WX4NHC ANNOUNCEMENT
Released August 27, 2006, 9 AM EDT
ERNESTO BECOMES THE FIRST HURRICANE OF THE SEASON EARLY THIS MORNING.
WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami
will activate operations Sunday, August 27th at 12 Noon EDT (1600z) as
HURRICANE ERNESTO is approaching Haiti. We anticipate continuing operations
during the track through the Cuba and eventual approach to the Florida Keys,
South Florida peninsula and the Florida Panhandle later this week.
"Ernesto could become a potentially dangerous hurricane as it moves across
the northwestern Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico", according to Dr.
Jack Bevin, NHC Hurricane Forecaster. "Up to 12 inches of rain are possible
in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic."
Although Hurricane Ernesto is now a Category-1 with winds of 75 MPH, Ernesto
is forecast to gain strength as it approaches Cuba tomorrow and become even
stronger after it passes over Cuba, possibly up to a Category-3, when it
approaches the Gulf Coast of Florida by the end of this week.
The "Cone of Uncertainty" still includes most of South Florida and the
Florida Keys.
There are many constantly changing atmospheric variables that affect the
storm's track and strength.
Please refer to the National Hurricane Center Advisories for official
information. www.nhc.noaa.gov <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>
WX4NHC will be providing back-up communications for NHC using Amateur Radio
to the NWS Field Offices and other governmental agencies located in the
affected area via HF, VHF and VOIP modes. We ask the all NWS Field Offices
in the affected have an Amateur Radio Station equipped with battery backup
in operation for backup communications to NHC and NWS. During Hurricane
Katrina, Ham Radio was the only means of communications between NHC, NWS
Regional and the Slidell NWSFO (W5SLA) for over 6 hours. Vital information
was passed during the peak winds of 138 MPH in addition to NWS personnel,
building damage and equipment status.
WX4NHC will be monitoring the Hurricane Watch Net www.hwn.org
<http://www.hwn.org/> on 14.325 MHz.
Secondary HF frequencies will be 7.268 MHz and 3.950 MHz +/- QRM, should
propagation on 20 meters goes out.
EchoLink WX-Talk Conference Room and IRLP node 9219 will also be monitored.
www.voipwx.net <http://www.voipwx.net/>
WX4NHC will also monitor CWOP, APRS and MADIS/MESONET Automated weather
stations in the affected area.
Surface Reports using our Hurricane Report form will be monitored.
Amateur Weather Enthusiasts and ON-NHC Volunteers may report directly to
WX4NHC on-line.
http://www.wx4nhc.org/WX-form1.html
ON-NHC Volunteers are both Ham Radio Operators and Non-Ham weather observers
that use their own weather instruments to submit "Surface Reports" directly
to NHC over the Internet via the WX4NHC on-line report form. These "Surface
Reports" are very important as they give Hurricane Specialists at NHC a
better idea of what is actually happening on the ground level during the
storm.
The WX4NHC Group continues to expanded its efforts to increase the quantity
and quality of surface reports to include many different modes of reception
and groups of people; including HF, VHF/UHF IRLP & ECHOlink, VHF & HF APRS,
CWOP NOAA Program, CARMEN Program and ON-NHC Weather Observers Network.
(see our web site for more information on these programs): www.wx4nhc.org
<http://www.wx4nhc.org/>
WX4NHC is very proud to have maintained an active Amateur Radio Station at
the National Hurricane Center for the past 26 years.
We appreciate all of the volunteers who help with our efforts.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Julio Ripoll Architect WD4R
WX4NHC Amateur Radio Asst. Coordinator
www.wx4nhc.org <http://www.wx4nhc.org/>
National Hurricane Center
www.nhc.noaa.gov
Released August 27, 2006, 9 AM EDT
ERNESTO BECOMES THE FIRST HURRICANE OF THE SEASON EARLY THIS MORNING.
WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami
will activate operations Sunday, August 27th at 12 Noon EDT (1600z) as
HURRICANE ERNESTO is approaching Haiti. We anticipate continuing operations
during the track through the Cuba and eventual approach to the Florida Keys,
South Florida peninsula and the Florida Panhandle later this week.
"Ernesto could become a potentially dangerous hurricane as it moves across
the northwestern Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico", according to Dr.
Jack Bevin, NHC Hurricane Forecaster. "Up to 12 inches of rain are possible
in Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic."
Although Hurricane Ernesto is now a Category-1 with winds of 75 MPH, Ernesto
is forecast to gain strength as it approaches Cuba tomorrow and become even
stronger after it passes over Cuba, possibly up to a Category-3, when it
approaches the Gulf Coast of Florida by the end of this week.
The "Cone of Uncertainty" still includes most of South Florida and the
Florida Keys.
There are many constantly changing atmospheric variables that affect the
storm's track and strength.
Please refer to the National Hurricane Center Advisories for official
information. www.nhc.noaa.gov <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>
WX4NHC will be providing back-up communications for NHC using Amateur Radio
to the NWS Field Offices and other governmental agencies located in the
affected area via HF, VHF and VOIP modes. We ask the all NWS Field Offices
in the affected have an Amateur Radio Station equipped with battery backup
in operation for backup communications to NHC and NWS. During Hurricane
Katrina, Ham Radio was the only means of communications between NHC, NWS
Regional and the Slidell NWSFO (W5SLA) for over 6 hours. Vital information
was passed during the peak winds of 138 MPH in addition to NWS personnel,
building damage and equipment status.
WX4NHC will be monitoring the Hurricane Watch Net www.hwn.org
<http://www.hwn.org/> on 14.325 MHz.
Secondary HF frequencies will be 7.268 MHz and 3.950 MHz +/- QRM, should
propagation on 20 meters goes out.
EchoLink WX-Talk Conference Room and IRLP node 9219 will also be monitored.
www.voipwx.net <http://www.voipwx.net/>
WX4NHC will also monitor CWOP, APRS and MADIS/MESONET Automated weather
stations in the affected area.
Surface Reports using our Hurricane Report form will be monitored.
Amateur Weather Enthusiasts and ON-NHC Volunteers may report directly to
WX4NHC on-line.
http://www.wx4nhc.org/WX-form1.html
ON-NHC Volunteers are both Ham Radio Operators and Non-Ham weather observers
that use their own weather instruments to submit "Surface Reports" directly
to NHC over the Internet via the WX4NHC on-line report form. These "Surface
Reports" are very important as they give Hurricane Specialists at NHC a
better idea of what is actually happening on the ground level during the
storm.
The WX4NHC Group continues to expanded its efforts to increase the quantity
and quality of surface reports to include many different modes of reception
and groups of people; including HF, VHF/UHF IRLP & ECHOlink, VHF & HF APRS,
CWOP NOAA Program, CARMEN Program and ON-NHC Weather Observers Network.
(see our web site for more information on these programs): www.wx4nhc.org
<http://www.wx4nhc.org/>
WX4NHC is very proud to have maintained an active Amateur Radio Station at
the National Hurricane Center for the past 26 years.
We appreciate all of the volunteers who help with our efforts.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Julio Ripoll Architect WD4R
WX4NHC Amateur Radio Asst. Coordinator
www.wx4nhc.org <http://www.wx4nhc.org/>
National Hurricane Center
www.nhc.noaa.gov
