Official Announcements of N0DRC-Dustin Cox and N0UAM-Jim Sellars to the VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team
 
It is important that the VoIP Hurricane Net has enough depth within the Net Management Team that if some members of the Net Management Team are affected by a disaster in their local or regional area, that we have sufficient coverage to maintain the VoIP Hurricane Net to support WX4NHC’s mission to help save lives. This means having enough appointees on the Net Management Team to support the net from a Continuity of Operations perspective. To address this need, I am pleased to announce the appointments of N0DRC-Dustin Cox and N0UAM-Jim Sellars to the VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team.
 
N0DRC-Dustin Cox will be an Assistant Director of Operations and Assistant Net Scheduler for the VoIP Hurricane Net. Dustin is heavily involved in Emergency Communications and is also an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Dustin has memberships within ARES, SKYWARN, Red Cross Disaster Services and the Southern Baptist Amatuer Radio Service (SouthBEARS). Dustin has made significant contributions to the net as a net control station during numerous 2008 VoIP Hurricane Net Activations and has been active in the 2009 VoIP Hurricane Weekly Prep Nets. Dustin is currently living in  Raton, New Mexico where he is active as a local SKYWARN Coordinator for the Raton, New Mexico area.
 
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Hello to all…

Here is the latest update on the Tropics:

Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall in the Florida Panhandle shortly after midnight. Claudette has now weakened to a Tropical Depression and the National Hurricane Center has issued its last advisory on Claudette. Further advisories will be issued by the Hydrometerological Prediction Center (HPC) as Claudette’s remnants make their way further inland.

Bill is now the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Bill is expected to continue to intensify and could become a major hurricane on Wednesday. Bill is expected to remain over the open Atlantic waters not affecting any land areas through the next 5-days.

Ana is currently a weak tropical depression and may dissipate later today as the system is currently very week. If it survives the day, Ana is likely to go over the terrain of Hispaniola and is quite likely to dissipate upon that landfall if that occurs. A Tropical Storm Watch remains in effect for Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, St. Maarten, St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, Guadelope, St. Barthelemy, and the Dominican Repulic from Cabo Engano westward to Cabo Beata.

Thanks very much to folks who were on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 reflector system Sunday Evening and on the weekly prep net Saturday Evening. The VoIP Hurricane Net’s activation threshold is generally for all hurricanes or potentially strong tropical storms with maximum sustained winds of 65 MPH or higher as tropical storms of that magnitude could get to hurricane strength before landfall and could produce category-1 hurricane type damage. Weaker tropical storms do not prompt a formal net but we may have folks monitor the system during those events as personnel allow.

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Hello to all…

After a very slow start to the season, the Atlantic Tropics have become a very busy place in the last week. Yet another Tropical Depression (TD), TD #4 has formed in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. This system organized fairly rapidly overnight and unexpectedly so. Further stregthening is expected and TD #4 is expected to become a tropical storm prior to landfall along the Northern Gulf Coast of Florida. If this occurs as expected, TD #4 would be named Claudette. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from the Alabama/Florida broder eastward to the Suwanee River Florida. The effects of the storm may cover a small area as it is a small system but nonetheless strong winds and heavy rain can be expected near and around the center of the system. At the moment, this system is not expected to reach hurricane strength but the VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will monitor the system closely.

Ana has not intensified overnight and the later forecasts have brought down her intensity and have her tracking over more of the island chain of the Caribbean. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgin Islands, Montseratt, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, St. Maaten, Saba and St. Eustatius. Ana is expected to bring strong winds and rainfall of 2-4″ with isolated 6″ amounts over the higher terrain. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of Ana.

Bill has intensified slightly overnight. Further intensification is expected and Bill is expected to become the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Models have adjusted the track a bit further north so if this holds, Bill is likely to miss the Caribbean islands and stay over the open waters of the Atlantic over the next 5 days but track guidance out to 5 days can change significantly. Therefore, the VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of Bill.

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Hello to all..

The Atlantic Tropics continue to be active. Tropical Depression #3 formed during the midday hours Saturday and has already become Tropical Storm Bill as of the evening advisory. Bill is expected to intensify into a hurricane but remain largely over the open waters of the Atlantic, approaching but staying just east of the northern Leeward islands in 120 hours. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of Bill.

Tropical Storm Ana has maintained its intensity and is expected to slowly intensify. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius with interests in the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico being requested to monitor the progress of Ana. At this time, the latest intensity guidance brings Ana to near but just below hurricane strength with Ana possibly scraping portions of Hispaniolia in about 72 hours as a tropical storm. The track and intensity of Ana remains somewhat uncertain and the VoIP Hurricane Net management team continues to closely monitor Ana’s progress.

A third wave near the Florida Keys and the Southeast Gulf of mexico has had some increase in thunderstorm acitivity but has a low chance (30% or less) of development. This system will also be monitored.

Updates on Ana and Bill and the tropics will be done on the Saturday Evening (in North America) weekly VoIP Hurricane Prep Net at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT/6 PM MT/5 PM PT which is also 0000 UTC/GMT Sunday. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net.

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

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Hello to all…

The first Atlantic Tropical Storm of the season has formed. TD #2 is now Tropical Storm Ana. Ana’s current track and intensity forecast brings her through portions of the Leeward Islands and potentially affecting Puerto Rico as a tropical storm between Monday and Tuesday. A Tropical Storm Watch may be required for the Leeward Islands later today. Ana will then be moving into the Bahamas region some time between Tuesday and Wednesday with the possibility of some impact on Florida by late Wednesday into Thursday. The current intensity forecast keeps Ana a tropical storm during the entire period but there is potential for Ana to become a hurricane in the mid to latter portions of the forecast period. Also, please note that forecasts 3-5 days out have a wide track variance and could change significantly. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will monitor this system closely.

In addition, a large tropical wave in the Central-Eastern Atlantic is becoming better organized and could become Tropical Depression #3. This system will be over the open Atlantic for the next several days. The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor this system as well.

The Atlantic Tropics are becoming more active. Anyone along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts of the US and in Mexico, Central America, Cuba and the Caribbean islands should be monitoring the tropics closely and preparing their plans to protect their home and family and be prepared to relay reports if one of these tropical systems affect your area. Further updates will be posted as needed. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

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

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Hello to all…

Tropical Depression (TD) #2 has formed in the Far Eastern Atlantic. TD #2 is expected to gradually intensify and become the first named tropical storm of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. If that occurs, it will be named Ana. TD #2 is currently projected to track over the open Atlantic waters for the next 5 day/120 hour time period. The latest advisories on TD #2 can be seen off of the main menu on the VoIP Hurricane Net web site at http://www.voipwx.net and can also be seen at the National Hurricane Center web site at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of TD #2. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

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

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Hello to all…

Felicia continues to weaken and is a minimal tropical storm as of this update. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the big island of Hawaii and for all of Maui County including the islands of Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai and Molokai. Tropical Storm Warnings could be issued for part of this watch area later today. Other parts of Hawaiian islands including Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau may require a Tropical Storm Watch later today.

At this time, Felicia is expected to weaken to tropical storm strength and the projected intensity of Felicia is to be either a tropical depression or tropical storm when it reaches the Hawaiian islands. Felicia’s impacts will be felt late Monday Hawaiian time or about 0600-0800 UTC Tuesday in full force with outer rain bands or increased moisure starting up earlier in the day Monday. VoIP Hurricane Net activation appears unlikely at this time as Felicia is expected to be a tropical depression or weak tropical storm but this will continued to be monitored due to the complexities that can occur with intensity forecasting of tropical systems. The latest advisory information from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) on Felicia can be found under the main menu of the voipwx.net web site under Pacific Tropical Products. Also, links to those products are provided below: 

Felicia Public Advisory:
http://kamala.cod.edu/hi/latest.wtpa32.PHFO.html 

Felicia Forecast Discussion:
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Hello to all…

In the Atlantic, it is amazing how things can change in just 12-14 hours. At 8 PM, the Tropical Weather Outlook for the Atlantic had no systems being monitored. That has changed and the latest Tropical Weather Outlook has the National Hurricane Center monitoring a low pressure and tropical wave between the Cape Verde Islands and the coast Africa showing signs of orgnaization and could become a tropical depression over the next couple of days. There is a ‘medium chance’ 30-50% of this occcuring with squally weather possible over the Cape Verde Islands over the next couple of days. If this system forms, it would be the second tropical depression of this young 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. We would have several days to monitor the system as it traverses the open waters of the Atlantic.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management team will closely monitor the progress of this system. Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!
73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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Hello to all…

Hurricane Felicia is about to enter the Central Pacific Ocean and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) area of responsibility. The CPHC is co-located with the NWS Honolulu Hawaii Forecast Office. Felicia is expected to have some level of impact on the big island of Hawaii. Its impact, at this time, is expected to be the impact of a weak tropical storm or tropical depression, however, our knowledge of intensity of tropical systems is limited so Felicia needs to be monitored carefully given its path toward the Hawaiian islands in case she maintains hurricane intensity.

The VoIP Hurricane Net Management Team will closely monitor the progress of Hurricane Felicia. If Felicia manages to maintain hurricane strength as it approaches the Hawaiian islands, the VoIP Hurricane Net will activate and make contact with Hams in the state of Hawaii through IRLP and Echolink. An update on Felicia will be given on the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net this evening as reconnaisance aircraft will be intercepting Felicia later today.

Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

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

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Hello to all..

The April 2009 Net Australia Bushfire Prep Net presentation recording done by Tony Langdon-VK3JED has now been uploaded to the VoIPWXnet web site. The recording and the presentation is available in the VoIP WX Net Presentations archive link off the Main Menu of the web site and have been provided as links below as well:

VoIP Hurricane Net Recording (Approximately 4-Meg in Size): http://www.voipwx.net/files/April_2009_Presentation_Black_Saturday-20090405.mp3

VoIP Hurricane Net Australian Bushfires Power Point Presentation: http://www.voipwx.net/files/Black_Saturday.ppt

VoIP Hurricane Prep Net Training Presentations Archive: http://www.voipwx.net/node/217

Thanks to all for their continued support of the VoIP Hurricane Net!

73,Rob-KD1CY.

Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net

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