Paul Smith

PSV-107PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS Modified from a Waller County ARES training articleWritten by Christine Smith, N5CAS (sk) Emcomm groups frequently use public service events as training for emergency communication. Public service events, such as walk and bike-a-thons, road races, marathons and parades have a great deal in common with emergency communication but a few differences as … Read more

WEA-114Winter Weather Definitions The National Weather Service issues many different types of watches and warnings during the winter months.Here is what they mean: Winter Survival TipsSnow and or severe cold can be potentially life threatening, and every year we see cold and snow related deaths. Everyone is potentially at risk during winter storms. The actual … Read more

WEA-113TROPICAL CYCLONE HAZARDS By Kerry N. Mallory, AE5JYupdated 27 Sep 2023 by Paul Smith, k5prs The Four Primary Weapons of a Tropical Cyclone are: WINDTropical Depressions have maximum sustained winds of 38mph or less. Tropical Storms maximum sustained winds are 39-73mph. Hurricanes maximum sustained winds are 74mph or greater. Tropical Storm force winds can be … Read more

WEA-112Allen and Rita Most Houstonians remember the Hurricane Rita evacuation in 2005 but the Hurricane Rita scenario is not even close to the worst case scenario. There was sufficient time to get those trapped on the freeways to areas of safety. Tonight, I will contrast two major hurricanes that affected the Upper Texas Coast in … Read more

WEA-111Radio Operations at theHouston/Galveston National Weather Service SKYWARN operations for the Houston/Galveston area are based at the Houston/Galveston National Weather Service (NWS) office on FM 646 in Dickinson. The radio room, on the second floor, is shared by both SKYWARN and the Galveston County Emergency Communications Group (GCECG). The main SKYWARN transceiver is a Yaesu … Read more

WEA-110Be Hurricane Ready The Atlantic Hurricane season is open from June 1st thru November 30th. August through September is generally the most active time of the season for us here on the Texas gulf coast. The month of August begins the traditional run-up to the historical September 10th peak date of Atlantic Basin tropical storm/hurricane … Read more

WEA-108Heading Toward Hurricane SeasonWither Weather? As we proceed into the hurricane season, one of the most valuable tools is a reliable and accurate source of weather information. While we each seem to have our own preferred source, it may prove prudent to have some others to consult. Let’s start with the local weather forecast office … Read more

WEA-106Tropical Weather Terminology Written by KB5PGY The official Atlantic Hurricane Season is upon us once again. Will this be an active year for hurricanes? Both 1983 and 1992 were “inactive” however 1983 brought Alicia to San Luis Pass on August 18th and 1992’s Andrew brought devastation to the southern Florida Peninsula so it is critical … Read more

WEA-105Storm Spotters One of the more high profile amateur radio/served agency relationships is the one which exists with the National Weather Service. While the Houston/Galveston National Weather Service office has all kinds of computerized equipment, including their Doppler Radar, to use when severe weather is threatening the area, on the ground real time information or … Read more

NET-120COMMUNICATION TRAINING REVIEW Modified from a Waller County ARES training articleWritten by Christine Smith, N5CAS (sk) Over the past couple months we have covered topics ranging from basic communications principles to preparing for deployment. Are you ready? Let’s review… First, make sure you are not interrupting unless you have emergency traffic so…listen. It’s hard to … Read more