KY ARES Members Respond to Indiana Tornadoes

[Louisville SETI]

BY BUDDY SOHL, KC4WQ, MARCH 3RD, 2012
Info from AJ4KI……..


Many KY ARES Region 3 operators responded to requests for assistance
from Clark County (IN) RACES.
Rick, KC4S operated as net control Friday night through Saturday.
Keith, AJ4KI established a cross-band repeater at a shelter site north
of Henryville and remained on station through Friday night. Grady
Josline KY9L (with Jefferson County S&R) and James Brown KJ4YIG
assisted with search and rescue.

Dennis Lutz (KJ4HUW), Lee Roy Massey (KE4LR), John Hurt, (KI4USD) and
Dan Stratton (KJ4QFN) from Shelby County ARES responded and set up a
packet station at one of the shelter locations. They relayed their
traffic through K4DMU in Louisville.Keith (AJ4KI) acted as net control
for the RACES net throughout the day on Sunday. Laddie DePas (AI4RQ)
and Stacy DePas (KJ4OXS) acted as backup net control and message
runners on Sunday afternoon.

I’m sure that there are other KY operators who also answered the call
from our neighbors in Indiana. The past 60 hours are quite a blur. It
was extremely gratifying to see the outpouring of help to Henryville
and I am exceedingly proud of everyone’s efforts. I expect that RACES
operations will continue for the next several days.
Kudos to all the ham operators that provided invaluable reports to the
Louisville NWS during the significant weather outbreak of March 2 and
Pete KF4VCC as net control. Reports coming across the BARS 146.700
repeater kept the NWS well informed including a direct report of the
BIG tornado on the ground around Henryville.

Kudos aside, let’s look at a refresher as to what is ‘important’
reports for the NWS. SEVERE weather is just that, severe. The NWS is
looking for direct reports of rain rates in excess of 1 inch per hour,
wind speed in excess of 55 MPH, and hail larger than 1/2 inch. Any
other reports are superfluous and tend to bog down the entire
process.
The most difficult thing to do so many times is to not transmit, to
just listen. I heard what I considered a great piece of advice a few
years ago. God gave me two ears and one mouth so I could listen twice
as much as I talk. So when the next significant weather event rolls
in, remember the criteria and transmit accordingly.

My personal thanks to these and all the others that checked in to the
weather net on 146.70.
KC4ALV, AK4BM, KG4ERX, WD4HDY, KI4FNS, KI4JSY, KY4JME, KC4S, KI4PGJ,
N4FND, KA4TEU, AI4RQ, AJ4SV, KI4CZF, KD4PXM, KD4YN, W4BAT, KD4YGK,
AC4SV, KD4YNO, KI4NOC, N4CCJ and KJ4OXS