Hurricane Fabian rages outside the emergency operations center in Hamilton, Bermuda.[Tony Siese, VP9HK, Photo]
NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 9, 2003--For a time on September 5, Amateur Radio was the sole contact with the rest of the world as Hurricane Fabian swept across Bermuda claiming at least one life and causing extensive property damage in some areas. Three others remain missing and are presumed dead. Authorities on the island were assessing its extent over the weekend. Fabian took out power to some 25,000 homes--about two-thirds of the island--as well as all radio stations and TV stations. Additionally, generator problems at the government emergency station (101.3 MHz FM) took that outlet off the air for a time. Tony Siese, VP9HK, reports the police operations center was evacuated after the 120-MPH winds took off part of its roof.
"[T]he only contact with the outside world for a few hours was via myself relaying info via 2 meters to the guys on HF and getting the weather reports via the Hurricane Watch Net from the National Hurricane Center," Siese said. "This lasted about two hours." He says once the government emergency station came back on the air, Amateur Radio operators provided it with updated National Hurricane Center reports received via the HWN.
Hurricane Fabian rages outside the emergency operations center in Hamilton, Bermuda.[Tony Siese, VP9HK, Photo] |
"The roads have been cleared of debris and most are open to one way traffic at least," Siese reported over the weekend to the HWN. "Emergency vehicles can get around the island. Bermuda's international airport was expected to reopen today.
Hurricane Watch Net Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP, reports his net on 14.325 MHz secured operations September 6 at 0300 UTC "after a very long and busy day" dealing with Hurricane Fabian, a dangerous category 3 storm. Participating HWN volunteers feed ground-level weather data to forecasters via WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center. WX4NHC also is operated by a volunteer staff. The weather data and information help meteorologists to develop more accurate storm forecasts.
"We had excellent assistance and vital communications from five VP9 hams who, unfortunately, had to resort to makeshift antennas and back-up battery power as the storm approached their locations," Pilgrim said.
Also pitching in were Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) volunteers. "The SATERN Net stood by two days at full alert monitoring for information from Bermuda as Hurricane Fabian raged through the island," said National SATERN Coordinator Pat McPherson, WW9E. Rick Shirran, VE3NUZ/VP9--the Canadian SATERN coordinator in charge of the Hamilton Corps on Bermuda--reported in via mobile HF just before the storm hit and again following its passage.
Shirran's home reportedly lost part of its roof, as did a Salvation Army facility on the island. Numerous other buildings also lost roofs or suffered roof damage. Power went down before the hurricane, and telephone services became sporadic before collapsing altogether. Shirran reported that Amateur Radio operators handled the bulk of communication on Bermuda via 2 meters. McPherson said SATERN assumed its traditional role handling health-and-welfare traffic. SATERN also was prepared to assist with emergency traffic and damage assessment duties, he added. Shirran said The Salvation Army opened three shelters to handle anyone displaced by the storm.
Reports indicate commercial broadcast outlets remained off the air as of early September 8.
Amateur Radio reports gathered by Dick Montgomery, N3DV, in New Jersey September 7 on the 20-meter Bermuda Net indicated many trees down, damage to docked boats and amateur antennas blown away, but power slowly being restored.
"They all seemed in good spirits and one of
them even compared it to a camping trip that was soon going to get tiresome,"
Montgomery said of the net's participants.
 Lady in waiting Hurricane Isabel has become a category 4 storm. |
Forecasters, weather observers and Amateur Radio volunteers are keeping a close watch on Hurricane Isabel, now a category 4 storm. As of 0900 UTC, Isabel’s center was some 1050 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands in the Caribbean and could threaten Puerto Rico and Hispaniola.
The storm is moving west-northwesterly at about 14 MPH, and the National Hurricane Center says a turn to the west is expected over the next day or so. Isabel boasts maximum sustained winds near 135 MPH with higher gusts. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center.
Tropical Storm Henri, which crossed Florida
over the weekend, now is a poorly defined tropical depression some 160 miles
south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
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