[GA ARES] Are YOU ready?

[John Kraus KC4ZGQ]

Are YOU ready?

This question was asked on one of my email reflectors so I pose it to the 
GAARES list.

The next Atlantic hurricane season begins in June; are we ready?

If you think you are,  ponder this scenario.

Send your answers to the GAARES list so others can benefit from your planning.

June 30 2006
A category 1 hurricane has formed and early estimates project possible 
landfall along the east coast from Ft. Pierce Florida to Charleston South 
Carolina.  Some models project it may veer away and not strike land at all.

EVENT Minus 4  What are you doing now?
    * Check my supply of spare AA's and fuel for the generator.
    * Check and clean and tighten all connections associated with the 
battery bank.
    * Run a load test on the 220 amp hour battery that supplies my station.
    * Calibrate the Trimetric meter that helps me monitor the  battery bank.
    * Perform an equalization charge on the battery bank.
    * Check my coax connections and installation on the 80 meter dipole and 
GAP Titan.
    * Check the guys on my 2 meter vertical and 6 meter Moxon.
    * Check and do a recharge cycle on the installed batteries in the Yaesu 
FT-897.
    * Unpack,  inventory, inspect and repack my go kit.
    * Check expiration dates replacing all AA's that are more than 1 year old.
    * Check all portable and handheld radios to ensure that they have fresh 
batteries.
    * Verify that they all have the same frequencies programmed appropriately.
    * Nothing here is new, I simply repeat my routine bi-monthly checks.

July 1 2006
The storm has strengthened to category 2 and the estimated impact is now 
Charleston south to Daytona.  The models are unclear; it is still possible 
that the storm may veer to the northeast away from land.

EVENT Minus 3   What are you doing now?

    * Check our food supply and list expensive items to eat from the fridge.
    * Create a list of long term storage items to stock up on including pet 
food
    * Go shopping for items above
    * Fill all vehicles with gas
    * Fill propane bottles
    * Fill all portable containers with gas
    * Purchase large quantity of individual water bottles if  not already 
on hand 1 gal/person/day
    * Fill freezer with water bottles after cracking them open to avoid 
bursting
    * Verify with GEMA liaison planned frequencies and fall backs to consider.
    * Do the same with WX4PTC and local EMA and surrounding counties
    * Assess needs of local family members.
    * Establish single point of contact for family information outside 
projected path
    * Purchase any missing post storm supplies like tarps and rope that are 
not already in hand

July 2 2006
The storm has moved closer to land but due to conflicting models the 
potential impact is unchanged. The storm has strengthened slightly and is 
just under Category 3. If the storm does not change course to the northeast 
impact could be as early as late on July 3rd or early on July 4th.

EVENT Minus 2 What are you doing now?
    * Communicate ready status to emergency planners and inspect storm gear
    * Offer assistance to others as needed.
    * Verify operation of APRS IGATE  and Telpac gateway.
    * Verify that backup laptop is also ready if needed.
    * Make a drive image of hard drive from both laptop and desktop.
    * Assist local family members to finish their preparations.


July 3 2006
The storm has increased dramatically in both size and strength it is now a 
strong category 3 with further strengthening predicted.  The models are now 
predicting land fall during the early morning on July 4th from Daytona 
north to Savannah.  Evacuations have been ordered for the entire Georgia 
coast as well as North Florida and southern South Carolina.

EVENT Minus 1  What are you doing now?

    * Finish button up procedures for my house.
    * Create safe spot in pre-designated interior space and stock it with 
needed supplies.
    * Install emergency radio system in safe spot, test installation on 
local VHF / UHF.

July 4 2006
The storm hits the Georgia coast as a category four storm at 0530 
am.  Landfall is just north of the Georgia - Florida boarder.  It follows a 
track that takes it inland across Macon before turning north and passes 
across Atlanta before exiting the state in the afternoon.  Numerous 
tornados are spun off and wide spread destruction has occurred all the way 
north to Atlanta.

EVENT + 10 HOURS It is nearing dusk on the Fourth of July 2006.

What are you doing now?

    * Finishing up putting tarps over damage sustained by my house when a 
tree fell.
    * The hole is covered with a tarp using the ropes.
    * My family is here as well since their houses sustained substantial 
damage.
    * We have several air mattresses for them.
    * Getting ready to eat supper cooked on the gas grill in the back yard.
    * Hamburgers and hot dogs with potato salad and a cold beer.
    * We are eating supper in the house with a single room sealed off and 
cooled by a small window unit air conditioner that runs fine from the 
generator while it charges the batteries.  We listen to 3975 and realize we 
are not the lucky ones we were the prepared ones and we will be 
fine.  Later we will turn off the generator and use a couple of small 
compact fluorescent bulbs running from the battery bank for light.  A small 
fan will run all night from the battery bank as well.  But the A/C will be 
off unless required.

Are you really ready?

No, because I can't control Mr. Murphy however, I will do my best to make 
his job as hard as I can in the hope he will decide to visit someone else.

If not what are  YOU  going to do for the next 16 weeks.  That is only 113 
days.

73 de John Kraus KC4ZGQ
Georgia DEC for Digital Communications
DIGITAL_COMMS_GA at COX.NET

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://gaares.org/pipermail/ares_gaares.org/attachments/20060314/d27594f8/attachment.htm