SKYWARN Newsletter #200

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Hello to all...

SKYWARN Training Update...

SKYWARN Activation Report 12/25/02...

SKYWARN Self-Activation Report 1/3-1/4/03...

NOAA WX Radio Marine Transmitter in Glocuester, Mass. On the Air...

Emergency Communications Workshop Announced...

ARRL Letter: Hams Take On Snowstorm, Flood Duty in Eastern US

ARRL Letter: Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference Looks Ahead to Stormy WX...

Newsletter Issued: 3/2/03.

SKYWARN Training Update...

The following is an update to the SKYWARN training schedule as a couple

of additional sessions have been added. More sessions are hoped to be

added over the next few weeks. This schedule can also be seen at:

http://users.rcn.com/trsched.htm

The following is an update on SKYWARN training for year 2003. Further

updates will be posted as needed.

03/31/2003 6:30-9:30PM Monadnock Regional High School

Mon. 600 Old Homestead Highway

East Swanzey, NH

Directions Obtained at: http://www.nhom.org/maps/swanzey.html

04/1/2003 7-10 PM Pomfret Community School

Tues. 20 Pomfret Street

Pomfret Center, CT

04/3/2003 7-10PM Rocky Hill Fire Departement HQ/Co. #3

Thurs. 3050 Main Street

Rocky Hill, CT

04/05/2003 Noon-3PM Falmouth Town Hall

Thurs. Falmouth, MA

04/28/2003 6:30-9:30PM Walpole, NH Town Library

Mon. Walpole, NH

04/29/2003 7-10PM Sturdy Memorial Hospital

Tues. Rice-Webb Auditorium

Attleboro, MA

05/3/2003 Noon-3PM Newport Public Library

Sat. 300 Spring Street

Newport, RI

05/7/2003 7-10PM Plymouth Community Intermediate School

Wed. 117 Long Pond Road

Plymouth, MA

05/8/2003 7-10PM Walpole Town Hall/Senior Center

Thurs. Walpole, MA

05/17/2003 7-10PM Wilbraham Middle School Auditorium

Sat. 466 Stony Hill Road

Wilbraham, MA

05/19/2003 7-10PM Nashua City Hall

Mon. 229 Main Street

Nashua, NH

06/10/2003 6:30-9:30PM Nantucket Fire Department EOC

Tues. 131 Lower Pleasant Street

Nantucket, MA

SKYWARN Activation Report 12/25/02...

SKYWARN was activated formally on Christmas Day 2002 as a powerful

storm affected the region with a heavy wet snow in combination with

strong winds to cause some infrastructure damage along with heavy

accumilations of snow. The storm began across the region during the

late morning and early afternoon hours of Christmas and began to

pick up in intensity by mid-late afternoon.

NWS Taunton Operations were activated for 5 PM. Delilah Maldonado-KB1IQC,

Mike Leger-N1YLQ and I activated the station. Reports of snowfall of

3-6" with higher amounts of up to 10" were reported across portions

of Central and Western Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire as

we initially started the activation. Winds picked up across the area

and the wind in combination resulted in infrastructure damage

(trees and power line damage) across the area partiuclarly in

Worcester County and also parts of Norfolk and Hampden Counties.

The IRLP link was established between the Monson, Mass. Repeater and

the 448.175 Framingham Repeater and then later moved to the

Scituate, Mass. Repeater. Ray Weber-KA1JJM, Eric Tuller-N1QKO and Jim

Bernotas-N1VMH were all active running nets across Western

Massachusetts on the 146.94 Mount Tom and 146.985-Greenfield Repeaters.

The link also allowed us to contact Connecticut SKYWARN including Roger

Jeanfaivre, K1PAI, via the link as SKYWARN was active on the 147.000

Soapstone Mountain CT Repeater. N1KKY-Tom Pratt was active on the

145.37 Templeton Repeater and also relayed snowfall reports from

Cheshire County, NH where Bruce Bohannon-WA1YZN was active on the

146.805-Keene, NH Repeater. SKYWARN was activated on the 146.97-Paxton

and the 146.925 Worcester Repeaters through the efforts of N1PJ-PJ in

West Boylston, Mass. Bob Smith-K1ODW had SKYWARN activated on the 146.64

Waltham Repeater. The 146.895-Walpole Repeater was active through the

efforts of Dave Doe-K1HRV and Roger Turner-W1ZSA.

Through PJ's net control on the 146.97-Paxton Repeater, damage reports

received included a tree down blocking Route 16 in Mendon, Mass. at

5:38 PM with trees and wires down at 5:39 PM in Sutton, Mass. Trees

were down in Oxford, Mass. at 5:54 PM along with 4" Tree limbs and wires

down in Shrewsbury, Mass. Wires were down on Southville Road in

Southboro, Mass. at 5:59 PM. Also reported in this timeframe were

thunderstorms that contained very heavy snow. This might have allowed

for stronger winds to get down to the surface and cause the damage along

with the weight of the heavy wet snow that was caked on to the trees and

power lines. PJ continued net control through late evening with reports

of snowfall across Worcester County obtained.

Roger-W1ZSA and Dave-K1HRV received snowfall reports throughout the

evening and assisted by obtaining damage reports along with snowfall

reports. At 5:45 PM, trees and wires were down in Walpole, Mass

at 5:59 PM. Power outages were reported in Norwood, Mass along with

4-5 large branches down in Sharon, Mass.

Bob Smith-K1ODW received reports of snowfall through the evening along

with reports of trees and wires down in Hopkinton, Mass. along with a

tree down in Upton Mass. Damage was caused by wind in combination

of the heavy snow and the reports were from 7:30 PM that evening.

Over the IRLP linked system between the Scituate, Mass. Repeater and

the Monoson, Mass. repeater reports of a 46 MPH wind gust in Norwell,

Mass. were received along with a report of wires down in Scituate

Mass at 9:45 PM thate evening.

Snowfall reports were receieved from Hillsborough County NH via the

443.350 Pack Monadnock Repeater. Snowfall reports of 10-14" were

received with near whiteout conditions in very heavy snow during the

late evening hours. WA1VQP-Ken in Nashua, NH helped to collect reports

in Hillsborough County, NH.

Across South Coastal Massachusetts and Cape Cod and the Islands, winds

increased with Frank Laughlin, WQ1O reporting wind gusts measured up

to 52 MPH in Marstons Mills, Massachusetts. With the storm beginning

to wind down and the late time in the evening, the formal part of

the SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton was secured at

11:30 PM but nets remained self-activated across South Coastal

Massachusetts and the Cape and Islands due to strong winds.

At 1:20 AM, multiple power poles were blown down in New Bedford

with Wires Down in Sandwich, Mass at 2:02 AM. At around 1:45 AM,

a wind gust to 60 MPH was reported at Frank Laughlin's location in

Marstons Mills, Massachusetts.

Final snowfall amounts were 8-14" across Western and Northern

Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. There was 2-6" of snow

across much of the rest of Connecticut, Rhode Island and

Eastern Massachusetts away from the coast from this event.

Special thanks to all those who assisted in this SKYWARN Activation

during one of the biggest holidays of the year. The amount of support

and reports were received given the holiday was fantastic and again

thanks to all for their tremendous support.

SKYWARN Self-Activation Report 1/3-1/4/03...

SKYWARN was self-activated across Western, Central and Northeastern

Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire as heavy snow fell across

much of this region with 10-24" of snow falling across much of this

coordior and 5-10" falling across portions of Northern CT, Northern

RI and interior Southeast Massachusetts north and west of the Boston-

Providence area with just 1-3" of snow and mostly rain falling from

Boston-Providence South and east through the Cape and Islands.

SKYWARN was also self-activated for coastal flooding across north and

east facing beaches of East Coastal Massachusetts where Coastal Flood

Warnings were posted during the Saturday January 4th midday high tide.

A series of reports were received by Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters

on the coastal flooding. Peter-N1ACT had several repors from Marblehead

including large boulders washing onto Marblehead Causeway at 10:20 AM,

Devereaux Beach Closed due to flooding, the Marblehead Causeway being

closed at 10:50 AM and a house on 147 Front Street evacuated due to

coastal flooding at 11:48 AM. In Swampscott, Mass, part of a seawall

collapsed on Blodgett Avenue.

SKYWARN was active on the 145.23-Boston Repeater and 146.64 Waltham

Repeaters where KB1EKN-Mark Duff, Hingham Emergency Management

Director was on 145.23-Boston with RACES stations in the town of Hull,

Massachusetts. Bill Ricker, N1VUX, assisted on both the Boston and

Waltham Repeaters obtaining coastal flood and final snowfall amounts

from the storm. At 11:55 AM, Nantasket Avenue was closed due to

coastal flooding with a small evacuation ordered in Scituate, Mass. and

with several coastal roads closed due to coastal flooding in Scituate

and Cohasset. At 12:30 PM, there were 4 small electrical fires

caused by coastal flood waters. Flooding slowly started receeding

across the Hingham and Hull area as high tide receeded.

Across the Cape and Islands, Frank Laughlin, WQ1O, reported that in

Chatam, Mass. at 12:40 PM. Bradford and Rider Streets were flooded

from Coastal Flooding. At 1:20 PM, Salt Pond Road and Linnell Roads

were flooded. No damage to structures were reported in this flooding.

The SKYWARN Self-Activation was secured for coastal flooding and

final snowfall reports in Eastern Massachusetts at 2PM.

NOAA WX Radio Marine Transmitter in Glocuester, Mass. On the Air...

A NOAA WX Radio Marine Transmitter, the first on the East Coast of

the US is now on the air from The US Coast Guard Tower in Glocuester,

Massachusetts. A ceremony was held at the Cape Ann Historical Society

on Tuesday February 18th which was the day after the President's Day

Snowstorm. Despite the dig out from the storm, the ceremony went well

with quite a few dignitaries still present. Mike Neilsen, W1MPN,

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator and I went

to the ceremony. SKYWARN received additional mention at the ceremony

for support given during the President's Day Snow Storm.

The new marine transmitter is on a frequency of 162.425 MHz and will

broadcast the following information:

-Coastal Waters Forecasts

-Offshore Marine Forecasts

-Hourly Buoy Observations

-Hourly Land Observations (Concentrating on Coastal locations)

-Tide Information

-Severe Thunderstorm, Tornado and Flash Flood Warnings for the

following counties:

-Rockingham County NH, Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Plymouth,

and Barnstable Counties in Massachusetts.

-Short Term Forecasts for Coastal and Marine Zones

-Coastal Flood Watches/Warnings/Statements

-Tropical Storm/Hurricane Advisories from the Tropical Prediction Center

-Hurricane Local Statements

-Special Marine Warnings

The coverage area of the transmitter extends from Provincetown, Mass.

Through much of the offshore coastal waters and covers much of East

Coastal Massachusetts from Plymouth through Southern New Hampshire

and parts of Southern Maine. Amateur Operators including Jeff Arnold,

N1FWV of Peabody, Mass. and Carl Black, W1PV, of Provincetown, Mass.

gave signal reports when the transmitter was in a test stage in early

February. Special thanks to Jeff and Carl for their efforts.

A press release on the transmitter can be seen at the following URL:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/pa/NWRGloucester2-20-03.html

Emergency Communications Workshop Announced...

The following is an announcement of an Emergency Communications

Workshop in Sandwich, Massachusetts on Cape Cod for Saturday

March 29th, 2003. This workshop is being put on by Eastern

Massachusetts ARES.

Emergency Communications Workshop on Cape Cod...

Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Workshop Saturday March 29th,

2003:

There will be an Emergency Communications Workshop on Saturday

March 29th, 2003 from 8:45 AM-3:00 PM at the Oak Ridge Elementary School

in East Sandwich, Massachusetts. This session is being put on by the ARES

Section Staff and Frank Laughlin, WQ1O, District Emergnecy

Coordinator for Cape Cod ARES.

This Emergency Communications Workshop will provide the background and

information to serve Amateur Radio Operators when they need to respond

to a communications emergency. It will feature an Introduction and

Conclusion to Emergency Communications, and five 1-hour training

sessions on topics including:

Overview of Eastern Massachusetts ARES-RACES-SKYWARN Programs

Net Operations and Basic ICS

NTS Traffic Message Handling

Go Kits

Interactive Exercises on Field Operations

This training will also feature a 1 hour lunch that will be provided at

no coerced cost to any Amateur who attends the session.

The presentations will be given by other Amateur Operators well versed

in the topics listed above. The training will be a worthwhile endeavor

not just for emergency communicators but for anyone who is an amateur

radio operator, and wants to learn more about the hobby.

Preregistration is requested but is not required in case anyone would

like to attend at the last minute. If you preregister, please try to

do so by Monday March 24th, 2003 so that we can get an approximate

head count. We will, however, accept any preregistrations after that

day or any walk-ins as long as space permits.

Directions to the Oak Ridge Elementrary School:

Take Route 6 Eastbound and Get off at Exit 3. Go South on Quaker

Meeting House Road. The school is less than a 1/2 mile on your

left.

For any additional information and to preregister for the workshop,

please contact:

W1MPN, Mike Neilsen by email w1mpn@arrl.org

W3EVE, Steve Schwarm by email w3eve@amsat.org

WQ1O, Frank Laughlin by email wq1o@attbi.com

KD1CY, Rob Macedo by email rmacedo@rcn.com

This training should be a worthwhile endeavor for anyone interested in

learning more about emergency communications and amateur radio in

general.

ARRL Letter: Hams Take On Snowstorm, Flood Duty in Eastern US

The following ARRL Article highlights the President's Day Snowstorm

efforts by Aamteurs from Massachusetts through the Washington DC

area and touches on flood duty that occurred in the rains from last

weekend. Mark Rubin, WB1ARZ, from Worcester RACES is featured in this

article.

==>HAMS TAKE ON SNOWSTORM, FLOOD DUTY IN EASTERN US

Amateurs in the Eastern US this week responded after heavy snow in some

regions and icy conditions and flooding in others knocked out and

disrupted communications in several states.

In Kentucky, Section Emergency Coordinator Ron Dodson, KA4MAP, reported

that northern and central Kentucky was under ice and snow February 17 as a

result of precipitation over the weekend. Dodson said the City of

Lexington and Fayette County were hardest hit. At one point, some 65,000

customers were reported without power after ice-laden tree branches felled

utility lines. At week's end, Dodson reported that work was continuing on

power restoration in Lexington and Fayette County, where about 30,000

remained without power.

Lexington-Fayette County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) teams

activated February 16 to provide communication support for road crews,

power crews and at four shelters set up at American Red Cross and

Salvation Army offices for those without heat due to the power outages.

Dodson said Amateur Radio was providing links on VHF and UHF between all

field operations and the local Emergency Operations Center in Lexington as

well as with the state EOC in Frankfort, Kentucky's capital.

"We have flooding occurring in southern and eastern portions of the state

where all the precipitation fell as rain," Dodson said earlier this week.

Many area highways were closed due to high water.

Paintsville-Johnson County Emergency Coordinator John Hager, N4KJU,

reported that ARES activated February 16 after meeting with local

emergency managers. Fifteen ARES members responded, and activation on VHF

provided communication for the fire department and rescue squad when

commercial power was interrupted for about five hours. Hams were deployed

at all 10 county fire departments and at the EOC.

Dodson said the ARES response gave the Lexington Fayette Urban County

Government "an up-close-and-personal look at Amateur Radio and how they

can benefit from it." Dodson praised amateurs who participated despite

having troubles of their own at home that included no power, frozen pipes

and trees covered with ice.

In the Washington, DC, area--which received more than two feet of

unwelcome and unusual snowfall--virtually all travel was reported

paralyzed. Prince George's County, Maryland, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency

Service (RACES) was activated to assist in picking up and delivering

dialysis patients to and from local facilities as well as providing other

needed transportation assistance. Murray Green, K3BEQ, reports that the

county EOC was activated, and Deputy Radio Officer, Frank Scott, K3HDM,

took the reins as net control station. Primary communication was via VHF

repeaters.

In Northern New Jersey, ARES and SKYWARN activated 15 SKYWARN nets that

garnered 173 checkins during the storm, said Section Emergency Coordinator

Steve Ostrove, K2SO. In all, reports were logged from nine New Jersey

counties as well as two in New York and one in Pennsylvania. Hams put in

nearly 70 work-hours.

In Ohio, Section Manager Joe Phillips, K8QOE, reports that hams responded

to weather emergencies throughout the day February 16. Phillips said the

Ohio Single Side Band Net (OSSBN) was called into an emergency session by

Assistant Section Manager Connie Hamilton, N8IO, and Ohio Section

Emergency Coordinator Larry Rain, WD8IHP.

"Icy streets and falling snow clogged roads and ice covered trees striking

power lines caused power outages throughout Ohio," Phillips said. "The

OSSBN moved emergency traffic and kept Ohio hams in constant contact with

the Ohio Emergency Management Agency." He said in the Dayton area, Amateur

Radio operators with four-wheel drive vehicles stood by to transport

essential personal such as medical personnel to their jobs.

In New England, which is much more used to heavy snowfalls, the newly

formed Worcester Emergency Communications Team (WECT) in central

Massachusetts activated a net at the request of Worcester emergency

management officials. The net ran most of Presidents' Day--when the

majority of the snow fell in the region. "The activation gave us a chance

to test our capabilities and explore both our strengths and weaknesses in

terms of emergency communications," said Worcester ARES EC and City RACES

Officer Mark Rubin, WB1ARZ.

Rubin said the team set up a VHF station at the Worcester EOC. At one

point, he and another WECT member were atop the EOC roof in blizzard

conditions setting up a 5/8-wave antenna. More than two feet of snow fell

in some parts of Southern New England.

ARRL Letter: Amateur Radio Hurricane Conference Looks Ahead to Stormy WX...

The following ARRL Letter article highlights the Amateur Radio Hurricane

Conference held in Miami Florida earlier this past week.

==>AMATEUR RADIO HURRICANE CONFERENCE LOOKS AHEAD TO STORMY WEATHER

The upcoming 2003 hurricane season was the focus earlier this month as

Amateur Radio volunteers, the National Hurricane Center's W4EHW Amateur

Radio Group, representatives of the Hurricane Watch Net and emergency

officials gathered for the eighth annual Amateur Radio Hurricane

Conference. Among the approximately 50 attendees February 1 at the

National Hurricane Center (NHC) <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/> in Miami were

representatives from the US as well as from throughout the Caribbean.

"The presentations, post-season analysis and discussions are very helpful

in preparing for the coming hurricane season," said Julio Ripoll, WD4JR,

the NHC's assistant Amateur Radio coordinator.

ARRL Public Service Team Leader Steve Ewald, WV1X, highlighted the latest

news in emergency communication training from ARRL through the Amateur

Radio Emergency Communications courses

<http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html>. He also explained how the federal

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) grant was expanding

opportunities for hams nationwide to take the Level I Amateur Radio

Emergency Communications course. Ewald also discussed how the ARRL Field

Organization serves as a ready resource during emergencies.

National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Coordinator John McHugh, KU4GY,

and Ripoll organized and led the annual event. Among other things, they

brought attendees up to date on the latest news and activities of the

36-member team of Amateur Radio Station W4EHW. The station will adopt a

new call sign, WX4NHC, on June 1 at the start of the new hurricane season.

Ripoll said the new call sign would give "better on-the-air recognition,

as WX is understood to mean weather, and NHC is well-known for National

Hurricane Center."

W4EHW celebrates its 23rd year of continuous service this year. Calling

upon a staff of trained volunteers, the NHC's amateur station activates

during tropical storms or hurricanes and gathers and disseminates

real-time, surface-level weather data from hams and other volunteer

observers. NHC forecasters use the data and information to develop their

forecasts. During the 2002 hurricane season, W4EHW was on the air for more

than 140 total hours, gathering over 300 reports via 20 meters (14.325

MHz) and, for the first time, via the Internet Radio Linking Project

(IRLP) VHF/UHF repeater network. Hurricane Watch Net Manager Mike Pilgrim,

K5MP, told the conference that he expects the HWN to explore the

possibility of accepting hurricane reports via EchoLink in the coming

season.

Hurricane Hunter aircraft pilot Capt Dave Tennesen, NL7MT, told the

conference that he's never without ham radio onboard, and he's been known

to occasionally check into the Hurricane Watch Net during his Hurricane

Hunter flights. "Ham radio serves as a vital backup link to NHC if other

means of communications fail," he said.--information from Julio Ripoll,

WD4JR, and Steve Ewald, WV1X

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)

ARES SKYWARN Coordinator

SEMCARES Emergency Coordinator

Pager #: (508) 354-3142

Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)

Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)

Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)

Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com

http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo

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