VoIP Hurricane Net Activation for Hurricane/Post Tropical Cyclone Lee Secured on Saturday 9/16/23 at 200 PM EDT – Atlantic Tropical Update – Sunday 9/17/23 – 930 AM EDT
Hello to all…
The VoIP Hurricane Net activation for Hurricane/Post Tropical Cyclone Lee was secured on Saturday 9/16/23 at 200 PM EDT. The Canadian Maritimes and portions of Downeast Maine were hit hardest by Lee with over 120,000 without power in Nova Scotia Canada, over 35,000 without power in New Brunswick Canada and nearly 95,000 without power in Maine. The highest wind gust recorded was 93 MPH at Long Point Eddy Lighthouse on Grand Manan Island and was a report this net gave to the WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center, and was used in the Saturday 11 AM Advisory. The Halifax Nova Scotia Airport had a 72 MPH wind gust with Lee. In Maine, numerous reports of wind damage were received via email from SKYWARN Coordinators in Maine and sent to WX4NHC via email along with reports from various weather stations in the state of Maine.
In Eastern Massachusetts, tropical storm force conditions occurred on the Cape and Islands with the highest wind gust of 63 MPH recorded in Dennis, Massachusetts, a 60 MPH wind gust recorded in Eastham, MA and a 55 MPH gust with sustained winds of 44 MPH via the M.V. Selkie in Polpis Harbor – Nantucket Island. Isolated pockets of tree and power line damage caused over 3,000 customers to lose power in Massachusetts largely on the Cape and Islands. Several reports from the New England SKYWARN programs were used in the NHC advisories at 8, 11 AM and 5 PM EDT. The report viewer of reports from Lee can be seen at the following link:
https://www.voipwx.net/qilan/nhcwx/list_VOIP_records1?auth=OK
A total of 63 report submissions were sent in over the course of the Lee activation. Thanks to K2DCD-Dennis, KC5FM-Lloyd and KB9LXH-Joe for supporting net control duties during this period. They provided 18 hours of net control volunteer hour duties combined and with Dennis’, Lloyd and the rest of the management team’s preparatory work to contact the regions affected by Lee, its estimated that about 35 total volunteer hours were completed by the net controls and net management team members. We are grateful to the Canadian stations that checked into our net and to those across New England who provided their reports via various means into the VoIP Hurricane Net. We hope power is restored into these areas ASAP.
Elsewhere in the tropics, Tropical Storm Margot is weakening and expected to become post tropical over the open waters of the Atlantic. Tropical Storm Nigel is strengthening and will become a hurricane but remain over the open waters of the Atlantic and no threat to land. A tropical wave is expected to move off the west coast of Africa and has a 40% chance to develop into a tropical depression in 7 days. It will remain in the open Atlantic and no threat to land over this period. This system will be monitored as it develops. Advisories and National Hurricane Center Tropical Weather Outlook information can be seen off the Atlantic Tropical Products menu of the voipwx.net web site, via the voipwxnet Facebook/Twitter feeds or at the National Hurricane Center web site at the following link:
The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will continue to monitor all developments in the Tropics. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!
73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net