|
|
|
www.southgatearc.org
|
Radio Hams on the scene after Greensburg tornadoAmateur radio is once again a communications lifeline. This, after an strong tornado tore apart the town of Greensburg, Kansas on Friday night, May 4th. Fred Vobbe, W8HDU, reports: The storm has been classified by the National Weather Service as an F-5
which is the most severe on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The twister cut
a 22 mile long track that was one-point-seven miles wide. Winds were estimated
at 205 miles per hour. Authorities say about 95 percent of According to news reports, all wire-line and cellular telephone communications into the southwestern Kansas town of 1500 was destroyed by the twister. A group of ham radio operators identified as being from the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service were sent into the area early on Saturday May 5th to set up an emergency communications network. Media stories did not identify the radio hams by name but did praise their efforts while noting that they were entering an area of total devastation. A later report posted to the ARRL website said the team was under the direction of District 6 Emergency Coordinator Godfrey Flax, KC0AUH. What they found when they arrived was an area of total devastation. More
than 90 percent of Greensburg was destroyed or heavily damaged. Most buildings
were blown off their foundations and blown away. The ARRL says that Meantime President Bush has declared all Kiowa County, Kansas, a major disaster area, making federal aid available to residents affected by the storm.
Fred Vobbe, W8HDU
The last tornado of that strength was in Oklahoma City on May 3, 1999. That twister killed 36 people and left several hundred without homes.
Source: ARNewsline™, ARRL, others
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
