AMATEUR RADIO PROVIDES ASSISTANCE DURING HURRICANE ISABEL

By Michael Fitzsimmons

When Hurricane Isabel hit the east coast recently, amateur radio operators from Florida to the mid-Atlantic states stepped up to provide much-welcome assistance during this major event. Amateur Radio volunteers had been keeping an eye on the storm for several days prior to its arrival and they were ready to assist in providing communication support and weather spotting. The Hurricane Watch Net <http://www.hwn.org/> secured its operation September 18 after two full days and nights of dealing with Isabel.

"Many thanks to the dozens of dedicated reporting stations in the path of the storm for their support," said HWN Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP, "and most of all to all Amateur Radio operators who patiently stood on the sidelines while helping to maintain a clear frequency on 14.325 MHz during this high-priority operation." The HWN worked with WX4NHC <http://www.wx4nhc.org/> at the National Hurricane Center to provide ground-level weather information for hurricane forecasters.

In North Carolina, ARES member Mike Langley, KD4MTT, spent three days at ARES station NC4EB at the North Carolina Emergency Management's Eastern Branch headquarters in Kinston--the primary emergency operation center (EOC) for Isabel.

"Ham radio has been very busy throughout the storm," Langley said. He noted that the Eastern Branch EOC operated with a staff of six, with two on duty for two days or more and the others taking turns. "It's been a pretty busy process."

NC4EB participated in the statewide Tarheel Net on 75 meters, which backed up logistical communication between the state and county and local EOCs, and sometimes provided a primary link when government communication systems went down. Langley said telephone and power were "spotty at best" in many areas of Eastern North Carolina.

(Photo courtesy of NOAA)

In Virginia, Section Emergency Coordinator Tom Gregory, N4NW, said he had plenty of volunteers in the early going but could have used more as the emergency wore on. "A few did a lot," he summed up. Power outages were widespread in Virginia, and Gregory himself was running an emergency generator. Ground already wet from previous rainfall caused trees to topple, too, and that included several that uprooted and landed across Gregory's driveway. He urged all involved in Amateur Radio emergency communication to install emergency power systems in their homes and on their repeaters.

Amateurs also supported American Red Cross and Salvation Army relief operations in Virginia. Virginia SM Carl Clements, W4CAC, reported that Tidewater Area amateurs deployed at Red Cross shelters set up in schools. "Amateur Radio is the only way for the shelters to get in touch with one another," Clements said. Hams were handling some health-and-welfare traffic for shelter clients. "It's a true disaster," Clements said.

The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN), handled health-and-welfare inquiries via its SATERN Net on 14.265 MHz and via its Web site <http://www.satern.org>.

ARES teams in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey also activated for Isabel. The storm made itself known as far north as Southern New England and as far west as Eastern Ohio.

It’s great to see the amateur radio community rising to the challenge when disaster strikes!

(Thanks to the ARRL Letter, Vol. 22, No. 37, for providing much of the information in this article.)

(Photo of the Hurricane Isabel from space courtesy of NASA)