Good Morning, Friends,
As many of you know, the area where I live in western North Carolina was hit hard by catastrophic flooding and high winds, causing significant damage.
I’m happy to report that my family is safe, and we are incredibly grateful for that. However, like many others, we’ve sustained substantial damage to our property and are currently cut off from town due to numerous downed trees. My efforts over the next week will be focused on clearing the way, so updates here on the SWLing Post will be less frequent. Thank you for your understanding.
If you’d like a more detailed update, I’ve posted one on QRPer.com–click here to read it.
Thank you for all of your kind thoughts and supportive messages!
Best,
Thomas
How different would the death and misery toll be if the potential victims were woken from their sleep by a siren then loud announcement from their radio, once awoken they looked at the screen on the radio to see a map of the track of the approaching hurricane along with zoning of intensity and text warnings in multiple languages. After the hurricane had passed through the radio had a detailed, indexed list of locations where help could be obtained and what was available and when you were driving to one of the locations the vehicle navigation system was redirected around roads closed by the police?
Remember that there are blackouts which has also prevented the cell phone system, mobile and fixed internet is also dead.
This is all available in the Digital Radio Mondiale radio broadcast system which has never been tested in the USA. Instead there is pressure on the Government to perpetuate an over 100 year old technology called AM radio in vehicles which can only contain speech, no alarm to wake potential victims and no maps or text.
The alarm and loud announcements can be limited to just the area specified by the emergency authorities so that ‘the boy does not call wolf’ and be unnecessarily alarmed.
Hi, Thomas. We have been hearing a lot about Helene here in Australia (Adelaide) she is a bitch! Glad to hear you and your family are ok. There are a few Yankee dollars in your coffee account, coffee and America’s finest (Jack Danials) always makes life a little easier! Stay safe, Mark.
I’m glad to hear you and your loved ones are ok… Lets hope there aren’t any more storms waiting in the wings this season.
Dear Thomas,
I am Giuseppe Morlè from Formia, central Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea…
I am so sorry for what you have suffered because of the hurricane…
I am very close to you and I am happy because you are all well…
You will surely know how to start fixing the damage you have had…
I pray for you and send you a brotherly greeting.
73. Giuseppe Morlè iz0gzw.
The devastation and loss of life is stunning. Glad to hear your family is safe. We all need to prepare and practice. 73s, Ian
https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/headlines/dozens-of-radio-stations-were-knocked-off-the-air-by-helene
How many cell phone base stations were blown over or stopped working due to blackouts?
Thank you for your update.
Glad you and yours are okay.
Prayers in His name for you and all in your vicinity – Rip.
P.S. Pls post updates weekly? Thx.
I’ve just been reading coverage in the US press about North Carolina, with many photographs showing scenes of complete devastation.
Glad you’re safe, all the best.
Dear Thomas, Family, Neighbours and Friends,
Glad you’re fine and able to assist your neighbours!
Very sorry you’ve lost all those fine trees. Hope you can use the lunber.
Let us know if there’s anything we can do to assist you.
Best wishes,
Julian
Very glad to hear you and your family are safe.
73 de W3WHK
Praying for your safety as you clear all those trees. Wear heavy gear and eye protection, watch for power lines and slipping/wet chain saws!
Thomas, I’m sorry to read what’s happened to you. Glad to hear that you and your family are safe. Please take care of yourselves. I wish there was something we (I) could do. 73s Andreas
Dear Thomas, I’m very sorry that you’ve suffered the impacts of this climate cataclysm. I sincerely hope that you and your family may recover from this as soon as possible. A fraternal hug.
We’ve been watching the news about NC & TN & of course FL & thinking about you & your neighbors dealing with 30+ in. of rain & gales. Glad you & your family are OK. Be careful with that chainsaw. 73
Thanks for updating the community on your status, Thomas. Stay safe and be careful clearing debris
73
Greg
VA7BC
Thomas, I’m sorry to read your update on the hurricane and to hear that you and your family have been damaged
I hope you can get things sorted out quickly.
I am also glad you are ok.
When you get the time, I am interested in the usefulness and type of warnings, before the hurricane hit, during the fury of the hurricane and the information you need afterwards, for recovery.
I ask this because the USA has the Emergency Alert System on AM radio/ TV/internet and Cell phones. I believe NOAA transmitters as well?
Did you have to generate your own electricity, did you lose cell phone connection dure to the blackout, fixed line internet to your hours?
I ask this because of the campaign to keep AM radio in vehicles is using the argument that the EAS system requires the large coverage area as compared to cell phones and FM radio.
Digital Radio Mondiale has Emergency Warning Functionality which will wake the radio and any potential victims, switch the receiver to a warning channel on that transmitter, increase the volume to maximum and make the announcements from the emergency controllers. In addition receivers or a receiver containing Wifi can show images such as maps on the screen. Jounaline allows multiple simultaneous emergencies in close proximity to have their text messages indexed to location. TPEG traffic data can be fed into vehicle’s navigation system so that the driver will be rerouted to avoid Police closed roads. A controlled access system is also available so that only those with a radio which contains the required code can be used by the emergency services to minimise boredom and minimise fear in the population.
DAB+ is now introducing a warning system as well.
HD radio in the AM band has not been popular with broadcasters because of adjacent area interficient issues.
I hope you will be ale to get back on your feet soon.
Mangosman
Glad to hear you’re OK, on the air and even online! I hope you can all recover from this in no time and find a good purpose for all that lumber! 🙁 I mean nothing against some free lumber but the delivery method… 0 stars!