SB SPCL @ ARL $ARLX010
ARLX010 Big Island ARES Districts Activate to Support Possible
Hurricane Response in Hawaii
ZCZC AX10
QST de W1AW
Special Bulletin 10 ARLX010
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT August 31, 2016
To all radio amateurs
SB SPCL ARL ARLX010
ARLX010 Big Island ARES Districts Activate to Support Possible
Hurricane Response in Hawaii
ARRL Pacific Section Emergency Coordinator Clement Jung, KH7HO, has
announced the activation of all four Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES) districts on the Big Island of Hawaii, to support each other
and served agencies as two hurricanes - Madeline and Lester -
threaten. A hurricane watch remains in effect for Hawaii County.
A SKYWARN net activated on August 31 as Hurricane Madeline
approached the Big Island, and KH6SW went on the air from the
National Weather Service (NWS) Honolulu Forecast Office on HF, VHF,
and UHF. A second SKYWARN activation for Hurricane Lester will begin
on September 2 at 10 PM (0800 UTC on September 3), continuing until
Monday, September 5 at noon (2200 UTC).
As of 1200 UTC, Madeline, now a Category 1 storm, was located about
200 miles east of Hilo and 410 miles east-southeast of Honolulu,
with maximum sustained winds near 90 MPH. The storm is moving to the
west at 12 MPH.
As of 0900 UTC, Hurricane Lester, a much stronger Category 4 storm,
was some 1160 miles east of Hilo, with maximum sustained winds of
140 MPH and moving to the west at 12 MPH. NOAA has advised interests
in Hawaii to monitor Lester's progress.
ARES teams were set 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.
Jung said that if Hawaii Emergency Management Agency RACES is
activated, it will monitor 7.088 MHz (LSB) for voice and Fldigi
MT63-1KL. Until then, SKYWARN will be the statewide HF net control
station on 7.080 MHz (USB) for voice and Fldigi.
Hawaii Governor David Ige has declared a state of emergency in the
state, with the Big Island under a hurricane warning for Madeline -
now a Category 2 storm. The National Weather Service has indicated
that hurricane conditions could occur on the Big Island within the
next 24 hours. Public schools in Hawaii have been closed, and the
governor was urging residents of the Big Island to take steps to
protect people and property. A dozen schools have been designated to
serve as emergency evacuation shelters.
In addition to HF, KH6SW will operate on these repeaters:
* 146.660 (EARC, Windward Oahu)
* 146.760 (DEM RACES, Peackcock Flat, North Shore Oahu)
* 146.800 (EARC, Manakapu, Oahu)
* 146.880 (DEM RACES, Diamond Head)
* 146.980 (DEM RACES, Downtown Honolulu)
* 147.060 (State RACES, Diamond Head)
* 444.350 (State RACES, Diamond Head)
NNNN
/EX
