Last night while searching for activity related to the exercise going on over at Hunter AAF I noticed that there was a pretty good VHF opening, so I decided to try some 2-Meter SSB work. After listening for a few minutes and hearing no activity, I decided to call CQ.
After calling CQ a couple of times, K4ILT out of Saint George, SC came back to me for my first 2-Meter SSB contact. During the QSO, he mentioned that he was hearing Space Shuttle audio rebroadcast on 144.330, which he believed was coming from the Jacksonville area.
I checked 144.330 as well and found the same shuttle/NASA retransmission coming in at about S2-S3. Web research indicates that it most likely W4YJC out of Macclenny, FL. Searching around a bit, I also found 144.360 active, which should also be W4YJC, this time from Jacksonville, FL.
08 June 2008
07 June 2008
Hurricane Monitoring 2008
This article initially appeared in the June 2008 of "Key Klix," the newsletter of the Amateur Radio Club of Savannah. It is designed to provide basic local huricane monitoring information for the Savannah area.
With Hurricane Season upon us, it is a good time to gather monitoring information on monitoring communications related to the response to a storm. The purpose of this month’s article is to provide some basic hurricane monitoring information for both Savannah area amateur radio and government response to a hurricane. Many thanks to David Delamater, K4DJD, Steve Jonas, K4SDJ, and Doug Rowland, KF4EFP for providing amateur radio frequency information for this article.
Amateur Radio Monitoring
In the event of a hurricane, Amateur Radio would of course play a large part in the response to the storm. Georgia Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) would activate to support state and local emergency management. Other organizations would activate to respond to the hurricane in other capacities.
ARES, when activated will use several 2-meter repeaters for local area, point-to-point traffic. HF frequencies would be used for more long distant communications including communications with statewide ARES and emergency management stations.
146.970 - Chatham County ARES Ops Primary
146.880 - Chatham ARES Ops Secondary
147.105 - Georgia ARES Southeast District Ops
146.745 - Effingham County Repeater (97.4 PL)
146.520 - National Calling Frequency
3.975 LSB - Georgia ARES Primary HF
7.277 LSB - Georgia ARES Secondary HF
5.3305 LSB - Georgia ARES Section Emergency Net
The American Red Cross will also make use of local repeaters during their hurricane response operations. Secondary Red Cross Repeaters will be assigned usage depending upon the nature and size of the response.
146.850 - American Red Cross Primary
146.700 - American Red Cross Secondary
147.210 - American Red Cross Secondary
147.330 - American Red Cross Secondary
Other organizations that might activate to assist in response and relief efforts are the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network and Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief teams.
7.265 LSB - SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network)
14.265 USB - SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network)
151.625 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief (VHF Itinerant)
147.550 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
147.555 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
3.865 LSB - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
7.238 LSB - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
7.251 LSB - South CARS Net
7.262 LSB - Southern Baptist Convention Net
A good way to keep track of and to gather information on a hurricane is the venerable Hurricane Watch Net, which has been around since 1965. This net will activate whenever there is a hurricane within 300 miles of a populated land mass or when activation is requested by the National Hurricane Center. The purpose of the net is to gather information from the storm for the National Hurricane Center and to pass on National Weather Service advisories on the storm. Information on hurricanes can also be heard on the Maritime Mobile Network. They also collect information for the National Weather Service and pass weather service advisories.
14.325 USB - Hurricane Watch Net
14.300 USB - Maritime Mobile Network
Government Monitoring
Local public safety agencies would be in the front lines of hurricane response. A listing of agency frequencies and Chatham-Effingham Trunked Repeater System (TRS) talkgroups would be too long to list here, but there are emergency management, mutual aid, and common frequencies and talkgroups that would be good to include in scanner programming. These would be used by a wide variety of agencies during any multi-agency response. A full listing of agency talkgroups for the Chatham-Effingham TRS can be found on the Radio Reference website (see list of links below).
Conventional Frequencies
123.025 - Airborne Operations, Air-to-Ground
123.100 - Airborne Operations, Air-to-Air
154.280 - Fire Mutual Aid
155.340 - HEAR (Hospitals, EMS)
155.475 - Law Enforcement National Emergency
853.6375 - Chatham County 800 Conventional
866.0125 - I-Call
866.5125 - I-Tac 1
867.0125 - I-Tac 2
867.5125 - I-Tac 3
868.0125 - I-Tac 4
Chatham-Effingham TRS Talkgroups
6224 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 1
6256 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 2
6288 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 3
6320 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 4
6352 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 5
33456 - Police Common
54032 – Police Common Digital
37072 - Fire Common
3632 – Fire Tac 1
3664 – Fire Tac 2
3696 – Fire Tac 3
3728 – Fire Tac 4
3760 – Fire Tac 5
3792 – Fire Tac 6
2416 - Medical Common
50320 - Savannah City Common
50352 - Chatham County Countywide Common
1648 - Chatham County Common
4240 - Chatham County Westside Common
4272 - Chatham County Eastside Common
Both Hunter Army Airfield and Savannah International Airport and the military units based there would be involved in relief operations in the event of a hurricane striking the coastal Georgia area. B-169 Aviation of the Georgia Army National Guard at Hunter AAF would likely support local operations while the 165th Airlift Wing at Savannah IAP would be able to help provide an air bridge for the Savannah area. The United States Coast Guard would also assist in the response to a hurricane with both aircraft from Air Station Savannah and surface assets from Sector Charleston and it’s subordinate unit Station Tybee (and beyond).
133.550 AM – Hunter AAF Control Tower
279.575 AM – Hunter AAF Control Tower
126.200 AM – Hunter AAF Base Ops
38.150 FM – B-169 AVN “Hurricane Ops”
139.400 AM – B-169 AVN “Guard Operations”
242.400 AM – B-169 AVN Air-to-Air
119.100 AM - Savannah IAP Control Tower
257.800 AM - Savannah IAP Control Tower
225.750 AM - 165 Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard Command Post
237.000 AM - Air National Guard CRTC Command Post
156.800 – Marine VHF Ch. 16, Calling/Distress
156.650 – Marine VHF Ch. 13
157.050 – Marine VHF Ch. 21, Sector Charleston Primary Operating
345.000 AM - USCG Air Station Savannah Ops
Charleston Air Force Base is involved in relief operations not only nationwide but worldwide. Aircraft inbound to Charleston AFB from the south can easily be heard from the Savannah area.
134.100 AM - Charleston AFB Command Post
349.400 AM - Charleston AFB Command Post
Another agency that would support hurricane response efforts would the United States Air Force auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol is in the midst of frequency changes, so it would be prudent to keep both their old and new frequencies in mind. The CAP also uses repeater output frequencies as simplex frequencies.
148.150 - Civil Air Patrol Primary Repeater Output
148.125 - Civil Air Patrol Repeater, Coastal Georgia Area
148.175 - New Civil Air Patrol Repeaters
148.775 - New Civil Air Patrol Repeaters
There are many lists on the Internet that list HF frequencies for the “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft. For the most part, these lists are obsolete; the “Hurricane Hunters” now use satellite communications, including military SATCOM, instead of HF for their primary means of communications with ground stations.
Reference Links
Georgia ARES:
http://www.gaares.org/
SATERN (Salvation Army):
http://www.satern.org/
Hurricane Watch Net:
http://www.hwn.org/
Maritime Mobile Service Network:
http://www.mmsn.org/
Radio Reference:
http://www.radioreference.com/
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
With Hurricane Season upon us, it is a good time to gather monitoring information on monitoring communications related to the response to a storm. The purpose of this month’s article is to provide some basic hurricane monitoring information for both Savannah area amateur radio and government response to a hurricane. Many thanks to David Delamater, K4DJD, Steve Jonas, K4SDJ, and Doug Rowland, KF4EFP for providing amateur radio frequency information for this article.
Amateur Radio Monitoring
In the event of a hurricane, Amateur Radio would of course play a large part in the response to the storm. Georgia Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) would activate to support state and local emergency management. Other organizations would activate to respond to the hurricane in other capacities.
ARES, when activated will use several 2-meter repeaters for local area, point-to-point traffic. HF frequencies would be used for more long distant communications including communications with statewide ARES and emergency management stations.
146.970 - Chatham County ARES Ops Primary
146.880 - Chatham ARES Ops Secondary
147.105 - Georgia ARES Southeast District Ops
146.745 - Effingham County Repeater (97.4 PL)
146.520 - National Calling Frequency
3.975 LSB - Georgia ARES Primary HF
7.277 LSB - Georgia ARES Secondary HF
5.3305 LSB - Georgia ARES Section Emergency Net
The American Red Cross will also make use of local repeaters during their hurricane response operations. Secondary Red Cross Repeaters will be assigned usage depending upon the nature and size of the response.
146.850 - American Red Cross Primary
146.700 - American Red Cross Secondary
147.210 - American Red Cross Secondary
147.330 - American Red Cross Secondary
Other organizations that might activate to assist in response and relief efforts are the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network and Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief teams.
7.265 LSB - SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network)
14.265 USB - SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network)
151.625 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief (VHF Itinerant)
147.550 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
147.555 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
3.865 LSB - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
7.238 LSB - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
7.251 LSB - South CARS Net
7.262 LSB - Southern Baptist Convention Net
A good way to keep track of and to gather information on a hurricane is the venerable Hurricane Watch Net, which has been around since 1965. This net will activate whenever there is a hurricane within 300 miles of a populated land mass or when activation is requested by the National Hurricane Center. The purpose of the net is to gather information from the storm for the National Hurricane Center and to pass on National Weather Service advisories on the storm. Information on hurricanes can also be heard on the Maritime Mobile Network. They also collect information for the National Weather Service and pass weather service advisories.
14.325 USB - Hurricane Watch Net
14.300 USB - Maritime Mobile Network
Government Monitoring
Local public safety agencies would be in the front lines of hurricane response. A listing of agency frequencies and Chatham-Effingham Trunked Repeater System (TRS) talkgroups would be too long to list here, but there are emergency management, mutual aid, and common frequencies and talkgroups that would be good to include in scanner programming. These would be used by a wide variety of agencies during any multi-agency response. A full listing of agency talkgroups for the Chatham-Effingham TRS can be found on the Radio Reference website (see list of links below).
Conventional Frequencies
123.025 - Airborne Operations, Air-to-Ground
123.100 - Airborne Operations, Air-to-Air
154.280 - Fire Mutual Aid
155.340 - HEAR (Hospitals, EMS)
155.475 - Law Enforcement National Emergency
853.6375 - Chatham County 800 Conventional
866.0125 - I-Call
866.5125 - I-Tac 1
867.0125 - I-Tac 2
867.5125 - I-Tac 3
868.0125 - I-Tac 4
Chatham-Effingham TRS Talkgroups
6224 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 1
6256 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 2
6288 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 3
6320 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 4
6352 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 5
33456 - Police Common
54032 – Police Common Digital
37072 - Fire Common
3632 – Fire Tac 1
3664 – Fire Tac 2
3696 – Fire Tac 3
3728 – Fire Tac 4
3760 – Fire Tac 5
3792 – Fire Tac 6
2416 - Medical Common
50320 - Savannah City Common
50352 - Chatham County Countywide Common
1648 - Chatham County Common
4240 - Chatham County Westside Common
4272 - Chatham County Eastside Common
Both Hunter Army Airfield and Savannah International Airport and the military units based there would be involved in relief operations in the event of a hurricane striking the coastal Georgia area. B-169 Aviation of the Georgia Army National Guard at Hunter AAF would likely support local operations while the 165th Airlift Wing at Savannah IAP would be able to help provide an air bridge for the Savannah area. The United States Coast Guard would also assist in the response to a hurricane with both aircraft from Air Station Savannah and surface assets from Sector Charleston and it’s subordinate unit Station Tybee (and beyond).
133.550 AM – Hunter AAF Control Tower
279.575 AM – Hunter AAF Control Tower
126.200 AM – Hunter AAF Base Ops
38.150 FM – B-169 AVN “Hurricane Ops”
139.400 AM – B-169 AVN “Guard Operations”
242.400 AM – B-169 AVN Air-to-Air
119.100 AM - Savannah IAP Control Tower
257.800 AM - Savannah IAP Control Tower
225.750 AM - 165 Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard Command Post
237.000 AM - Air National Guard CRTC Command Post
156.800 – Marine VHF Ch. 16, Calling/Distress
156.650 – Marine VHF Ch. 13
157.050 – Marine VHF Ch. 21, Sector Charleston Primary Operating
345.000 AM - USCG Air Station Savannah Ops
Charleston Air Force Base is involved in relief operations not only nationwide but worldwide. Aircraft inbound to Charleston AFB from the south can easily be heard from the Savannah area.
134.100 AM - Charleston AFB Command Post
349.400 AM - Charleston AFB Command Post
Another agency that would support hurricane response efforts would the United States Air Force auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol is in the midst of frequency changes, so it would be prudent to keep both their old and new frequencies in mind. The CAP also uses repeater output frequencies as simplex frequencies.
148.150 - Civil Air Patrol Primary Repeater Output
148.125 - Civil Air Patrol Repeater, Coastal Georgia Area
148.175 - New Civil Air Patrol Repeaters
148.775 - New Civil Air Patrol Repeaters
There are many lists on the Internet that list HF frequencies for the “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft. For the most part, these lists are obsolete; the “Hurricane Hunters” now use satellite communications, including military SATCOM, instead of HF for their primary means of communications with ground stations.
Reference Links
Georgia ARES:
http://www.gaares.org/
SATERN (Salvation Army):
http://www.satern.org/
Hurricane Watch Net:
http://www.hwn.org/
Maritime Mobile Service Network:
http://www.mmsn.org/
Radio Reference:
http://www.radioreference.com/
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
The 6-Meter Setup Works
I finally found made some 6 Meter contacts with the FT-897 and the JTB-4. They were local rather than DX contacts, but were good contacts none the less. After seeing some emails and hearing some QSOs on 2 Meters about how 6 Meters had been open the previous few days, I called CQ on 50.125 USB yesterday evening. This time, I was duly answered by Russ, K4YDG. We spoke for a few, then carried on a QSO after he went mobile. After dinner, I left the FT-897 on while monitoring some A-10 and AC-130 activity over Hunter AAF and Fort Stewart and heard Ken, W4JKG calling CQ. I answered and had a good QSO with Ken.
Hopefully my work schedule and 6 Meters' schedule will mesh and I'll be around for a band opening. Next up is to finally make a contact on 2 Meters SSB.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Hopefully my work schedule and 6 Meters' schedule will mesh and I'll be around for a band opening. Next up is to finally make a contact on 2 Meters SSB.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
29 May 2008
Uniden BCD-996T
President Bush's economic stimulus package recently allowed me to upgrade the scanner in my car from a BC-780 to a new BCD-996T. So far I've found the 996 to be a good selection, it is doing everything I expected it to and is performing well in bands that I monitor frequently. The 996 is a more advanced radio than the BC-780 that served so well and gives me more monitoring capability and more memory. It allows me to monitor not only analog signals, but digital signals as well. I can store less frequently used frequencies and talkgroups, store systems from areas I visit occasionally without having to reprogram the radio, and have close-call capability for finding new frequencies. It also has several features that make it an excellent choice for a mobile scanner: easily adjustable backlight and temporary lockout. Another outstanding feature is the ability to program in sites for trunking systems and to select which sites you want the scanner to monitor.
The BCD-996T is very similar to the two BC-780s I own in sensitivity and selectivity. In RF-Hostile environments such as the areas around Memorial and Candler hospitals and the area around I-516/US 17, the 996 can be easily overloaded in parts of the VHF spectrum, from 350-360 MHz and from 380-390 MHz. This is no different from the performance of the BC-780 in the same areas. The 996's performance on all of the bands I monitor regularly is quite good provided the appropriate antenna is used. I mostly monitor military aviation VHF and UHF, so I use a Diamond SG7200NMO antenna, an amateur radio antenna that I have found to perform quite well for military UHF. Using that antenna, I have excellent reception on military VHF, military UHF, marine VHF, Federal VHF, and Federal UHF. On the Fort Stewart/Hunter AAF TRS, I've found that I can monitor the Hunter AAF and Richmond Hill sites for much of my daily commute. The SG7200NMO does not work well for 800 MHz however, so I usually don't use the 996 for 800 monitoring. Using an antenna designed for 800 MHz monitoring, the 996 does quite well on the Chatham-Effingham TRS with no problems on digital or analog systems. I've found that I can monitor the Kerry St. site, the Montgomery site, and the Quacco Rd. site from most areas of the city.
I have conventional and trunked systems for the areas along the route from Savannah to the Warner Robins Air Museum, for the areas along I-95 in Georgia, and parts of southern South Carolina where I travel occasionally programmed into the 996. Frequencies for all of the military operating areas, ranges, air traffic control, and military units that operate in this area are programmed in as well. Even with all of this programmed in, I'm still only using approximately a quarter of the radio's memory!
One tool I've not had the chance to play around with yet is "Close Call," which turns the scanner into a frequency counter of sorts. It can run the close call feature full time or in the background; when it detects a strong signal, it tunes the scanner to that frequency and alerts you so that you can monitor the frequency. This is a great feature for event monitoring and for finding frequencies in an unfamiliar area.
Two features that make the 996 a great choice for mobile installation are its easily adjustable display backlight and temporary lockout. You can easily adjust the display backlight on the 996 by simply pressing the volume knob. That cycles the display between backlight off, 3 brightness levels of a green display, and 3 levels of a red display. No longer do you have the problem of the display being too dim in bright sunlight or too bright at night; you can change the setting without having to pull over and play with the menus. When mobile monitoring, it is not unusual to come across some local interference that causes a channel to hang up in just that small area of town. The 996 offers two different forms of channel lockout: permanent and temporary. Temporary Lockout is accomplished with one push of the lockout button; this only locks the channel out until the next time the scanner is powered off and on. Permanent Lockout locks out the channel until you manually unlock it. If you run across some local interference, you just hit the lockout button once; when you are out of the offending area, turn the radio and off (just a twist of a knob) and everything is back to normal.
With trunking systems, the BCD-99T allows you to program the systems by site. You can turn these sites on and off within the system much like you can turn off groups of talkgroups within the system. This feature is great for monitoring systems like the Fort Stewart/Hunter AAF system where not all traffic is heard over every site. It also makes transitioning through site coverage areas very easy, another excellent feature for a mobile scanner!
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Hurricane Preparedness Week: Thursday, May 29, 2008
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EDT THU MAY 29 2008
...HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY...
WHEN A HURRICANE FORMS AND IS HEADING IN YOUR GENERAL DIRECTION...A HURRICANE WATCH MAY BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. A WATCH MEANS HURRICANE CONDITIONS... WINDS OF 74 MPH OR GREATER...ARE POSSIBLE IN THE SPECIFIED AREA... USUALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.
WHEN IN A WATCH AREA...FREQUENTLY LISTEN TO RADIO... TELEVISION...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS FOR OFFICIAL BULLETINS ON THE STORM.
MAKE SURE YOUR VEHICLES ARE FILLED WITH GAS AND IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION. INSPECT AND SECURE MOBILE HOME TIE DOWNS. PREPARE TO COVER ALL WINDOW AND DOOR OPENINGS WITH SHUTTERS OR OTHER SHIELDING MATERIALS.
STOCK UP ON CANNED FOOD...FIRST AID SUPPLIES...BATTERIES... DRINKING WATER... MEDICATIONS AND AN EXTRA SUPPLY OF CASH. PREPARE TO BRING INSIDE LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LOOSE...LIGHT WEIGHT OBJECTS...SUCH AS GARBAGE CANS AND GARDEN TOOLS.
PLAN TO EVACUATE IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME. THEY ARE UNSAFE IN HIGH WINDS...NO MATTER HOW WELL FASTENED TO THE GROUND. PLAN TO EVACUATE IF YOU LIVE ON THE COASTLINE...A BARRIER ISLAND...OR NEAR A RIVER. ALSO PLAN TO EVACUATE IF YOU LIVE IN A HIGH RISE BUILDING AS HURRICANE WINDS ARE STRONGER AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EDT THU MAY 29 2008
...HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY...
WHEN A HURRICANE FORMS AND IS HEADING IN YOUR GENERAL DIRECTION...A HURRICANE WATCH MAY BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. A WATCH MEANS HURRICANE CONDITIONS... WINDS OF 74 MPH OR GREATER...ARE POSSIBLE IN THE SPECIFIED AREA... USUALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.
WHEN IN A WATCH AREA...FREQUENTLY LISTEN TO RADIO... TELEVISION...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS FOR OFFICIAL BULLETINS ON THE STORM.
MAKE SURE YOUR VEHICLES ARE FILLED WITH GAS AND IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION. INSPECT AND SECURE MOBILE HOME TIE DOWNS. PREPARE TO COVER ALL WINDOW AND DOOR OPENINGS WITH SHUTTERS OR OTHER SHIELDING MATERIALS.
STOCK UP ON CANNED FOOD...FIRST AID SUPPLIES...BATTERIES... DRINKING WATER... MEDICATIONS AND AN EXTRA SUPPLY OF CASH. PREPARE TO BRING INSIDE LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LOOSE...LIGHT WEIGHT OBJECTS...SUCH AS GARBAGE CANS AND GARDEN TOOLS.
PLAN TO EVACUATE IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME. THEY ARE UNSAFE IN HIGH WINDS...NO MATTER HOW WELL FASTENED TO THE GROUND. PLAN TO EVACUATE IF YOU LIVE ON THE COASTLINE...A BARRIER ISLAND...OR NEAR A RIVER. ALSO PLAN TO EVACUATE IF YOU LIVE IN A HIGH RISE BUILDING AS HURRICANE WINDS ARE STRONGER AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
Hurricane Preparedness Week: Wednesday, May 28, 2008
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EDT WED MAY 28 2008
...HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY...
THERE ARE NUMEROUS DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANES AND OTHER TROPICAL SYSTEMS. THEY INCLUDE STORM SURGE...HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING...DAMAGING WINDS... TORNADOES...HIGH SURF...BEACH EROSION...AND RIP CURRENTS.
STORM SURGE.
STORM SURGE IS A LARGE DOME OF WATER...OFTEN 50 TO 100 MILES WIDE...THAT SWEEPS ACROSS THE COASTLINE MAINLY TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE HURRICANE MAKES LANDFALL. THE SURGE OF HIGH WATER... ALONG WITH DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE DEVASTATING. TYPICALLY...THE STRONGER THE HURRICANE AND THE SHALLOWER THE COASTAL SHELF...THE HIGHER THE SURGE WILL BE. ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST...STORM SURGE IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.
HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING.
WIDESPREAD TORRENTIAL RAINS...OFTEN IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES...CAN PRODUCE DEADLY AND DESTRUCTIVE FLOODS. THIS IS THE MAJOR HAZARD TO AREAS WELL INLAND. FLOODING FROM HURRICANE FLOYD IN 1999 CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA. THERE WERE ALSO OVER 50 DEATHS DUE TO FLOYD...PRIMARILY CAUSED BY FRESH WATER FLOODING. IN 2005...TROPICAL STORM TAMMY PRODUCED BETWEEN 10 AND 15 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD FLOODING.
DAMAGING WINDS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...74 MPH OR GREATER...CAN DESTROY POORLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS AND MOBILE HOMES. DEBRIS...SUCH AS SIGNS... ROOFING MATERIAL...AND SMALL OBJECTS LEFT OUTSIDE BECOME FLYING MISSILES IN HURRICANES. WINDS OFTEN STAY ABOVE HURRICANE STRENGTH WELL INLAND AS EVIDENCED BY HURRICANE HUGO WHICH BATTERED CHARLOTTE
NORTH CAROLINA WITH GUSTS TO OVER 75 MPH...DOWNING TREES AND POWER LINES AND CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.
TORNADOES.
TORNADOES MOST OFTEN OCCUR IN THUNDERSTORMS EMBEDDED IN RAIN BANDS WELL AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF A TROPICAL SYSTEM. HOWEVER...THEY CAN ALSO OCCUR NEAR THE EYE WALL. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004...THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE FRANCES PRODUCED 20 CONFIRMED TORNADOES IN THE CHARLESTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COUNTY WARNING AREA COVERING PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.
HIGH SURF...BEACH EROSION AND RIP CURRENTS.
TROPICAL SYSTEMS ALSO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL COASTAL HAZARDS SUCH AS HIGH SURF...BEACH EROSION AND DEADLY RIP CURRENTS. THE HIGH SURF CAUSES EXTENSIVE BEACH EROSION AND CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS... WHICH ARE NARROW CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY FROM LAND. HIGH SURF ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM TAMMY IN 2005 PRODUCED EXTENSIVE BEACH EROSION ALONG THE COASTS OF SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. FURTHERMORE...SEVERAL HOMES WERE DESTROYED IN EDISTO BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EDT WED MAY 28 2008
...HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY...
THERE ARE NUMEROUS DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANES AND OTHER TROPICAL SYSTEMS. THEY INCLUDE STORM SURGE...HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING...DAMAGING WINDS... TORNADOES...HIGH SURF...BEACH EROSION...AND RIP CURRENTS.
STORM SURGE.
STORM SURGE IS A LARGE DOME OF WATER...OFTEN 50 TO 100 MILES WIDE...THAT SWEEPS ACROSS THE COASTLINE MAINLY TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE HURRICANE MAKES LANDFALL. THE SURGE OF HIGH WATER... ALONG WITH DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE DEVASTATING. TYPICALLY...THE STRONGER THE HURRICANE AND THE SHALLOWER THE COASTAL SHELF...THE HIGHER THE SURGE WILL BE. ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST...STORM SURGE IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.
HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING.
WIDESPREAD TORRENTIAL RAINS...OFTEN IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES...CAN PRODUCE DEADLY AND DESTRUCTIVE FLOODS. THIS IS THE MAJOR HAZARD TO AREAS WELL INLAND. FLOODING FROM HURRICANE FLOYD IN 1999 CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA. THERE WERE ALSO OVER 50 DEATHS DUE TO FLOYD...PRIMARILY CAUSED BY FRESH WATER FLOODING. IN 2005...TROPICAL STORM TAMMY PRODUCED BETWEEN 10 AND 15 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD FLOODING.
DAMAGING WINDS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...74 MPH OR GREATER...CAN DESTROY POORLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS AND MOBILE HOMES. DEBRIS...SUCH AS SIGNS... ROOFING MATERIAL...AND SMALL OBJECTS LEFT OUTSIDE BECOME FLYING MISSILES IN HURRICANES. WINDS OFTEN STAY ABOVE HURRICANE STRENGTH WELL INLAND AS EVIDENCED BY HURRICANE HUGO WHICH BATTERED CHARLOTTE
NORTH CAROLINA WITH GUSTS TO OVER 75 MPH...DOWNING TREES AND POWER LINES AND CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.
TORNADOES.
TORNADOES MOST OFTEN OCCUR IN THUNDERSTORMS EMBEDDED IN RAIN BANDS WELL AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF A TROPICAL SYSTEM. HOWEVER...THEY CAN ALSO OCCUR NEAR THE EYE WALL. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004...THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE FRANCES PRODUCED 20 CONFIRMED TORNADOES IN THE CHARLESTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COUNTY WARNING AREA COVERING PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.
HIGH SURF...BEACH EROSION AND RIP CURRENTS.
TROPICAL SYSTEMS ALSO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL COASTAL HAZARDS SUCH AS HIGH SURF...BEACH EROSION AND DEADLY RIP CURRENTS. THE HIGH SURF CAUSES EXTENSIVE BEACH EROSION AND CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS... WHICH ARE NARROW CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY FROM LAND. HIGH SURF ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM TAMMY IN 2005 PRODUCED EXTENSIVE BEACH EROSION ALONG THE COASTS OF SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. FURTHERMORE...SEVERAL HOMES WERE DESTROYED IN EDISTO BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA.
27 May 2008
Hurricane Preparedness Week 2008: Tuesday May 27, 2008
From the NWS Charleston Website:
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EDT TUE MAY 27 2008
...HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY...
PREPAREDNESS IS ESSENTIAL FOR MINIMIZING PROPERTY DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANES AND OTHER TROPICAL SYSTEMS. EVERYONE IS URGED TO DEVELOP A HURRICANE SAFETY PLAN AND REVIEW IT BEFORE EACH HURRICANE SEASON. SOME OF THE COMPONENTS THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR PLAN WILL BE ADDRESSED TODAY.
BE FAMILIAR WITH THE TROPICAL WATCH/WARNING TERMINOLOGY USED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SPECIFICALLY...A WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN ABOUT 36 HOURS WHILE A WARNING IS THEN ISSUED WHEN THOSE SAME CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN ABOUT 24 HOURS.
LEARN THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS FROM TROPICAL SYSTEMS IN YOUR AREA. DETERMINE YOUR ELEVATION ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL AND WHETHER YOU ARE AT RISK FOR STORM SURGE.
LEARN EVACUATION ROUTES AND THE LOCATIONS OF OFFICIAL SHELTERS. IF YOU HAVE PETS... FIND OUT WHICH SHELTERS AND HOTELS WILL ACCEPT THEM.
REVIEW THE WORKING CONDITION OF EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT...SUCH AS FLASHLIGHTS...BATTERY-POWERED RADIOS AND GENERATORS. ENSURE THAT ENOUGH NON-PERISHABLE FOOD AND WATER SUPPLIES ARE ON HAND. OBTAIN AND STORE MATERIALS NECESSARY TO PROPERLY SECURE YOUR HOME SUCH AS PLYWOOD. CLEAR CLOGGED RAIN GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS. KEEP TREES AND SHRUBS TRIMMED.
REVIEW YOUR INSURANCE POLICY. MOST HAZARD INSURANCE POLICIES DO NOT INCLUDE FLOODING. FLOOD INSURANCE POLICIES CAN BE OBTAINED BUT DO NOT TAKE EFFECT FOR 30 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE. IN ADDITION...DETERMINE WHERE YOU CAN STORE YOUR BOAT.
CITIZENS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS OR OTHERS REQUIRING MORE INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN CHARLESTON... LOCAL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...LOCAL AMERICAN RED CROSS CHAPTER OR PROJECT IMPACT PERSONNEL.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EDT TUE MAY 27 2008
...HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY...
PREPAREDNESS IS ESSENTIAL FOR MINIMIZING PROPERTY DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANES AND OTHER TROPICAL SYSTEMS. EVERYONE IS URGED TO DEVELOP A HURRICANE SAFETY PLAN AND REVIEW IT BEFORE EACH HURRICANE SEASON. SOME OF THE COMPONENTS THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR PLAN WILL BE ADDRESSED TODAY.
BE FAMILIAR WITH THE TROPICAL WATCH/WARNING TERMINOLOGY USED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SPECIFICALLY...A WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN ABOUT 36 HOURS WHILE A WARNING IS THEN ISSUED WHEN THOSE SAME CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN ABOUT 24 HOURS.
LEARN THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS FROM TROPICAL SYSTEMS IN YOUR AREA. DETERMINE YOUR ELEVATION ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL AND WHETHER YOU ARE AT RISK FOR STORM SURGE.
LEARN EVACUATION ROUTES AND THE LOCATIONS OF OFFICIAL SHELTERS. IF YOU HAVE PETS... FIND OUT WHICH SHELTERS AND HOTELS WILL ACCEPT THEM.
REVIEW THE WORKING CONDITION OF EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT...SUCH AS FLASHLIGHTS...BATTERY-POWERED RADIOS AND GENERATORS. ENSURE THAT ENOUGH NON-PERISHABLE FOOD AND WATER SUPPLIES ARE ON HAND. OBTAIN AND STORE MATERIALS NECESSARY TO PROPERLY SECURE YOUR HOME SUCH AS PLYWOOD. CLEAR CLOGGED RAIN GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS. KEEP TREES AND SHRUBS TRIMMED.
REVIEW YOUR INSURANCE POLICY. MOST HAZARD INSURANCE POLICIES DO NOT INCLUDE FLOODING. FLOOD INSURANCE POLICIES CAN BE OBTAINED BUT DO NOT TAKE EFFECT FOR 30 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE. IN ADDITION...DETERMINE WHERE YOU CAN STORE YOUR BOAT.
CITIZENS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS OR OTHERS REQUIRING MORE INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN CHARLESTON... LOCAL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...LOCAL AMERICAN RED CROSS CHAPTER OR PROJECT IMPACT PERSONNEL.
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