VoIP Hurricane Net Activation for Major Hurricane Milton Secured Thursday 10/10/24 at 1100 AM EDT – Informal System Monitoring to Occur Through Thursday Evening

Hello to all…

The VoIP Hurricane Net activation for Major Hurricane Milton secured on Thursday 10/10/24 at 1100 AM EDT. Informal system monitoring will occur through Thursday Evening. Also, a reminder that due to the lengthy and overnight activation of the VOIP Hurricane Net for Major Hurricane Milton, the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net for Saturday 10/12/24 is canceled.

We wish to thank the reporting stations and our net controls for their support during this activation that spanned 22 hours. Thanks to AE4WX-Mark, KC5FM-Lloyd, N1YLQ-Sparky, KK7AHR-George, WX9VOR-Debby for their efforts during this activation. It is estimated that over 150 volunteer hours were completed by the net including preparatory activation plans and this activation closure message. We also wish to thank all the sysops of listen only conferences and nodes that were on the system.

Using the VoIP Hurricane Net approach of Amateur Radio reporting stations on the net, social media monitoring, public safety and online weather station monitoring, 120 reports meeting the SKYWARN reporting criteria were passed on the net. Over 3.3 million are without power in the state of Florida. The net received dozens of reports of hurricane force wind conditions with the highest wind gust recorded from a Davis weather station of 109 MPH in Bradenton FL. Numerous reports of tornadoes including some large tornadoes were received by the net via various means as well. The first reports of the roof being blown off Tropicana Field in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg FL area, which was being used to house power company relief resources, was received via Amateur Radio on our net by various means including direct Amateur Radio reporting. Other structural damage, wind damage, flooding from both heavy rainfall and coastal storm surge flooding were received by various means from the net. A listing of all reports that were received can be seen via the VoIP Hurricane Net Report Viewer at the following link:

https://www.voipwx.net/qilan/nhcwx/list_VOIP_records1?auth=OK

We wish the Amateur Radio Operators and the residents well and keep them in our thoughts and prayers with their response and recovery efforts. We appreciate everyone’s support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net