Special Announcements Regarding Hurricane Helene

RARS Statement on Hurricane Helene

As relief efforts in six states continue to unfold, it is becoming apparent that Hurricane Helene will join Katrina and Sandy as among the worst US storms of the 21st century.

The devastation in western North Carolina is particularly widespread and complete. Power outages reached nearly a million subscribers. Telephone, cellphone, and internet are out of service over large areas. Municipal water and sewer systems have been compromised. Homes and buildings have been flooded or damaged by falling trees. Local roads are closed. The major east-west and north-south interstates into and out of the area were impassable in multiple locations, effectively cutting North Carolina west of Hickory off entirely. Many of those roads will remain closed for months.

In the days following the storm, friends and relatives outside the region flooded social media platforms seeking news of their loved ones. Of course, with cell, telephone, and internet services out of commission, no one in the affected area was able to respond. Amateur radio operators stepped up to help. The NC Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) organization activated the Tar Heel Emergency Net on Friday night, at the request of NC Emergency Management. Trained ham radio operators monitored radio frequencies for condition reports from hams in the affected areas, helping to identify emergency situations and infrastructure issues that need to be quickly addressed. Many other hams from around the region spontaneously pitched in to handle “health and welfare” messages, using HF frequencies and the Mt. Mitchell VHF repeater, even live-streaming audio from the repeater over the Internet.

We await the stories of AUXCOMM-qualified amateur radio operators in North Carolina who assisted NC Emergency Management, the county EOCs, and local governments. So far, those people have been too busy to report on their activities.

Despite the tireless efforts of many amateur radio operators, it has proven extraordinarily difficult to get radio traffic into and out of the affected area, especially health and welfare messages. We look forward to the inevitable after-action reports to determine the root cause. The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society will be looking at solutions to provide more comprehensive communications support to all residents of a disaster zone.

What can the public do? Help us!

Become a Ham! Learn how to be a ham radio operator, get your license, and help people in need! Go to rars.org for the Raleigh club or find your local club and get involved. We’re here to help and need more hams everywhere. Donate! Giving money to your local club helps them prepare by better training programs and the infrastructure needed in an emergency. You can easily donate to RARS with PayPal on our Donation Page.

The Raleigh Amateur Radio Society (RARS) is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit with a mission to help with communications during times of disaster and public need. We and most amateur radio operators train and practice for remote off-grid operations to assist with communications. Part of that mission is teaching people about ham radio and how to help the public.

Raleigh Amateur Radio Society Board of Directors
October 9, 2024

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Special Announcement Concerning Health & Welfare Traffic
from Bill Morine N2COP, Vice-Director, ARRL Roanoke Division

Dear North Carolina Area Hams:

The following is a synopsis of policies and procedures regarding Health & Welfare (H&W) traffic in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene as it impacts North Carolina.

North Carolina AUXCOMM Coordinator and ARRL North Carolina Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) Tom Brown N4TAB has stated North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) will not accept inbound H&W traffic. Resources in western NC and across the state in support of damaged areas are overloaded, and so the standard policy that inbound H&W traffic through ESF-2 Emergency Communications channels will not be accepted is in effect. The mission of AUXCOMM is in support of government agencies and these assigned resources must remain dedicated to this mission.

North Carolina National Traffic System (NTS) nets are presently accepting inbound H&W traffic. However, traffic handlers are trying to move large volumes of traffic, and turnaround time could be lengthy. Rather than tie up NTS, those with inquiries on individuals in affected areas are encouraged to contact the Mt. Mitchell repeater group directly by sending an email to K2DMG9629@gmail.com or call 211 on your phone inside North Carolina. Out of state call (888) 892-1162.

The extent of damage is overwhelming, with many communities in western North Carolina lacking any form of communications, especially cell service and internet. Everyone is urged to have patience as volunteer Amateur Radio (Ham) radio operators try to deliver and receive messages from impacted zones.

For those who wish to monitor and help, where appropriate, here’s a list of nets and HF frequencies available at this time:

THROUGHOUT THE DAY UNTIL CONVENTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE RESTORED: 7.232 MHz

Updates will be posted when available.

73 de Bill Morine, N2COP
Vice Director – Roanoke Division
Representing ARRL members in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia
ARRL – the national association for Amateur Radio
Facebook Page: ARRL Roanoke Division
Website: www.arrl-roanoke.org
September 29, 2024

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