OPERATION SKYWARN WEATHER WATCH

I. GENERAL INFORMATION:

Operation SKYWARN is a plan sponsored by the National Weather Service for reporting destructive storms or other severe, unusual or abnormal weather conditions. All members of Putnam County RACES/ARES should monitor the 444.600 MHz and the 147.21/.81 MHz repeater for call up advisories, for operations whenever a severe weather condition is apparent or appears to be developing. The operation SKYWARN Weather Watch Plan will be implemented in the following sequence:

1. Non-Alert Readiness - The Emergency Coordinator EC, or any of the assistant ECs based on his or her own judgment, may inform stations via the 444.600 and the 147.21/.81 MHz repeater that a severe weather condition may soon develop. This should be given as an informal advisory. A stand by weather net may be started before any formal request for spotter activation.

2. Standby Alert - This alert is activated by a WX courtesy tone and voice announcement "WEATHER ALERT" on the 147.21/.81 MHz repeater. This action is taken when the National Weather Service has issued a weather watch for Putnam County. The W1ARN, National Weather Service Repeater, will be monitored over the 444.600 repeater. Operation of a SKYWARN Weather Watch Net will be activated at the request of the Putnam County Emergency Management Director or the NWS. A call up will be issued over the 147.21/.81 the MHz. repeater.

3. Emergency Alert - The Putnam County Emergency Management Director issues this alert to the EC, Assistant EC, or a Net Control Station. A directed net is established on 147.21/.81 MHz., participating stations are checked in, and information requested by the National Weather Service is provided.

For example, The National Weather Service may request the observed wind speed, wind direction, temperature, type of precipitation, and presence of ice on trees be reported. They may also indicate particular areas in which they are interested. If they do so, attempts will be made to locate participating stations in that area.

The 147.21+ repeater will serve as the primary repeater. The 145.43-and 145.11-repeaters will serve in cases of other necessary traffic as directed by the emergency coordinators.

The WS4S repeater, 444.600 with a 107.2 encode tone, is the primary link to the National Weather Service in Nashville. This repeater is part of the MTEARS LINKED SYSTEM. MTEARS activates only under organized hazardous weather outbreaks. Summer time thunderstorms, unless very well organized, do not fall into the organized severe weather outbreak category. On occasions, summertime storms, where the NWS is looking for specific reports from an area, "ANY SPOTTER" hearing the specific request is invited to respond directly to NWS on the link system. Winter time nets may be necessary should an organized winter storm moves through the area. A net may be started to obtain road conditions, snowfall reports or any emergency traffic.

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTING PROCEDURE

ATTENTION ALL STATIONS

THIS IS K4UAN NET CONTROL.

BECAUSE MANY REPORTS MAY HAVE TO BE PASSED AND TIME IS CRITICAL THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE WILL BE FOLLOWED:

 TO REPORT INTO THIS SEVERE WEATHER NET STATE YOUR CALL USING STANDARD PHONETICS. NET CONTROL WILL RESPOND WITH THE SUFFIX OF YOUR CALL. OR THE PRO WORD" ROGER".

THE ONLY REPORTS CONSIDERED LEGITIMATE ARE REPORTS OF TORNADOES ON THE GROUND, FUNNEL CLOUDS ALOFT, HAIL MEASURED AT ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER OR LARGER. IN ADDITION WINDS IN EXCESS OF FIFTY MILES AN HOUR, WHICH WILL CAUSE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, LARGE BRANCHES TO BREAK, AND WILL MAKE WALKING VERY DIFFICULT. ALSO REPORT FLOODING AND ACTUAL STORM DAMAGE. ANY REPORT NOT MEETING ONE OR MORE OF THESE CRITERIA SHOULD NOT BE PASSED UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED BY NET CONTROL.

DO NOT REPORT ANYTHING THAT YOU DID NOT SEE. DO NOT REPORT ANYTHING THAT YOU HEARD ON A SCANNER OR ON ANOTHER REPEATER.

 TRANSMIT YOUR REPORT CLEARLY, SLOWLY AND CALMLY GIVING EACH OF THE ELEMENTS OF T-L-C, TIME AND LOCATION OF OBSERVATION AND CONDITION. BE SURE THE CONDITION YOU ARE REPORTING MEETS ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL CRITERIA OF A LEGITIMATE SEVERE WEATHER REPORT.

 WHEN YOUR REPORT IS COMPLETED, DROP YOUR CARRIER AND NET CONTROL WILL ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THIS MESSAGE WITH THE PRO WORD "ROGER". IF NET CONTROL OR ANOTHER PRIORITY STATION ASKS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR CLARIFICATION, ANSWER THE CALLING STATION DIRECTLY WITHOUT FURTHER USE OF CALL SIGNS. MAKE YOUR STATEMENTS CLEAR AND BRIEF. NO FURTHER RESPONSE FROM YOUR STATION IS NECESSARY.

THIS IS K4UAN NET CONTROL.