Katrina Disaster Communications

Experience

Richard Green, KR7L

Hurricane Katrina: By Sep 11, 2005

383 dead (more like 1200 now)

$62.3 billion aid approved by Congress

More than 50,000 Nat’l Guard troops

90,000 square miles affected

293,000 homes damaged or destroyed

More than 1 million people left their homes

Hurricane Katrina: By the Numbers*

Nearly 2 weeks after landfall 430,000 without power 24,000 without natural gas 500,000 no phone service Est. 170,000 public school students displaced 75% of schools sustained significant damage in

coastal areas

Giving had reached nearly $700 million * Associated Press

The ARRL Callout

“Attention All Amateurs... Amateur Radio emergency communication volunteers needed! (Sep 2, 2005) -- The ARRL now is seeking experienced Amateur Radio emergency volunteers to help supplement communication for American Red Cross feeding and sheltering operations in Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle--as many as 200 locations in all. Special consideration will be given to operators who have successfully completed the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications course training (Level I minimum) to serve as team leaders.”

The Callout (cont)

“These volunteer operators will help to provide communication and equipment for relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. If you’re interested and qualified, please send an e-mail message to Katrina@arrl.org, providing name, call sign, contact information and any equipment you’re willing and able to take along on a field deployment for an indefinite period. Volunteers may face hardship conditions without the usual amenities and will need to provide their own transportation to the marshaling area.”

My ResponseNAME:          Richard L. Green ADDRESS:    20730 SE 293 ST., KENT, WASHINGTON, 98042-6885 TELEPHONE:    253-630-1426 CALL SIGN:    KR7L OCCUPATION:    Retired, available immediately. TRAINING:    EMCOMM LEVEL 2 completed         HIPAA Certified (Hospital Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)         FEMA IS-00700 NIMS Certified         First Aid/CPR Current

MEMBERSHIP:    Maple Valley, Washington ARES         Western Washington Medical Services Emergency Communications Team

EQUIPMENT:    2 Meter mobile with power supply, emergency antenna mast system and collapsible J-pole.         2 Meter / 70 Cm Handheld         2 Meter / 20 Cm Mobile in vehicle with cross band capability.         HF transceiver.         Laptop with packet software and sound card interface.

Marshalling Area in Montgomery

Checking in with ARRL in Montgomery Alabama

Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, SM in Montgomery

Dennis, K7BV and Allen, W1AGP setting up W4AP at Montgomery

Can you spot the Heathkit 1000W linear amp?

My Assignment

Report to the American Red Cross in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

South Central Mississippi Chapter on Hutchinson Avenue

Provide communications in feeding trucks or shelters

South 17th Street in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

30th Avenue in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Tree damage to home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Shell Gas Station in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg

Roof of the bakery gone in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hwy 11 at I-59 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Highway 42 in Petal, Mississippi

South Central Mississippi Chapter

The Mission – Five areas of

communication needs

Shelters

Feeding -- Kitchens to trucks

Client Service Centers (CSC)

Red Cross Operations Center

Red Cross Chapter House

The Implementation

Hattiesburg Coalition Repeater Network invaluable Three linked repeaters

2 Meter mobile rigs in the trucksHTs or mobile rigs in shelter or CSCsMobile rig in Operation CenterFull station at Red Cross Chapter House HF VHF/UHF Internet access

Hattiesburg Coalition Repeaters

Hattiesburg 147.315 +

Collins 146.985 -

Poplarville 145.410 -

All 136.5 Hz PLLinked for wide area coverage

Shelters

Hattiesburg Shelter

Forrest County Multi-purpose Center

Large conference site

Later at the Family YMCA

Later at the Lumberton Recreation Center

Sleeping at the Hattiesburg Shelter

K4YCR’s Em Comm station at the Hattiesburg Shelter

Raylawni Branch, RN at Forrest Co. shelter in Hattiesburg

Dr. Toxie Morris W5TMM at Forrest MPC Hattiesburg Shelter

Feeding

Kitchen to Trucks

Kitchen at Main Street Baptist Church (MSBC)Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs)Operators supplied 2 meter mobile rigsMag-mount antennas or use of ERV 6 meter antennaMost operators used PowerPole® connectors

2M mobile radio installed in the ERV

ERVs loading at Main Street Baptist Church

The Feeding TrucksMobile or fixed feeding used Mobile was house-to-house Fixed used churches, fire stations, or community

centers as a gathering place

I served on ERVs for three days ERV 3031 to Hintonville and surrounds both fixed

and mobile feeding ERV 2156 to Baxterville and south into the oil and

gas fields mobile feeding Fed power crews too

Communicated back to the kitchen the needs

Types of Messages

Number of meals served and estimate for the next day

Medical needs

Utility needs

Need for additional ERVs

JD Creel, WB4AWM at the morning 9 o’clock ERV meeting

The NCS van at “Church Base”, W5ALL

Inside the W5ALL NCS van

Loading ERV with hot food & snacks

Getting the ERV loaded with food to take out

Inside the ERV

Cambros and clamshells

Handing out meals

Hot lunches handed out at Main Street Baptist Church

Cleaning up back at the kitchen (MSBC)

Laundry trailer for volunteers

Shower trailer for volunteers

Overall view of part of the kitchen operation at MSBC, Hattiesburg

More hurdles to overcome

Fixed feeding at Hintonville

Providing hot meals at Hintonville Nazareth Baptist Church

Fixed feeding

Ken VE3MNY and Dr. Smock in their ERV

Mobile Feeding

Mobile feeding in rural Mississippi

Receiving a hot lunch at Lumberton, MS

Client Service Centers

Client Service Centers Communications

HT or mobile radio

Sometimes difficult to impossible

May require stepping outside

Outside antenna or yagi helped immensely Using a handheld and gel cell

with the outdoor antenna at Purvis 1st Baptist Church

2 Meter antenna in the back of 1st Baptist

Chris DeRienzo explaining the Purvis operation to security

Receiving an appointment number

Purvis CSC

Crowd gathers at Purvis

Purvis CSC

Waiting in line at Purvis

Processing applications for financial aid at Purvis

Security at the back door

Purvis CSC

Waiting in line early in the morning at Purvis MPC

Purvis CSC

Waiting their turn in the grandstand at Purvis

New Augusta CSC

Processing applications for financial aid

New Augusta CSC

Reviewing applications and signing checks

New Augusta CSC

Unloading water for staff and clients

Red Cross Operations Center

Red Cross Operations Center at First Baptist Church, Hattiesburg, MS

Dusty, KC2GZY, at Red Cross OC First Baptist

The Base Station at the Red Cross House

Communications at the Chapter House

Full HF capability

VHF/UHF

Power supply

Tuner when needed

Operator provided equipment

Existing antennas

Manufacturer donated equipment

Radio Station at the Chapter House

Matt KV2N and Paul N0AH at the Chapter House

Glen Sage, W4GHS, Hillsville VA, and Radio Officer for Carroll County, Virginia, our first team leader and

celebrity

Glen W4GHS

Jim KT4FQ, Clarksville, Tennessee

Relaxing after our evening planning meeting at the Red Cross Chapter

Darryl K0GV and JD WB4AWM at the Chapter

House

Richard KR7L, Grier KC5FJZ, & Wayne W9YYZ at the Chapter House

Glen W4GHS at the Chapter House

The Girl Scouts Lodge next to the Red Cross

Inside the Girl Scouts lodge bunkhouse

Set up a place to sleep wherever you can !

Observations on operations

Very professional operationTactical call signs usedFormal net with NCS early onTransitioned to informal net later onOperators assigned and performed with no additional trainingExpected to know what to doSet up their own equipmentNobody’s equipment or batteries failed

More Observations

Began with 4 operators on 9/5/05

9 hams the day David and I arrived 9/9/05

Added 6 more on 9/12/05

Peaked at 21 hams and declined from there as some finished their stay or re-deployed elsewhere and the need declined

There were 3 of us left when we closed down at the Red Cross in Hattiesburg on 9/28/05

Lessons Learned

Get trained now to do the job

Take on the job of net control at home so it is easy to do in a stressful environment

Stress encountered … blood pressure up

Know your equipment but have manuals for those that have to take over

Headphones are a real asset

Follow FCC rules and take care of yourself

My Reactions

Started out with awe and amazement

Became compassion and sympathy

Transitioned into disaster fatigue and indifference

Ended up in boredom and cynicism

The People

Jack, N3BQB, York PA Darryl, N0GV, Minnetonka, MN

The People

Steve, KB9X, Albert Lea, MN Jimmy, KT4FQ, Clarksville TN

The People

Fred, N4OJT, Louisville KY Ken, VE3MNY, Tecumseth, ON

The People

Adam, KC8HCE, student, Pickerington OH

Toxie Morris MD, W5TMM, Hattiesburg, MS

The People

Terry, N7BDL, Gilbert, AZ and Alfred, W5ALL, our NCS and Chavez County DEC, Roswell, NM

The People

Ann, N7EDC, Gilbert AZ Dennis, firefighter, Louisville KY

The People

Allan (Dusty) KC2GZY, Buffalo, NY

The People

Mat Marcus KV2N, Seattle, WA and Henry K4YCR, Forest, VA

Articles written by hams who were there

By Glen Sage, W4GHS www.w4ghs.org/Amateur_Radio_Standing_in_the_Breach.pdf

By Henry Wyatt, K4YCR www.theledgeronline.com/articles/05/9-23/katrina.htm

By Paul Veal, N0AH

www.eham.net/articles/12040

Thank all y’all for watching

AcknowledgementsThis presentation was made possible by the

generous contribution of photos by the following:

Steve Bonine, KB9X, Albert Lea, MNHenry Wyatt, K4YCR, Forest, VAAlfred Lindsey, W5ALL, Roswell, NMDarryl Ponder, K0GV, Minnetonka, MNLex Mason, KD5XG, Hattiesburg, MSKen Harris, VE3MNY, Tecumsch, ONThe Hattiesburg American

Photo Gallery

Army of bucket trucks at Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Beach Boulevard in Bay St Louis, Mississippi

Beach Boulevard in Pascagoula, Mississippi

Boats in Gulfport, Mississippi

Carrying all that is left in Biloxi, Mississippi

Cherokee Glen in Biloxi, Mississippi

Waiting in line for gasoline in Poplarville, Mississippi

Damage near Wiggins, Stone County, Mississippi

ERVs leaving to provide hot food to residents

Clothing pours in to Gulfport, Mississippi

First Baptist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi

Phone numbers on a tree in Gulfport, Mississippi

Kentucky State Police relaxing in camp

Loading supplies at Gulfport, Mississippi

Street in Pascagoula, Mississippi the day after Katrina hit

Relief supplies at Waveland, Mississippi

Sister gets a treat at Waveland, Mississippi

Stocking up on donated supplies at Biloxi, Mississippi

Tent City at Thames Elementary School near Hattiesburg, MS

Thankful for obtaining MREs in Gulfport, Mississippi

Tree cleanup in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

What is left of the Waffle House in Gulfport, Mississippi

Waiting for help on Washington Avenue in Pascagoula, Mississippi

In front of the Red Cross Chapter House

US 90 at Bay St Louis