08/27/2021

The National Weather Service has forecast that Hurricane Ida is expected to be
a dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the US Gulf Coast on
Sunday. ARRL[1] The National Association for Amateur Radio¿, urges radio
amateurs in, and just outside of, affected areas to prepare themselves and
their property for a potential emergency.

At 1710 UTC on Friday, August 27, messages from the NWS National Hurricane
Center[2] in Miami, Florida indicated the "risk of life-threatening storm surge
inundation is increasing along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Alabama" and that "Ida is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane when it
reaches the northern Gulf Coast on Sunday, and the risk of hurricane-force
winds continues to increase, especially along portions of the Louisiana coast,
including metropolitan New Orleans."

Amateur Radio Emergency Service[3]¿ (ARES¿) volunteers are encouraged to follow
the latest news and information from their local Emergency Coordinator (EC) or
Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC). ARRL Section websites can be found by
visiting www.arrl.org/sections[4]. Local Amateur Radio repeaters are often an
additional source of good information.

Anyone in the path of a storm should heed all local evacuation orders. Review
FEMA's Emergency Supply Checklist[5] and Family Emergency Plan[6]. Radio
amateurs are also encouraged to follow these tips:

o Ensure the safety of yourself and your family before volunteering.
Additionally, radio amateurs should never self-deploy. Follow the lead of your
EC and SEC.
o Charge batteries and have a supply of additional batteries on hand.
o Gather emergency lighting and flashlights.
o If you have a generator, test it. Make sure you have a supply of fuel.
o If you have a ham radio Go-Kit, review its contents.
o Monitor your local repeater for SKYWARN and other emergency nets.
o Keep frequencies clear which are designated for emergency communications.

"Sunday will be 16 years to the day when Hurricane Katrina devastated a large
part of the Gulf Coast," said ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA. "In the wake of
that disaster, upward of 1,000 trained Amateur Radio volunteers provided
emergency communications for served agencies. The American Red Cross, The
Salvation Army, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management
Agency all called on volunteer Amateur Radio operators to provide
communications because of damage, loss, and overwhelmed telephone, cell, and
public safety communications facilities." In Congressional testimony on ham
radio's response to Hurricane Katrina, then ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP
(SK) stated, "The United States absolutely can rely on the Amateur Radio
Service. Amateur Radio provides immediate, high-quality communications that
work every time, When All Else Fails¿.

[1] http://www.arrl.org/
[2] https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
[3] http://www.arrl.org/ares
[4] http://www.arrl.org/sections
[5] https://hwn.org/media/pdf/checklist_2014.pdf
[6] https://hwn.org/media/pdf/Family_Emegency_Plan.pdf

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