HAM Hurricane Exercise  May 16, 0830-1200 hours

If you are a licensed HAM operator and are interested in helping us test our HAM communications infrastructure using a landfalling hurricane scenario, then please reach out to Dave Davis (WA4WES) at davedavis1@embarqmail.com

1. Situation

   1. A category 3 storm will make landfall about 0830 hours on Saturday 16  at Panama City.  

   2. It will move in a north-northeasterly direction to be east of Dothan by 1000 hours.

   3. It will then move north easterly to be overly Albany by 1100 hours where it will stay, dumping several inches of rain, causing the Flint River and other streams to flood.

   4. The Tallahassee office of the NWS will ask amateur radio operators within its jurisdiction to send it weather and storm damage reports

2. Exercise objectives.

   1. Can amateur radio operators through the Florida Panhandle, southeastern Alabama, and southern Georgia send weather/damage reports to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee in a timely and efficient manner.

3. Mission

   1. Amateur Radio Operators within the jurisdiction of the Tallahassee office of the  National Weather Service will make weather and storm damage observations and send them to that office from 0900 hours eastern time to 1200 hours. On Saturday May 16, 2020.

4. 3.  Execution- How this will be done.

   1. Exercise nets will open at 0830 hours (eastern time) on the following frequencies:

      1. 3.955 MHz

      2. 147.03 MHz (PL 94.8)

      3. SAR net

   2. Stations can also use Winlink.

      1. Address message traffic to WA4WES@winlink.org

   3. Net Control Stations will use the WX4TAE call sign

   4. Stations with weather/observation reports will contact the net control and give it their report using the following format

      1. Name/callsign

      2. Time of Observation

      3. Location of Observation

      4. Weather information

         1. Windspeed

         2. direction

      5. Damage observed

   5. Net Control Stations will enter the reports on NWSChat, using the private chat room for Lauren Nash. To start a private chat, double click the user's name on the right side of the screen. A new tab in NWSChat will appear. Type your report in the text box and hit enter. 

   6. The NWS will provide hourly weather reports starting at 0900.  These reports will be on NWSchat

      1. Net Control stations will relay the weather report to stations that have checked into their nets.

   7. Guidance for stations participating in the exercise.

      1. Stations participating in the exercise are encouraged to  generate exercise messages consistent with the weather reports for their areas. 

      2. Each station is encouraged to send one or two messages to the NWS office using the most reliable means available at the time.

      3. Messages should be spread out so as not to create too much confusion and overburden the NWS .

      4. The idea of this exercise is to see if hams can pass weather information to the Tallahassee NWS using one or more radio means.  There are no tricks or surprises deliberately built into the problem play.  The exercise as outlined above will present enough challenges.

      5. If the 3.955 MHZ frequency shuts down, the alternate frequency of 7.242 MHz will be used

5. If problems arise that need some guidance, e-mail Dave Davis WA4WES at davedavis1@embarqmail.com