Operation Hazel II
October 3, 2009
0900 until 1400
NWS 0800 until 1400
Operation Hazel II an overview
Exercise forms
Message information
Amateur Radio Participants
Registration for Hams or Agencies
Skywarn Information
(New 9/6/2009)
Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief Ministries
Agencies Participation with Communications
Announcements- 8-24-2009
This page was last updated: December 29, 2014
Winlink Address Listing
After Action Review
Now Active ! !
Hazel II Photos
New Photos Posted
Update-10-18-2009
Operation Hazel II,
Exercise Summary Now Complete, Click Here !
Thank you to all that took time from their busy schedule to prepare for and participate in this exercise. I want to express special thanks to owners, trustees and clubs for making available repeater systems, nodes, digipeaters and RMS gateways during this drill. We also appreciate agency personal that participated along with the hams that serviced their agencies during the Simulated Emergency Test. A special thanks goes to the NWS for all their work in providing information and technical detail that allowed for a more realistic scenario.
Everyone should complete an After Action Report so that we can have an overview of what happened both across Virginia and also in sections of North Carolina. To view others "After Action Reports" and later the summary of feedback on the SET go to After Action Summary. If
you took part in this exercise while serving at an agency, you would have handled more traffic per hour than you most likely would ever have to handle in a real disaster. I have served in a number of nationally declared disasters and the intensity of traffic handling does not reach the level that occurred in this drill. The shock and dismay that is associated with the real thing adds to your stress level but traffic handling is traffic handling. Exercises such as this is a huge confidence builder in preparing you for the real thing. Participate in everyone of these type drills that you have an opportunity in order to keep your skills honed. In times of crisis we all tend to revert back to our training. To be active in training exercises gives you a source of help when the real thing happens
More information related to the excise will appear on this website as reports are received.
Additional information can be found on this link covering concerns over the FCC's recent statements on Section 97.113. This deals with operation on behalf of or at an agency that employees you. Guidelines that reflect on these concerns were issued by the ARRL on 9-25-2009 in the form of a study committees' work and further reflection and work by the ARRL Board. This can be viewed by clicking here. This document ("Commercialization of Amateur Radio: The Rules, The Risks, The Issues" )should help to clarify most of the concerns related to this issue.
The scenario will be very similar to Hurricane Hazel that impacted Virginia October 15th of 1954. Our scenario will have the size and intensity of Hurricane Hazel but with a little different path through Virginia. The exact path of this simulated hurricane will be published in bulletins prepared by the NWS Blacksburg office and will be read on Skywarn nets during the exercise. There will also be a map of the projected path of Hazel II posted on this site three days prior to the beginning of the SET. Bulletins will be read on SKYWARN nets prior to the storm impacting Virginia (readings beginning at 8:00 a.m.). Skywarn reports will also be received beginning at 8:00 am. The storm will begin impacting Virginia hurricane force at 9:00 a.m. In the first hour of the exercise, the Skywarn net will be collecting simulated weather information from across the Commonwealth. There will be Skywarn reports coming from NC. Following the first hour (8-9), the NWS will continue to collect damage information and provide updates to different areas as required. SKYWARN will continue to operate throughout the exercise.
Mobilization will also be taking place at the very beginning of the exercise. Both tactical and resource nets will be operational from the early stages of the exercise. Traffic will be handled by a number of different modes. Each jurisdiction would choose their own modes of operation for local nets. For statewide communications we are encouraging the use of long range, VHF/UHF repeater systems, HF voice, HF Winlink and VHF Winlink. The National Weather Services will also be using WXSpots (free software). If you are relying on telephone or cable lines for Internet service the simulation will mean that if phone lines or cable goes down you will have no communications relying on that mode. Therefore you will lose the use of Echolink, IRLP, Winlink locally if relying on VHF Gateways without a satellite connection and WXSpots. Another exception to the loss of the Internet may be those using T-1 lines.
WE WILL ALSO HAVE IRLP OPERATIONAL ON NODE 3569 (146.895) THAT WILL ALLOW ANOTHER AVENUE INTO THE RICHMOND AREA. RICHMOND ACESS CAN BE MADE BY CONNECTING TO NODE 4424. The new node is a part of the K4EZ linked repeater system. When connected you will be heard on 146.895, 146.775, 147.045, 145.27 repeaters.
Skywarn Information- Weather conditions and damage information will be posted on this site for 7 projected lines and hourly time intervals along these lines. This will include the center of the eye, the east and west eye wall, east and west outer extreme for hurricane force winds and east and west line for tropical force winds. These conditions will be sent out 3 days before the exercise. Three days before the drill a projected path map will be displayed on this site. You should be able to take this information and craft your Skywarn reports. The right quadrant of the original Hazel had a much wider wind field than the west quadrant. This simulation will also reflect this as well. All Winlink traffic for the NWS should be directed to N3AO@Winlink.org and voice traffic will call WX4RNK the Skywarn net control.
If you or your agency is interested in participation, click on the "Registration" button above and complete the form and hit "submit" and traffic will be prepared for your location. You or your agency will need to prepare an answer to traffic (messages) sent to your location. If your agency wishes to prepare original outgoing messages, you or your agency are welcome to do so. The "canned" messages are prepared to ensure that we have an adequate flow of traffic to duplicate what the demand may be in a actual event.
If an agency makes a decision to participate, you will not need to dispatch any resources but just allow Amateur Radio communications to be set up at your facilities. If you have permanent ham radio equipment installed you will just need to give the ham radio operators access to the radio area. It would also be good but not required to have an agency person to be with the radio operator. This agency person should fashion a reply to messages addressed to your agency. If an agency is registered the individual hams that will be operating in support of that agency should also register.
This web page will be updated on a regular basis as we approach the SET time.
If you have questions, phone me at 276-398-3548 or email me at w4ghs(AT)arrl.net. Glen Sage, W4GHS
After Action Summary
Now Active !
Information for Agencies
Virginia EOC has withdrawn from the SET..The SET is Still On !
Because of recent opinions coming from the new FCC Enforcement Officer, Laura Smith, and the many uncertainness surrounding these opinions the VEOC and our RACES station will not be participating in any upcoming exercises or SETS including Hurricane Hazel II until we get a better clarification on these issues. This has no reflection on you or your set. You may want to consider these issues and the possible implications that may occur with your operators. Just a thought.
Terry B. Hebert (KG4GLS)
Click on the above button to take you to the Hurricane Hazel II Map.
Historical River Levels
Please email any photos taken from the SET. They will be posted on this site under the Hazel II photos hot link.
