could regain hurricane strength over the Gulf of Mexico and reach landfall Thursday morning (see "Hurricane Watch Net, W4EHW, Stand Down, Maintain Vigilance" for further details).

Invoking the authority of §97.401 of the FCC's rules and regulations, Technical and Public Safety Division Chief Joseph P. Casey of the Enforcement Bureau issued a declaration that requires amateurs to refrain from using 3873 kHz during hours of darkness and 7285 kHz during hours of daylight effective immediately and until rescinded. The FCC said the communications emergency could last as long as 14 days. Both frequencies are to be protected plus or minus 3 kHz unless amateurs are taking part in the handling of emergency traffic.

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