VoIP Hurricane Net Activation for Hurricane Helene Secured – Friday AM 9/27/24 at 500 AM EDT/0900 UTC

Hello to all…

The VoIP Hurricane Net secured formal activation for Hurricane Helene on Friday AM 9/27/24 at 500 AM EDT/900 UTC. The net was active for 19 continuous hours of operation. Special thanks to KC5FM-Lloyd, AE4WX-Mark and N1YLQ-Sparky for their Net Control support during this net activation with approximately 80 volunteer hours logged. A total of 88 reports were submitted from the affected area into WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center through Amateur Radio Operators, personal/online weather stations, social media, public safety and other sources. Some of the wind gusts recorded by our net were 103 MPH at Alligator Point, FL, 101 MPH at Wallkula High School in Crawfordville FL, 99 MPH at Dowling Park, FL, Perry FL ASOS 99 MPH, 99 MPH Jennings FL, 96 MPH Gust at Lowndes County Utility Grassypond, 94 MPH in Jasper FL, 82 MPH Gust in Mayo FL, 81 MPH Montgomery GA and 77 MPH in Midway GA. Higher sustained wind speeds and wind gusts likely occurred but the hurricane core tracked through an area with no coastal weather stations at the landfall point. Over 3 million people are without power in an area from Florida to Georgia to South Carolina to North Carolina at the time this message was written. A complete list of the reports received can be seen at the following link:

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

We would like to thank N5OZG-Joe Glorioso, a long time VoIP Hurricane Net supporter, for assisting with getting the Georgia Echolink conference connected to our net as the Hams on that conference provided numerous reports for our net. We also thank all the stations who supported on the net with reports and connections to the affected area of Hurricane Helene. We wish those severely impacted by this hurricane a speedy recovery and we will keep them in our prayers.

While we have Hurricane Issac in the open Atlantic Ocean and another area of disturbed weather in the Atlantic with a high chance of development, no other land area is expected to be impacted by a tropical system over the next several days. The VoIP Hurricane Net management team will closely monitor the progress of Issac and any other development in the Tropics. The VoIP Hurricane Prep Net for Saturday 9/28/24 is canceled due to extended activation for Helene. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

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