Tropical Storm Floyd Report
Tropical Storm Floyd Complete Report
by: Rob Macedo, KD1CY, ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Taunton with
contributions from area Emergency Management Directors and SKYWARN
Coordinators/Net Controls.
Hurricane Floyd impacted all of Southern New England as a tropical
storm on Thursday Night Septemeber 16th and Friday Morning September
17th, 1999.
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications in Southern New England
(ARES/RACES/SKYWARN) were prepared and ready for action. Coordination
emails and calls with NWS Taunton were issued well in advance of
Floyd and all personnel were prepared for a strong tropical
storm/Category I hurricane to impact the region.
Coordination with SKYWARN Coordinators, ARES Section Emergency
Coordinators and ARRL Section Managers took place throughout the day
Wednesday and into Thursday. Frequencies for a communications emergecny
were gathered but was not sent to ARRL for inclusion in a FCC
Communications Emergency due to the Floyd weakening to a tropical
storm.
All SKYWARN Nets went operational at 5 PM on Thursday. Operators
at NWS included Phil Mclaughlin, KB1CYO, who was the data logger
for most of his stay from about 6:30 PM-11 PM Thursday Evening,
Carl Aveni, N1FYZ, who stayed from 5 PM right through until 3:30 AM on
Friday Morning, and Rob, KD1CY, who stayed from 5 PM Thursday
Evening through 4:30 AM Friday Morning once the NHC Hurricane
Conference call completed and the Tropical Storm Warnings were
lowered for the coast line.
Coordination with Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency was done
on the 53.31 Mount Wachusett 6 Meter Repeater. Coordination with
the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency was done on the
146.76 Scituate, RI Repeater in conjunction with SKYWARN on that
frequency.
By 6 PM, reports of 3-5 inches of rain and wind damage came in through
the various nets particularly in Western Massachusetts
Connecticut and Rhode Island. Wind damage started in Western and
Central Massachusetts, with KA1JJM, Ray Weber reporting wind damage
in several areas in Easthampton, West Springfield, and Palmer
Massachusetts. Rainfall totals of 3.5-6" were reported
in portions of Northern Conencticut and Southwest Massachusetts with
6.5" of rain reported at 6:55 PM in Southington Connecticut. The
Quinnipiac River in Connecticut was reported to be near
bank full with numerous reports of basement flooding in
Southwest Massachusetts in the Springfield and Holyoke area. Reports
came in from active SKYWARN nets on the 147.000 Soapstone Mountain
Connecticut and 146.94 Mount Tom Repeater. Eric Tuller, N1QKO,
Assistant Western Mass. Coordinator and Roger Jeanfaivre, K1PAI
along with Harvery, K1PZS were on those frequencies running nets.
Wind damage also began occurring in Central and Southeast
Massachusetts area from about 6:30-9 PM as a strong spiral band of
squally winds and heavy rain came through the region. Just prior to the
start of the Fairhaven Repeater Weather Net, power went
out as winds gusted in the area of the repeater to 60 MPH
causing wind damage with trees and wires down knocking
power out to the area. The Fairhaven Repeater operated on emergency
power for over 2 hours. A 30 inch diamaeter tree was blown down
in Gardner, Massachusetts with a wind gust to 45 MPH in the
Worcester, Mass. area. Also three 6" diameter trees were blown
down in Athol Massachusetts per Tom Pratt, N1KKY and Worcester
County SKYWARN on the 146.925 Worcester Repeater. Also during this
timeframe 7" of rain were reported in Granby Connecticut. Trees were
also blown down in the West Springfield, Greenfield, and Shelburne
Mass areas, along with trees down in Woonsocket, Rhode Island reported
by ARES DEC for Providence County, RI, Joe Farrington, KB1CMD on the
146.76 Scituate, RI Repeater. Also, the 147.165 Exeter RI Repeater and
146.700 Cranston, RI Repeaters were active with SKYWARN and also ARES
Communication for shelters occurred on the Cranston, RI Repeater under
the direction of Jeff Mitchell, N1YDU on the Exeter, RI Repeater, and
Martin Mendelson, RI SKYWARN and ARES SEC on the 146.700 Cranston RI
Repeater. Flooding also became a serious issue with cars stuck in the
middle of the road in West Springfield per Ray Weber, KA1JJM, Western
Massachusetts SKYWARN.
In Hillsborough County, NH reports of up to 4.55" of rain were
reported in the Mason, NH through Marc Slater, KB1DFE, the Western
Hillsborough County Assistant EC for SKYWARN with power outages
reported in the Merrimack, New Hampshire area. These reports were
obtained through the 53.31 Mount Wachusett Repeater which also
served as liaison to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
Winds gusted to near 50 MPH during this timeframe between 8 and 9 PM
at the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier.
By 10 PM, reports of 6-7.5" of rain were reported across Connecticut
and Western Massachusetts, with the 7.5" of rain reported in Granby
Connecticut, by Harvey Broverman, K1PZS, Alternate SKYWARN Net Control
for the 147.000 Soapstone Weather Net. Rainfall of close to 4" was
reported by Dave Doe, K1HRV via the 146.895 Walpole Repeater and the
Norfolk County SKYWARN Net. Also, Ted, N1SBM, Worcester County
SKYWARN Coordinator reported 3.5" of rain and 4.73" of rain was
reported by Roger, K1PAI, Connecticut State SKYWARN Coordinator.
With a 60 MPH wind gust reported at the New Bedford Hurricane
Barrier in the South Coast of Massachusetts during this timeframe.
Also, the Padanaram bridge was closed due to coastal flooding as
salt water battered the bridge with waves splashing over the bridge
making it dangerous for travel.
Further wind damage occurred in Woonsocket RI, with Ray Weber reporting
a total of 25 trees being down in West Springfield from Floyd by 11 PM.
Ray also reported over 9" of rain and the Westfield River rapidly
rising to near bankful and past flood stage. Ray went out into the
storm to do damage assessment and also to take readings from the
mechanical river guage in Westfield since the electronic one could
not be received and was later found to have a malfunction.
Winds continued to howl in many areas as the hour approached midnight.
A 3 foot tree fell downing wires and damaging a house in West
Springfield near Midnight as Floyd continued to pound the region.
Bill Ricker, N1VUX, reported numerous rain guage totals in the
3-5" raange during Floyd in the Peabody and Waltham, Massachusetts
areas. Also, Bill and several other amateurs remained up until 3
AM to track the lowest minimum central pressure as Floyd made
its closest approach to their region. Communications here occurred
on the 146.64 Waltham Repeaters along with the Haverhill Repeater,
146.625 via Steve Woodward, N1VDX and the Danvers Repeater, 145.47
through Phil Knight, N1HWA.
After being spared much of the rain and bite from Floyd, Cape Cod
and the Islands would now see their share of the action. WQ1O, Frank
Laughlin, Cape Cod and Islands Emergency Coordinator was stationed
at the Red Cross in Hyannis with the call sign of K1PBS on the
146.955 Barnstable Repeater. Numerous reports came in from his
location. At 1:18 AM a 58 MPH wind gust was reported, at 1:42 AM a 65
MPH Gust was reported with several trees reported down. In Brewster,
Mass at 1:45 AM a wind gust to 72 MPH was recorded. In the Sconticut
Neck section of Fairhaven, KA1WBF Marc Jodoin, Fairhaven EMA Director
reported minor coastal flooding to dirt roads and to cottages. Spray
and minor coastal flooding was also reported on the causeway linking
West Island Mass with Fairhaven Mass by ML Baron, KA1WBH.
At 2:30 AM a wind gust to 71 MPH with trees down being reported in
Barnstable, Hyannis, Orleans and Brewster being reported in this
timeframe.
The New Bedford Hurricane Barrier reported a wind gust to 66 Knots
or 76 MPH with a sustained wind of 41 Knots and a storm surge of 2.5
feet being reported by Bob Russo who runs the closing and opening
of the barrier for the Army Corps of Engineers.
At 4:30 AM, tropical storm warnings were lowered and replaced with
Gale Warnings. Winds would blow strong throughout the day Friday
and over a larger area and it did cause further wind damage
across parts of the region with reports being forward via the
spotter line as needed throughout the day but formal SKYWARN
Activation was lifted at 4:30 AM across all of Southern New England
as Floyd moved out of the region. Since the winds were more widespread
in parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Floyd will be remembered
as much for the strong winds it left behind along with the flooding
and wind damage caused while it was here.
A HEARTY THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED AND ASSISTED IN THIS SKYWARN
ACTIVATION!!!! It is with all your support that these activations are
as successful as they are. Individual reports received by SKYWARN
Coordinators and EMA Directors appear below if you are a SKYWARN
Coordinator, NCS, or EMA Director and you sent a report and its not
listed please let me know for inclusion into this report:
Report Hurricane Floyd Southwick Activity
0930 Southwick EOC manned by C Dunlap K1ii. Bernie Keefe N1WHA arrived
at 1000. Storm tracked, preparations being made, personnel called and
scheduled. Keith Stromgren N1MOC, arrived at 1200 hours. Mobile Command
brought to EOC at 1700 Alex F. Monczka, 2nd Assistant Director arrived
at EOC. Pauline Dunlap, N1EVE arrived at EOC at 1930. Storm tracked and
no reports of flooding or wind damage received from Highway, Police, or
Fire. At 2030 1st Assistant Director leaves EOC for home and reports 6
foot new culvert overflowing Powder Mill Rd. At that time Alex Monczka
and Keith Stromgren N1MOC take Command Vehicle to assess earth dams and
flooding. They report every small stream overflowing and closing roads.
Also they report a tree down across US 202. Town of Granville Emergency
Management requests relay on 2meter simplex to report to MEMA of Route
57 and center of Granville flooded. A tree falls across main primary
feed in center of Southwick causing power outage at EOC and most of
Southwick. Emergency 175 KW generator at EOC on line. The 12volt gel
cells kept radios operational during power transfer. Emergency traffic
passed to MEMA Area 3 for Granville. Meantime flooding conditions being
called into EOC of six roads closed in Southwick. Emergency dispatch
turns over to EOC State and local Highway DPW dispatching. NWS Taunton
notified via 800 landline of flooding and rain fall amount. At 2100
hours MEMA Area 3 notifies Southwick EOC that very heavy precipitation
will be arriving in Southwick/Westfield area shortly and last for about
an hour and a half. Radio traffic passed to MEMA from Southwick EOC for
both Southwick and Granville. Communications established between
Southwick and Westfield EOC's. At 0130 Friday the Southwick EOC was
secured and the Mobile Communications Command vehicle went to the
erosion site at College Highway/US 202 until 0300 hours.
Participating:
Bernard Keefe, N1WHA RACES/ARES/SKYWARN
Keith Stromgren, N1MOC RACES/ARES/SKYWARN
Pauline Dunlap, N1EVE RACES/ARES/SKYWARN
Alex F. Monczka, Emergency Management
Charles Dunlap, K1ii RACES/ARES-AEC/SKYWARN
EOC call sign used was KB1CDL
Frequencies used were 146.49 simplex, MEMA VHF LOW, MEMA VHF HIGH
(monitoring) Southwick Local Govt.,
supplemented by two land-line telephones.
Hurricane Floyd storm damage report:
Six roads were closed due to flooding, erosion, rock/boulder slide,
mudslide, trees across road,and / or power lines down.
Southwick Congamond Lakes were closed due to high water caused by the
reversal of the Farmington Canal and Great Brook. Residential leach
fields of residents abutting the lake shore caused a potential health
hazard A power outage for several hours for most of Souithwick was due
to a large tree across primary power feed in the center of town. Total
storm rainfall in twenty - four hours was 9.25 inches of rain. Maximum
wind measured at the EOC was 46 MPH. Basements were reported flooded, a
tree uprooted damaged and lifted a small building, and two motor
vehicle accidents due to hydro-planing were reported.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles Dunlap, K1ii
Emergency Management Director
Town of Southwick
Waltham Skywarn Net Summary report
TS.Floyd, 1999.09.16-17
N1FWV tried a Skywarn callup on Waltham 64 at about 7:15PM, no joy,
then had to go dig a trench to relieve his own basement flooding.
Started hourly callups on Waltham/64 at 8:15PM; given permission to
stand down for local severe criteria by NWS station at 2AM, continued
for central-pressure tracking (per NHC criteria) half-to-quarter-hourly
until shortly after 3AM. Allowed both AMSAT and HHTN nets to operate
at roughly alloted times between Skywarn callups, with announcement
on HHTN.
Gave TS.Warning etc Announcement on EM2MN at 8PM, Boston 145.23.
Periodically chatted on 145.23 Boston; Cross-checked with 146.895
Walpole; usually monitored one or the other on second radio.
Could hear some RI traffic on scanner, but no copy on Worcester.
Minimum Pressure:
WA1YGC Waltham 1004.5mb/29.64" @ 0252EDT (17.0652Z) +-.
( 29.64 from 0200EDT (17.0600Z) thru 0308 (17.0708Z), minimum occurred
between 0245 and 0308, time of flat reading, 0252.) (Unit calibrated by
Woodshole) N1VUX Dorchester 29.70" 0300-0308EDT ( 17.0708Z) +-
(reading from 0230 (17.0630Z) through 0310; no sure up-tick seen by
0310EDT);
For Calibration:
at 17.1700Z, reading 30.00" exact. (Near Fields Corner MBTA, at 40'
AMSL+10' AGL)
WB1GAQ Billerica , no reading, dropping at 0230, steady possibly rising
at 0300, definitely rising at 0310. reading not givein (Chelmsford line
on Rt 4). (His radio has built in altimeter/barometer, he could give us
trends only.)
Pressure drop rate appeared to be averaging 0.02"/hour at both
stations.
I have longer logs from both stations and several un-calibrated
stations if desired.
Supplemental Damage Reports after net close:
KA1TUZ Newton reports no power, and unrelated, dead tree 1foot in
diameter snapped in yard.
N1VUX Dorchester branch > 1" maple with fresh leaves in street.
MBTA Police investigating report of tree down on car on T property
South-Station Tunnel was apparently closed much of the night.
MBTA had power problems with flood rails as well as flooded stations
much of the night.
Non-Damage: K1KGX/M reported Storrow Drive's underpasses were all open
and moving @ 10:00PM, amazing!
Final RainGauge at station N1VUX (Dorchester/Fields Corner), 5"
cumulative 16.0400Z - 17.1300Z.
Restatement of key reports passed during net: RG=RainGuage
N1VUX RG 4" 6PM (previously 1.75" at 9:30 AM, 3" at 4PM, phoned in by
wife 98-282?)
N1HWA Beverly RG 2.19" 820PM
N1KMW Tyngsboro RG 2.65 @ 9:20PM
N1XYR/M Grafton & Westboro w/o ppower, small branch in road in Grafton
*maybe* 1" largest, @ 9:30
KD1LE Pepperell RG 3.18" @ 9:30
N1IST @9:30 report of 6:16 power hit of 1min duration in No.Reading
(remote software diagnostics; confirmed by KE1LJ/M)
N1FIO Boxford, lost power 9PM, RG 3.4" @ 6:45, est. +1/2" @ 9:45
W1YGC Waltham RG 4.5" @ 9:45
KB1MH Uxbridge RG 5.3" 24-hr cum @ 9:50
WB5JMJ & KB1MH: Hopkinton/Westboro Linke, 69.4F @ 10:00PM, rise of ~
10F from 4PM 60F N1NQR/M Needham 128N @ 135, 73F, had been 74F at
Randolph/Canton minutes before
NZ1D Townsend RG 5.0"
WA1VRB Cambridge RG. 0.44" from 8:30 to 11:00PM only.
N1FWV Peabody RG 3.5" @ 11:25; highest gust to that time was 31mph @
2056ET
W1YGC Waltham RG 4.75" (increase of 0.25") @ 11:30, which total would
remain for next several hours
N1ZMB Milton DPW, RG 4.5" @ 8PM home; WG32@10:30PM DPW.
WB1GAQ 2nd hand report, 53F to 65F in one hour, Tewksbury, ?1:00AM?
W1YGC Waltham, gust at 1:16AM rocked his camper-trailer authentic
radio shack.
NWR issues: N1HWA would like a clearer explanation of why the Hurricane
warnings etc weren't triggering NWR alert. Blue Hills has had an
intermittent hum for the last several days, which was observed last
night for a couple minutes just before the transmitter went off air for
a minute.
No one heard the Middlesex Flood Warning give alert on Blue Hills
either, wondering if that's related to the horrid buzz/hum. (I might
have missed it due to having a transmitter keyed half time as net
control, but the other stations should have gotten it!) One station
did, but he was tuned to Worc.NWR.
Interesting tidbits on my overnight companions --
W1YGC is former Coast Guard radioman, used to watchkeeping a
barometer!, other hobby is restoring lighthouses (e.g., Race Point and
Wednesday's New Bedford Lightship Memorial Dedication).
WB1GAQ is former Hurricane watch net gulf-coast relay station.
73 all,
Bill Ricker
wdr@avicenna.com a/k/a wdr@world.std.com
http://namring/ inside, http://world.std.com/~wdr outside
Here is my report for H.Floyd,
06:00 Self activated No reports taken
09:00 KA1ZUK W. Springfield .5 rain
N1QKO .7
11:00 WA1CTQ Westfield .8
N1QKO .1.3 bara.press. 29.86
11:45 left for dentist
13:30 b.p. 29.75
13:55 N1QKO 1.55 rain
14:00 left for work
19:20 N1QKO 1.4 rain b.p. 29.37
20:00 AA1EC Shutesbury 4.15 rain b.p. 29.20 wind gust during day
of appoc. 40 mph.
KA1JJM 5.6
N1QKO .6 rain b.p. 29.32
20:20 KA1ZUK 4.5 rain
20:35 KA1JJM 6.2 rain
21:00 KA1JJM 6.7 Left to take pictures for N.W.S / read water
levels in Westfield
N1QKO 1.1 (4.56 total storm) b.p. 29.27
K1NBS Brimfield 4.2 (from 09:00 started collecting rain)
21:15 K1ISS Westfield 5.+( got home and guage overflowing) b.p.
21.20 K1TMA 5.+ rain
22:00 N1MUV 5.6
K1ISS +.75 (since 21:00)
N1QKO .3 (4.95 total) b.p. 29.21
23:00 K1TMA 6. rain
N1QKO .2 rain (5.15total) b.p. 29.16
00:00 K1ISS .25 rain
N1QKO .3 (5.45) b.p.29.14
CLOSE DOWN NET
0:630 call for any reprots
N1QKO .45 (5.85) b.p. 29.36
07:00 AA1EC 6.75
0:800 WA1ZUH 4.4.(for the 16th.) .25 (for the 17th) will send
e-mail w/more info tonight
K1ISS 7.4
N1ZCK 7. 14.2 for month
WA1CTQ 5 gal. pale full ( don't know what happend to
his rain guage......)
K1NBS 4.7
N1QKO b.p. 29.46
If I hear of any more reports, I'll pass them on. I'm sure to get info
from Charlie K1II later today via email. Bummed that my anemometer
didn't work.
Western Hillsborough County NH SKYWARN was activated in
standby mode on 9/16/1999 at 17:00 hrs EDT in response to TS
Floyd. SKYWARN was secured at 00:00 hrs EDT 9/17/1999 and
restarted at 06:00 hrs EDT 9/17/1999 to receive storm totals and
damage reports. Hourly reports were passed to NWS Taunton via
the 6M Mt. Wachusetts repeater.
The following stations reported to the net:
WB4MDC Merrimack NH 2" at 2111Z
K7CTW Merrimack NH 1.25" at 2112Z
WA1GON Mason NH Town Hall w/o power at 2123Z
WW1Y Amherst NH 1.92" at 2131Z
W1DB Peterborough NH 2.5" at 2200Z
KB1EHD New Boston NH 2" at 2200Z
W1ZYZ Merrimack NH w/o power 0002Z
K7CTW Merrimack NH 1.85", wind 25-30 fr N + NE 0015Z
WW1Y Amherst NH 2.74" @ 0015Z
K1CWF Mason NH 4.5" since 0000Z 9/16
KB9DGB Henniker NH No power 0033Z
N1SKZ Hillsboro NH No power 0040Z
N1YVC Jaffrey NH street flooding, 5" trees dwn 0051Z
WW1Y Amherst NH 3.42" @ 0110Z
K7CTW Merrimack NH 2.56" @ 0121Z
KB9DGB Henniker NH Power back on 0154Z
KB1EHD New Boston 5.1" @ 0223Z
WW1Y Amherst NH 4.34", pressure 29.25" - @ 0312Z
K1ABC Nashua NH 6.29", press 29.16" (min) @ 0640Z
Regards,
Marc - KB1DFE
Respectfully Submitted,
Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
SEMCARES Emergency Coordinator
Pager #: (508) 354-3142
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@pop.ma.ultranet.com
Packet Address: KD1CY @ AA1FS
http://www.ultranet.com/~rmacedo
Back to the Eastern Mass. ARES/RACES/SKYWARN homepage