SET News
Hurricane ECHO News
Communications Plan:  Statewide

For statewide communications the following frequencies will be used: 3947 kHz LSB Voice ODEN/A Primary) (earlier morning and later afternoon and evening)  Communications Plan:  For statewide communications the following frequencies will be used:  3947 kHz LSB Voice ODEN/A Primary) (earlier morning and later afternoon and evening) 3943 kHz if 3947 kHz is in use  7240 kHz LSB voice ODEN/A Secondary (daytime) 7243 kHz if 7240 kHz is in use  3578.5 kHz USB Digital Keyboard Operations ODEN/D Olivia 4/500 1300 Hz FLDIGI Preferred All frequencies are plus/minus the QRM.  IF YOU DO NOT HEAR THE NET CALL TUNE AROUND - WE MAY NEED TO MOVE! SEMPER GUMBUS!

WINLINK

The use of the WINLINK system is strongly encouraged for message traffic.  The Virginia State Emergency Operations center is WINLINK capable and many VHF RMS gateways are available around the state.  The use of HF WINLINK is encouraged for a more robust infrastructure independent means of messaging if VHF/UHF is not available.  Details, including maps and lists of RMS stations, can be found at: https://www.winlink.org  Client software such as RMS Express and Airmail is free.  Requests of Groups/Individual Participating in the SET

1.Each group/individual to send a message to the SEC indicating participation in the SET.  This may be sent via any means utilizing amateur radio and related services such as MARS or CAP.  The SEC is Ellsworth Neff, K4LXG.  For WINLINKl Message addressing purposes his email is cenk4lxgATomcast.net with a cc: W4VX (or w4vx@winlink.org).
 
For NTS radiograms use:
Ellsworth Neff, K4LXG
37 Freelance Lane
Mt. Crawford VA 22841
540 234 0342

Please include your group name (Isle of Wight ARES), number of participants and best way to contact you with a message.

Simulated Hurricane Echo
What to Expect in the Western Area of Virginia

“West of Richmond, rainfall of 12” to 16” will fall by 9AM.  This will cause area, river and lake/pond flooding.”  If this rainfall begins at 5:00 am, it will mean 12-16” of rain in a 4 hour period (by 9:00 am).  This will be averaging 3 to 4 inches per hour.   This rate will rival or exceed the rainfall recorded in Nelson County Virginia in August of 1969 during the passing of then tropical storm Camille the 3rd strongest hurricane ever recorded to strike the US.  There were around 118 people killed in Virginia.

In the mountainous terrain of SW Virginia, this simulated rainfall will fall upon peaks well over one mile high in Grayson County.  These mountains would then channel the rainfall along huge watershed areas and channel this rainfall into narrow valleys.  Babbling brooks will turn into raging torrents.   Landslides will create impromptu dams where water will backup and then break loose unleashing walls of water.  This debus will catch under bridges and culverts until the mounting pressure rip these obstacles apart sending walls of water down stream.  Not only would we be losing bridges but all low lying roadways would be underwater and closed.  Roadways that pass through steep “cuts” may be closed due to rock, mud and tree slides.

With our event unfolding in real-time, we will be responding during the impact stage of the event and much of what we will be doing is supporting rescue efforts.   Much of the rescue will involve neighbors rescuing neighbors.   Rather than swift water rescue boats, local people would be seen far more often in their fishing boats assisting their neighbors in escaping from rooftops or trees and ferrying them to safety.  Early sheltering might be a nearby home on high ground or a local church that has opened its’ doors to the people from the neighborhood living in low lying areas.  Later there would be the larger shelters with agency support.

Most likely, you would have temporary morgues, hospital ERs filled to overflowing and no large organized feeding programs in effect. 

Communications would experience heavy outages.  Many hardwired phones and power lines will be down due to fallen trees and slides.  Phone use could be overwhelmed due to over capacity conditions.  Cable service will also experience the same outages.  Internet service would be out.  Public service radio relying on microwave tower to tower contact will experience outages just due to the heavy rainfall blocking their signal.  Aside from problems with the heavy rainfall blocking signal path, squads without generator backup will be out of communications service due to power outages. 

This is were we will enter the fray.  I will be sending out-going traffic to hams that are registered from the western area of Virginia.  Many of these messages will require replies.  Some of your messages may be situation reports, Skywarn and Safe and Well, registrations or inquiries.  You may feel free to generate your own traffic or to send simulated traffic generated by your agency representatives.   Be sure you message has THIS IS A DRILL, THIS IS A TEST at the top and bottom of your messages.  See http://www.w4ghs.org/Hurricane-Echo.html for details.  Net controls need to make this announcement frequently “THIS IS A DRILL, THIS IS