Amateur Radio Operators Ready for Hurricane Isabel

This close-up view of the eye of Hurricane Isabel was taken this week by the Expedition 7 crew aboard the International Space Station. [NASA Photo] The position and projected path of Hurricane Isabel as of 5 PM EDT September 17. [NOAA Graphic] Chart showing the probability that Hurricane Isabel will pass within 75 statute miles during the next 72 hours. [NOAA Graphic] The MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this bird's-eye view of Hurricane Isabel at 1415 UTC on September 11, 2003. At the time Isabel was located 530 miles east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and was packing maximum sustained winds near 150 MPH. [Image courtesy NASA MODIS Land Rapid Response Team]

NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 17, 2003--The National Hurricane Center says large Hurricane Isabel is expected to make landfall in Eastern North Carolina sometime during the day on September 18. Amateur Radio reports indicated today that it's already raining on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Hurricane Watch Net has activated on 14.325 MHz to gather ground-level weather data for relay to the National Hurricane Center via its WX4NHC Amateur Radio station. With states of emergency declared by the governors of North Carolina and Virginia, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teams already are active. NC4EB, the ARES station at North Carolina Emergency Management's Eastern Branch headquarters in Kinston is up and running fulltime.

"The Eastern Branch operation and several coastal counties have asked for ARES operator assistance immediately," said ARRL North Carolina Public Information Coordinator Gary Pearce, KN4AQ. "Amateurs with ARES training who can travel to Eastern North Carolina before Thursday morning are asked to contact North Carolina Section Emergency Coordinator Bernie Nobles, WA4MOK."

A hurricane warning remains in effect from Cape Fear, North Carolina, to Chincoteague, Virginia, including Pamlico and Albermarle sounds and the Chesapeake Bay south of Smith Point. "All preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion in the hurricane area," the National Hurricane Center said today.

Pearce says NCEM's Eastern Branch office will take the lead in providing support and logistics to counties needing assistance during and after the storm, and NC4EB will be the contact point for traffic to and from affected counties. Starting at 6 PM EDT September 17, hams will staff NC4EO at the emergency operation center in the state capital of Raleigh, where North Carolina Emergency Management will take a backup role, he said.

The state EOC ARES operation will share the wide-coverage 146.88 MHz repeater in Raleigh with Central Carolina SKYWARN as the edge of the hurricane crosses the repeater's eastern coverage area. Isabel carries the threat of isolated tornadoes in Eastern North Carolina as early as Wednesday evening. The Tarheel Emergency Net will shift into continuous operation if needed. Nobles has asked North Carolina amateurs to monitor 3923 kHz. Amateurs elsewhere may listen on EchoLink to monitor repeater activity in northeastern North Carolina via the WX_Talk conference.

Bill Morine, N2COP, in Wilmington reports that ARES has been activated in coastal New Hanover County.

"Inland counties have begun making preparations to open shelters," Pearce said. "No ARES communications requests have been received for the shelters yet, as widespread power and communications outages inland are not expected, but that situation could change quickly."

More information on North Carolina Amateur Radio preparations for Hurricane Isabel is available via the North Carolina Hurricane Isabel Information Web site.

As of 5 PM EDT today, Isabel was some 315 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, moving north-northwesterly at almost 14 MPH. Maximum sustained winds are near 105 MPH with higher gusts, making Isabel a category 2 storm. Hurricane force winds extend outward some 115 miles from the center, and tropical storm winds extend outward up to 315 miles.

The National Hurricane Center was predicting storm surge flooding of 7 to 10 feet above normal tide levels with large and dangerous battering waves. Rainfall of up to 10 inches, with locally higher amounts, also are likely in association with Hurricane Isabel, the NHC said.

Virginia

In Virginia, the Virginia Beach Hamfest set for this weekend already has fallen victim to the storm. The hamfest had been set for September 20 and 21 at Virginia Wesleyan College. "There is no backup plan," said Ken Pierpont, KF4OW, who relayed the announcement to ARRL. "Hope to CU next year."

Virginia Section Emergency Coordinator Tom Gregory, N4NW, is urging ARES members in The Old Dominion to make sure their radios are working, batteries charged, bags packed, portable antennas ready and EOC stations ready.

"As we prepare for the approach of this intense hurricane, everyone needs to check their readiness," Gregory said. "Remember: If you are called out to provide radio support, take care of your family first, then report as needed." Gregory said the latest ARES news and information would be posted on the Virginia ARES Web site.

"If necessary the SM or SEC will activate the Old Dominion Emergency Net (ODEN)--also known as Virginia Emergency Net Alpha," Gregory said. The net operates on 3947 kHz (or 7243/7240 kHz alternate). He requested that participants pay close attention to the directions of the net control station. He anticipated that Virginia Emergency Net Alpha would most likely be activated sometime Thursday morning, September 18.

"The net is designed primarily to pass traffic between the state EOC and local EOCs, as well as traffic between the local EOCs," he pointed out.

WX4NHC Amateur Radio Coordinator John McHugy, KU4GY, says the station will monitor IRLP Stream2 and EchoLink. "For non-IRLP listeners, we will have 'listen live' set to Reflector 9210, so anyone may listen to WX4NHC traffic worldwide in the next few days," he said. McHugh said no health-and-welfare traffic would be handled at this time.

Maryland-DC Section

Further north, ARRL Maryland-DC Section Manager Tom Abernethy, W3TOM, reports that all preparations for Amateur Radio activations in his section have been completed, and most areas are planning a full activation between 6 AM and 9 AM Thursday, September 18. "The hurricane storm activity for our Washington, DC, area will most likely run from late Thursday afternoon to early Friday morning," Abernethy predicted.

"The highest intensity of storm activity is expected about 0200 on Friday morning," he said. "With luck the storm will have blown through by about noontime on Friday and we will see the sun shining by late Friday afternoon."

Most Maryland/DC section-wide Amateur Radio activity will occur on the Maryland Emergency Phone Net on 3920 kHz and on the Central Region Net on the Davidsonville 147.105 MHz repeater. Local ARES/RACES teams will activate additional repeaters and simplex frequencies as their local emergency plans dictate, he said.

Abernethy said he's got plenty of fresh fuel on hand for his 10 kW emergency generator as well as full fuel tanks on all vehicles "and chainsaws at the ready." He plans to be on the air for the duration of the storm and its aftermath. "It should be a wild ride," he said.

Chuck Hodell, N8AND, in Stevensville, Maryland, says those wishing to follow the hurricane as it enters the Kent Island and DC areas can check the APRS weather link to his station. "The links also now have the area radar, which should clearly show the path the storm is taking," he said.

West Virginia

In West Virginia, Section Manager Hal Turley, KC8FS, reports the state Office of Emergency Service plans to activate the emergency operations center September 18 at approximately 9 AM EDT. State EOC station K8BS will be on the air at least for the next 24 hours. Turley said there is concern that Isabel will cause flooding in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle as it passes by Friday, September 19.

"State officials have identified 27 West Virginia counties that may be affected by the effects of Isabel," he said. "Emergency coordinators for those counties are requested to make arrangements to participate in the nets and pass any pertinent information to the state EOC." Frequencies are 7235 kHz days and 3865 MHz nights.

New Jersey

Southern New Jersey SEC Gary Wilson, K2GW, says he's heard so far from Emergency Coordinators in Burlington, Mercer and Ocean counties. Ocean County EC Bob Murdock, WX2NJ, says ARES is on alert, monitoring ARES net repeaters and National Weather Service broadcasts. He anticipates some gale-force winds and probably flooding, but said there are no plans for evacuations in Ocean County.

The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) at the Atlantic County EOC will activate Thursday at noon. "All Atlantic County ARES Members are invited to participate," said Atlantic County EC Mike Price, N2JVM. Price said the county's SKYWARN net was standing by on the Atlantic County 146.745 SCARA repeater.

SKYWARN groups will activate in New Jersey on a county by county basis and pass information to the NWS.

In Northern New Jersey, SEC Steve Ostrove, K2SO, reports liaison has been established with the Red Cross, the Office of Emergency Management, and the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN).

SATERN earlier announced plans to activate on 14.265 MHz on September 18 at 1400 UTC (10 AM EDT). SATERN National Coordinator Pat McPherson, WW9E, says the net's primary objective will be to handle necessary emergency and health-and-welfare traffic.

National Traffic System Eastern Area

National Traffic System Eastern Area Chair Marcia Forde, KW1U, in Edgartown, Massachusetts, asked NTS participants to monitor news of the storm.

"As we face the onslaught of a major hurricane on the east coast, I hope all of you will not only be monitoring the news of the hurricane, but be prepared to be called upon to provide public service should it be required," she said. "Due to the intensity of the storm there could be a large number of health-and-welfare messages into and out of the affected areas."

She said SECs may contact net managers to activate extra nets as needed. "In the event of activation, net members should be monitoring net frequencies."

NASA Keeping Watch

NASA reports it's keeping a close watch on Hurricane Isabel as it churns in the Atlantic. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station--ISS Science Officer Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, and Commander Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, also are capturing video images of the storm.

Previous: Amateur Radio Ramps Up Preparations to Greet Hurricane Isabel

Next: Hams Confronting Hurricane Isabel