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For more information
Allen G. Pitts, W1AGP
Media and Public Relations Manager
ARRL
Newington, CT 06111
(860) 594-0328
apitts@arrl.org
Newington, CT, Nov. 16, 2006 --Just weeks after assisting in hurricane relief efforts along the Gulf Coast and in Florida, Amateur Radio volunteers this week responded to yet another series of weather emergencies. Kentucky had 4 confirmed touchdowns in Marshall and Hopkins Counties and the towns of Earlington, Madisonville, Benton and Sharps. In Hopkins County alone there were 26 injuries with more expected as Search and Rescue teams scour the region to find survivors. Twenty two more people injured and one confirmed death were reported in Marshal County.
A tornado was tracked from Dawson Springs KY through Owensboro KY into SE Indiana. According to the Deputy EMA Director for Hopkins County, Frank Wright, information coming to the center is sketchy thus far. Amateur Radio was the only reliable communications they had for several hours at critical times during the events due to power outages and damage to the regular phone systems.
While the storms damaged normal electric and phone services throughout the region, the hams were able to quickly establish interlocking radio communications networks. The skills they use in their "hobby" are the same skills which allow them to set up an emergency radio station with voice and digital capabilities in minutes.
The hams' District Emergency Coordinator, Nick Nailey, KG4URI, reported that Amateur Radio Emergency Service and RACES teams were deployed throughout Hopkins County and operated under a state of emergency. He estimates that at the height of the event 20 to 30 Amateur Radio stations were involved in providing critical emergency communications throughout the area.
In addition to being called upon to provide immediate ground observations to the National Weather Service, hams also had the state EOC on the air to get emergency information in and out of the affected areas. The amateur station WX4NWS, located at the Louisville National Weather Service, was active Tuesday afternoon and evening contacting the counties in southern Indiana and Kentucky as they tried to keep up with the rapidly developing storms. The hams report that at times, new tornado warnings came faster than people could reset their alert receivers.
The Town of Benton, KY had severe damage to a mobile home park and reported one death as a mobile home burned with one victim trapped inside.
