This message contains some points with regard to the approach of Hurricane Bill near our area. Although the impact of the storm appears to be no greater than what we would experience during other times of the year, the storm could be especially dangerous to boating and beach enthusiasts.
I am requesting that you assist our safety outreach in the following ways:
1. Remind friends and family about the dangers of storm generated surf, which may be especially prudent since the hot weather may beckon people to go swimming. There are many websites that explain the “riptide” phenomena and safety measures.
2. Please listen for ham maritime mobile stations and verify they have current storm information. Please encourage them to monitor the weather radio, and if they tell you they are using a marine radio, remind them to monitor Marine channels 16 (156.8 MHz) and 22A (157.1 MHz).
3. For those of you on the coast this weekend, please report all flooding and “splash-over” (water carried ashore by crashing waves) to SKYWARN observers.
4. If you (especially our SKYWARN cadre) are asked by other citizens what you think about the storm, encourage these folks to familiarize themselves with the storm by visiting National Weather Service (NWS) websites, listening to weather radio, and watching TV and web broadcasts. Remind people that weather safety issues are exclusively the responsibility of the NWS.
Enjoy the rest of the summer!
de W1MPN
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ARRL – The national association for Amateur Radio™
Eastern Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Michael P. Neilsen, W1MPN
w1mpn@arrl.org