EME-111
Ready Or Not??
(Revised Dec 2013 and Revised Mar 2026,
Paul Smith, k5prs)
Good Evening, fellow ARES members. Tonight we focus on hurricane preparedness and family planning with a strong emphasis on the critical role of reliable communications during emergencies.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially opens on June 1 and runs through November 30. In recent years, some tropical systems have formed before the official start date. This serves as a clear reminder that nature does not always follow the calendar and that we must remain ready year-round.
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season produced 13 named storms, 5 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes, including three that reached Category 5 strength though, as you know, none threatened the Texas coastline. Though no hurricanes made direct landfall in the continental United States, the season demonstrated how powerful storms can still create widespread indirect impacts through heavy rainfall, flooding, and storm surge that disrupt communications and infrastructure.
Disasters take many forms, not just hurricanes or tropical storms. Events such as wildfires, toxic spills, or flash flooding can strike without warning, often disabling cell networks, power grids, and internet services when they are needed most.
As ARES operators, we know that effective communications frequently become the difference between chaos and coordinated response. By now, every family should have developed or updated its emergency plan. Ensure the plan is comprehensive and accounts for every family member, including their possible locations at the time of an event. Establish a primary assembly point near the home and a distant backup location outside the affected area. Reduce the plan to written form and provide a copy to each family member. Develop two versions: one for sheltering in place and one for evacuation.
Designate a safe room within the home for sheltering in place. Stock this area with supplies to make it airtight if needed, including duct tape and plastic sheeting, particularly in the event of a chemical spill or hazardous materials release. Stock for a five day emergency but be prepared to add stock for up to three weeks if necessary. That’s a lot of food and water…and toilet paper for four people so plan carefully.
Designate an out-of-area contact person whom family members can notify if evacuation becomes necessary. This individual serves as a vital central point for information exchange when local communications systems fail end especially if the family gets separated.
Build a family emergency kit sufficient to survive in place for at least three to seven days. Plan for one gallon of potable water per person per day, along with non-perishable packaged and canned foods. Account for special dietary needs, such as allergies or diabetes, and be mindful of the high sodium content in many canned goods. Include a manual can opener, a safe method to heat food, essential medications, personal toiletries, insect repellent, a portable radio, flashlights with extra batteries, and additional clothing. Prepare an individual kit for each family member.
Interesting Fact Amateur radio operators, through organizations such as ARES, have repeatedly served as a critical communications lifeline during major disasters. When cell towers collapse, power grids fail, and internet service disappears, trained ARES volunteers provide accurate ground-truth reports, coordinate emergency resources, and relay health-and-welfare messages that directly save lives and accelerate recovery efforts. We can quickly become first responders for your neighbors so stay ready.
Stay informed during an actual emergency by maintaining access to reliable information sources. In the Houston area, primary emergency alert stations include KTRH 740 AM and KUHF 88.7 FM. Additional local news is available on KROL 92.1 FM. Everyone should have a NOAA Weather Radio or have that frequency, 162.400 MHz, programmed into your radios as well as our local designated VHF repeater on 147.000 MHz with a PL of 103.5
If directed to evacuate, notify net control either before leaving or as soon as safe, turn off water and electricity at the main shutoff points, close windows and blinds/curtains and lock external doors. Know your evacuation routes in advance, keep paper maps in your vehicles with routes and predetermined destinations marked. Remember that traffic will be heavy and road conditions may change rapidly.
Always keep your batteries charged. In the middle of a major storm or an approaching fire storm, the last thing anyone wants is to discover that the only working device in the neighborhood is the neighbor’s generator-powered karaoke machine.
An out-of-area contact proves invaluable during outages. After all, when local lines are down, it is far easier to reach Aunt Martha in Nebraska than to explain to emergency managers why your entire family has dropped off the grid or, on a more somber note, how you’re going to get connected with your daughter who is across town at a slumber party.
As ARES members, our role of providing quick, accurate, and reliable communications during emergencies cannot be overstated. Family preparedness combined with strong amateur radio support greatly increases community resilience when storms or other disasters threaten the Texas Gulf Coast.
That concludes tonight’s training. Are there any questions, comments or suggested additions to this material?
Thanks, this is (callsign) clear to net control.
Send corrections, modifications, updates or suggestions to k5prs@aol.com