It is now July, and the Hurricane Season is in full swing. As I write this, in the middle of June, we already have the first weather event of the season on the map. Indications are that it has only a 40 % chance at becoming a class 1 hurricane. Whether it will hit the mainland U.S. is not know as yet, but by the time you read this we will know for sure. The various forecasters all have slightly different predictions on how many hurricanes there will be and how bad they will get, but they all agree it will be a busy season.

    Therefore, I strongly suggest that everybody get ready now. Make sure you have an evacuation plan and that everyone in your family knows the details. Make sure you have sufficient non-perishable food and water on hand for at least one week. If you have a generator, test it and make sure you have gas for it.

    If you are an amateur radio operator, also ensure that you have good batteries, a field deployable antenna and that your radios are programmed with the emergency frequencies that will be used during and after a severe weather event. Also make sure that you are up to date on the emergency operations plan for your area. Other than a lack of power, one of the things that can seriously derail a carefully prepared op plan is the arrival on the emergency frequency of operators who are not only unfamiliar with the procedures for their area, but are also insistent upon doing it their own way. Offers of a spare generator for sale, for example, have no place in emergency comms. Trying to bypass the net control station and call up a buddy is way out of line. Check into the net, follow the instructions of net control and give the information requested without adding a lot of extraneous verbiage. Join ARES (the Amateur Radio Emergency Service) and train  with them to become skilled at emergency communications. This way you become part of the solution, not part of the problem.

    If you are one of those wonderful people who want to be deployed to help in another area, thank you. However, please make certain that you have your credentials and training in place and can prove it. At the very minimum you will have to have several FEMA courses (available on line) under your belt as well as the basic level of ARRL EMCOMM training (level 1). You will also have to have your identification and be prepared to work without any other supplies than what you carry yourself for at least one to two weeks. If you do not have the training and the stamina and the supplies, please stay home. You will not be deployed without the training and you will become a drain on limited resources without the supplies you carry in to the field. I do not want to sound as though we do not want your help, we do. However, if you are not trained and prepared adequately, then you are of little help and may become a liability in a disaster situation.

    Hurricane Season is here! This is not a drill! Be prepared or prepare to be in trouble. Good luck and I will (as we hams sometimes say) see you down the log...

73,