A.Hurricane Watch Net

A. Appendix A. Hurricane Watch Net

Contact should be made with the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) to coordinate efforts. They may need to use the SKYWARN Amateur Radio Station to relay ground truth (actual observations) reports into the NWS system.

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) operates in cooperation with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in much the same manner that SKYWARN operates with the National Weather Service Forecast Office, in Gray, ME.

The purpose of the HWN is to:

• Disseminate hurricane advisory information to marine interests, Caribbean Island nations, Emergency Operating Centers (EOC’s) and other interests for the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific as promulgated by the NHC in Coral Gables, Florida.

• Obtain weather information for the NWS from reporting stations who are not part of the routine network of the World Meteorological Organization and forward the information to the NHC.

• Function as a backup communications link for the NHC, EOC's and NWS and other vital interests involved in the protection of life and property before, during and after hurricane events.

• Relay initial hurricane damage assessments to the NHC.

HWN operations normally commence anytime a hurricane is within 350 nautical miles of an inhabited land mass and will continue in operation until the storm is no longer a threat. The net DOES NOT handle health and welfare type communication.

Operation will normally take place on 14.325 MHz +/-, however the operation may shift frequency at the request of stations in the hurricane affected area or to take advantage of shifting propagation conditions.

Priority is given to those stations representing the NWS and emergency management organizations. The net control volunteer of the SKYWARN station should identify that they are located at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Gray, ME when checking into the HWN.

The Dade County, Florida Amateur Radio Public Service Corps operates station W4EHW located in the forecast office of the NHC. Most traffic is passed to this station via the HWN or through a landline computer link to Southern Region, NWS. If these links are not available, SKYWARN may be asked to pass the information via NWS facilities located in the WSFO.

Additional information, such as primary and secondary HWN frequencies, and websites, are listed below:

HWN Website: http://hwn.org

WX4NHC Amateur Radio Station: http://w4ehw.fiu.edu

HF Frequencies:

• 14.325 MHz USB – Primary HF

• 7.268 MHz LSB – Waterway Net (Secondary HF Daytime)

• 3.815 MHz LSB – Caribbean Net (Secondary HF Night)

• 3.950 Mhz LSB – North Florida (Alternate)

• 3940 MHz LSB – South Florida (Alternate)

Echolink / IRLP

• Echolink Conference: “WX-TALK” Node 7203

• Echolink Alternate Conference: “VKEMCOMM”

• IRLP Node 9219, Alternate Node: 9508 or 9123