VoIP Hurricane Net – Hurricane Ida Operations Completed On Monday 8/30/21 at 1 AM EDT – Summary of Operations
Hello to all…
The VoIP Hurricane Net activation for Hurricane Ida completed on Monday 8/30/21 at 1 AM EDT/1200 AM CDT. The net handled dozens of reports from stations in the affected area of Hurricane Ida as well as stations with relays into the affected area of Hurricane Ida. A Davis online weather station in Grand Isle, LA recorded a wind gust of 146 MPH before the instrument malfunctioned as Ira roared ashore. The Police Chief in Grand Isle stated a 148 MPH gust occurred which was likely from the same weather station and just wasn’t captured in the online feed from the station. Reports from this weather station as well as another Davis Weather Station oil platform “Dredge Illinois” near Pilottown, LA with a wind gust of 119 MPH were sent into WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center.
Amateur Radio Operators from the N5OZG Repeater system provided constant ground truth from areas in and around the New Orleans area. Joe-N5OZG relayed numerous damage reports to trees, power poles and structures including flood reports. KA5EZQ-Rick in Belle Chasse, Louisiana provided numerous updates from his community during Ida. KI5NMF-Ryan, while working as a firefighter in Hammond, Louisiana, relayed numerous reports of storm damage and storm surge flooding calls that both he and fellow firefighters responded to before conditions were unsafe to respond to such calls. Many other Amateurs on the N5OZG Repeater system provided ground truth into the VoIP Hurricane Net despite dealing with direct and significant impacts to their communities and property and we are forever grateful for their support and the continued partnership we have had with their team since 2008 and Hurricane Gustav. All of these reports were also sent to WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center as well.
Our Amateur Radio Net Controls from across the United States also assisted with reporting and monitoring of weather stations, social media outlets, public safety outlets and reached out to contacts in the affected area to provide reports of storm damage to WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center. Our net controls included KC5FM-Lloyd, K2DCD-Dennis, WX9VOR-Debby, who also assisted with net control scheduling for the operation, K3CFG-Carl, KC8TCQ-Keith, WX0NET-Billy, who despite significant work commitments helped where possible during net operations, N4YKS-Joe (a new Net Control Operator) and KD4CLJ-David. The team did a tremendous job providing a constant data flow for situational awareness.
Reports were sent via our VoIP Hurricane Net web-based reporting form and database system. You can view the reports sent into WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center at the following link:
http://report.voipwx.net/qilan/nhcwx/list_VOIP_records?auth=OK
We appreciate everyone who supported the VoIP Hurricane Net operation for Hurricane Ida. If there are further updates on Hurricane Ida from the affected area or any way we can support the area during Hurricane Ida, we will keep everyone posted. The peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season is not until mid-September. 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