Hams Help Continues in Ice Storm Emergency
NEWINGTON, CT, Dec 29, 2000--Ice storms this week have caused power and telephone outages and hazardous driving conditions in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, and more bad weather is being forecast. Amateur Radio Emergency Service nets have been activated on HF and on local repeaters to handle emergency traffic and to support public safety and relief agencies. Several deaths have been attributed to the severe weather.
President Clinton has declared a state of emergency in Oklahoma and Arkansas. At week's end, hundreds of thousands still were without power, and many still had no telephone service--even cellular systems were out. Utility companies were saying it might be a week or longer before power could be restored.
Hams also have been locating and assisting the many stranded motorists. South Texas Section Manager Ray Taylor, N5NAV, says an estimated 200 Texas hams have been pitching in. At one point, ARES members helped with communication after hospital telephones were knocked out; they also got a generator going after one hospital's emergency power system failed.
Hams also have been supporting relief activities of the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Baptist Men's Kitchen as well as state police. The Red Cross has opened shelters to assist those stranded by the inclement weather or left without utilities.
At Taylor's urging, the FCC asked the amateur community to cooperate in recognizing the existence of a voluntary communications emergency and to stay clear of 3870 to 3878 kHz to accommodate the Texas ARES Net. The Net has been on 7285 kHz during daylight hours. Taylor said he requested the voluntary declaration because the nighttime emergency and tactical traffic net frequency on 3873 kHz was being subjected to apparent intentional QRM. The voluntary communications emergency will continue until cancelled, and at least into the weekend, Taylor said.
Taylor said Thursday that his latest concern was possible flooding in South Texas from runoff in the north and west. Hams were preparing to monitor levels on several rivers in that part of the state, he said.
In Arkansas, Amateur Radio reportedly served as the only link between the state capital and DeQueen, a city in southwestern Arkansas that was particularly hard hit by the latest ice storm. The state suffered another ice storm in mid-December. Arkansas Section Manager Roger Gray, N5QS, says a TV report credited Amateur Radio with facilitating communication between Gov Mike Huckabee and the mayor of DeQueen. Residents in up to a dozen counties reportedly have lost power, telephone service and water.
"Most say that the damage this time is not as severe as last week's storm," Gray said. "Everyone believes that although this is a worse storm, last week's storm took out all the weak limbs and power lines, and those remaining are not as likely to go out."
The Texas-Arkansas border city of Texarkana imposed a curfew. Telephone and power outages there were widespread.
The storm that affected the US Southwest now is moving eastward and could join with another system to create blizzard conditions in the Northeast this weekend.