VoIP Hurricane Net Reporting Criteria

The following is the VoIP Hurricane Net Reporting criteria. Please note that WX4NHC may change the reporting criteria based on the Hurricane forecasters’ needs at the National Hurricane Center as required. If that reporting criteria changes, the net control will inform the net accordingly.

-Measured Wind Data
Measured winds sustained or in gusts of 35 MPH or greater. (Also, request a
measured Barometric pressure reading if this criteria is met.)

-US Estimated Wind Criteria

Estimated winds of 35 MPH or greater ONLY if accompanied by wind damage (Trees down, Branches Down, Power/Phone Poles Down, Phone/Cable/Power Lines down, Structural Damage etc. Observers should report the size of trees/branches down and size of Power/Phone Poles down where possible).

-Non-US Estimated Wind Criteria (All non-US locations including such places as Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Mexico, Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico as well as the
Windward/Leeward Islands Caribbean chain, Central America etc.):

Estimated winds of 35 MPH or greater regardless if there is any observable wind damage. (Due to a lack of weather measuring equipment in these areas.)

-Wind Damage Reports (Trees Down, Branches Down, Phone/Cable/Power Lines down Structural Damage etc. Observers should report the size of trees/branches down and size of Power/Phone Poles down where possible))
-Tornadoes and Funnel Cloud activity.

-Measured Rainfall (Minimum of 2″ or greater or 1″ of rainfall in an hour
and any final rainfall amounts.)
-River/Stream Flooding, road washouts, roads closed due to river/stream
flooding or significant urban flooding.
-Coastal Storm Surge Flooding
-Status on Power and Phone Outages, including number of homes/ businesses or area affected. Report should be from city/town/state/Federal EOC, National Weather Service or Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).

CRITERIA NOTES:

-Reports sent into the NHC must be first-hand or relayed reports from other Hams, family/friends, storm blogging sites (such as the stormcarib.com and American WX Forum sites), social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.), EOC’s, public safety radios/scanners/public safety feeds and NOT from the news media, NWS official observing stations or commercial broadcast. Reports from commercial broadcasts, NWS observing stations and the media can be stated on the net but we do not want to forward that information to the National Hurricane Center, as they are already aware of it. For non-United States locations affected by hurricanes, media reports from their countries are acceptable for forwarding since they may not be monitored at the NHC.

-APRS WX Data, Personal Weather Station Weather data etc. can be seen at the NHC through MesoNet but those reports are welcome on the net and can be sent in via the web reporting form unless NHC Amateur Operators state otherwise. There are hundreds to thousands of weather stations to review and the more people monitoring these weather stations, it can provide a key report from the affected area. Please specify that the report is from an APRS/CWOP Weather Station or a Personal Weather Station (PWS) from the weather underground or Davis weatherlink web site, Tempest web site (or other web site) in the report.

-NCO’s will need to make sure that the data is first-hand or are relayed reports from other Hams, family/friends, public safety monitoring, social media, storm blogging web sites (such as American WX Forum and stormcarib.com) and EOC’s (or in the case of a Non-US landfall, the country’s local media station that provided the report) and the source should be stated appropriately in the report. All reports should be as detailed as possible and NCO’s that hear from Hams with weather stations should ask about any damage/flooding etc. in their area so it can be part of the report.