Amateur radio operators throughout Hawaii responds that arrived in Hawaiian waters on Saturday August 18, 2018. This page provides progress information on the event. It is updated infrequently, so check the latest advisories from the National Weather Services and Emergency Management agencies.
Last update is Saturday August 25, 2:15 pm. Click here for the last update to the timeline.
Activities are chronicled here. It's not a question of "If", it's a question of "When".
Enjoy, and feel free to drop me an e-mail if you have any questions.
Overview
Early storm track forecasts for Hurricane Lane had the track approaching from the east and south of the Hawaiian islands.
Hurricane Lane approached the Big Island from the southeast as a Category 5 storm, traveing west of the coast of Kona, heading north. It diminished to tropical storm strength, and headed west.
Hurricane Lane information
Information on Hurricane Lane and personal preparations can be found at these links:
- Preparation plans for hurricanes
- Charge your batteries, gas up your vehicles, have cash on hand
and secure your yard and patio items outdoors from high winds
- Central Pacific Hurricane Center
- NWS Forecast Office, Honolulu Watches and Warnings
- NWS Forecast Office, Honolulu
- JTWC Graphic
- University of Hawaii Meteorology Department
- University of Hawaii Meteorology Department
- Weather Underground NEXRAD, Kauai
- Weather Underground NEXRAD, Molokai
- Weather Underground NEXRAD, North Hawaii
- Weather Underground NEXRAD, South Hawaii
- NWS WFO HNL, Surf Forecast
- NWS WFO HNL, Local Storm Reports
- USGS Hydrological Data
- Honolulu International Airport Information
- FEMA
- Hawaii State Emergency Management Agency
- Kauai Civil Defense
- (Oahu) Department of Emergency Management
- Maui County Civil Defense
- Hawaii County Civil Defense
- American Red Cross, Hawaii Chapter
- Dept of Education Schools
- NWS CPHC Hurricane Lane Archive
Reminder
A reminder: Being prepared is a personal responsibility. Stock up ahead of time, and don't get caught in the mad rush to the store to buy stuff. The National Weather Service offers a list of items for preparedness and planning.
A reminder for the general population (and amateur radio operators alike) that the primary means of timely notification of an alert is via the NOAA National Weather Service Weather Alert radios.
Amateur Radio
The amateur radio leadership of NWS SKYWARN and Hawaii (State) Emergency Management Agency RACES and DEM (Department of Emergency Management) RACES coordinated a joint net on the state-wide VHF Repeater system for passing storm information to the National Weather Service Honolulu Forecast office at HIG Building, University of Hawaii at Manoa campus, with supplemental traffic for SCD and DEM. The repeaters of DEM RACES (Oahu County) and SCD were linked using ALL-STAR VOIP linking to create a eight node repeater cluster of both State-wide and around-the-island repeaters for Oahu for reporting and monitoring purposes.
Coordination is via the DMR Hawaii group of repeaters.
| Tue Aug 21 | 2:00 pm |
Maui RACES/ARES start operations in Maui EOC. KH6H staffing. |
| Tue Aug 21 | 3:53 pm |
SKYWARN Coordinator ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) Clem Jung issues preliminary SKYWARN net schedule, starting Wednesday Aug 22 at 6 pm. |
| Wed Aug 22 | 10:00 am |
Scheduled start of Oahu public shelters. Scheduled start of amateur radio shelter operations. |
| Wed Aug 22 | 10:17 am |
ARES activated. |
| Wed Aug 22 | 2:00 pm |
Maui RACES activated. |
| Wed Aug 22 | 6:00 pm |
SKYWARN net activated. |
| Thu Aug 23 | 8:00 pm |
Start of HI EMA RACES net rescheduled. HI EMA RACES is monitoring the SKYWARN VHF/UHF net. |
| Fri Aug 24 | 6:00 am |
SKYWARN/DEM RACES net operations continue. |
| Fri Aug 24 | 6:00 am |
Start of HI EMA RACES HF net rescheduled. HI EMA RACES is monitoring the SKYWARN VHF/UHF net. |
| Fri Aug 24 | 10:23 pm |
HI EMA RACES HF monitoring secured. |
| Fri Aug 24 | 10:29 pm |
DEM RACES deactivated. |
| Sat Aug 25 | 12:15 am |
HI EMA RACES VHF/UHF secured for the evening. |
| Sat Aug 25 | 7:00 am |
State EOC activated. DEM EOC deactivated. ARC shelters to close at 12 noon. |
| Sat Aug 25 | 12:17 pm |
ARC HQ ARES deactivated. 5 ARC shelters are open. BYU, Campbell High, Kalani Hi, Kapiolani, Waipahu High |
| Sat Aug 25 | 1:1 pm |
Maui RACES deactivated. |
Repeater Frequencies
These VHF/UHF amateur radio frequencies are designated for operations during Hurricane Lane.
| Island | Frequency | Mode | Offset | PL Frequency | DEM | EARC | HI EMA | SKYWARN/DEM/HI EMA Net | Comments |
| Oahu | 146.66 | FM | - | X | X | EARC Kailua EOC | |||
| Oahu | 146.76 | FM | - | 88.5 | X | X | DEM Mokuleia | ||
| Oahu | 146.80 | FM | - | X | X | EARC Mauna Kapu | |||
| Oahu | 146.88 | FM | - | 88.5 | X | X | X | DEM/EARC Diamond Head | |
| Oahu | 146.98 | FM | - | 88.5 | X | X | DEM FFMB | ||
| Oahu | 147.00 | FM | + | 103.5 | Kaneohe, Stand Alone | ||||
| Maui | 147.02 | FM | + | X | X | HI EMA Haleakala, out of service | |||
| Kauai | 147.04 | FM | + | 103.5 | X | X | HI EMA Lihue, out of service | ||
| Big Island | 147.04 | FM | + | 103.5 | X | X | HI EMA Mauna Loa, out of service | ||
| Oahu | 147.06 | FM | + | 103.5 | X | X | HI EMA Diamond Head, out of service | ||
| Big Island | 147.20 | FM | + | 100 | Mauna Kea repeater | ||||
| Oahu | 444.325 | FM | + | 103.5 | X | X | HI EMA Waimanalo | ||
| Oahu | 444.350 | FM | + | 103.5 | X | X | HI EMA Diamond Head |
The DEM EOC and SKYWARN simplex frequency will be 146.58 MHz in the event of a repeater system outage. The Oahu district simplex plan is in effect.
HF Frequencies
These HF amateur radio frequencies are designated for operations during Hurricane Lane.
| EOC | Frequency | Mode | Comments |
| Hawaii County | 3888 kHz | LSB | Hawaii County ACS (TBD) |
| HI EMA | 3993.5 kHz | LSB | HI EMA RACES |
| HI EMA | 5330.5 kHz | USB | HI EMA RACES |
| NWS Manoa | 7080 kHz | USB | SKYWARN |
| HI EMA | 7088 kHz | LSB | HI EMA RACES |
| Hawaii County | 7095 kHz | LSB | Hawaii County ACS |
| Hawaii County | 7178 kHz | LSB | HI EMA Alternate |
| Hawaii County | 7195 kHz | LSB | Hawaii County ACS Alternate (TBD) |
| American Red Cross | TBD | LSB | |
| DEM RACES | TBD | LSB | DEM RACES |
| Healthcomm | TBD | LSB |
ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator
On Tuesday, August 21, SEC Clem Jung KH7HO released an information update.
To all,NWS will activate the HAM SKYWARN Net effective 6 p.m., Wednesday, August 22, 2018. It may be activated beyond Friday, August 24, 2018, depending on the storm.
We will be on HF 7.080 LSB for voice and Fldigi. Also the State RACES linked repeater and the DEM RACES repeaters will be linked. They are:
- 444.325 pl 103.5 (Waimanalo)
- 444.350 pl 103.5 (Diamond Head)
- 146.760 no pl (Peacock Flats)
- 146.860 pl 88.5 (Mamawahua)
- 146.880 pl 88.5 (Diamond Head)
- 146.900 pl 88.5 (Kahuku) (NEW REPEATER)
- 146.980 pl 88.5 (FFMB/Downtown)
Also the AllStarlink will be utilized as well. On Oahu it will be the EARC repeaters:
- 146.660 pl 88.5 (Kailua)
- 146.800 pl 88.5 (Manakapu)
- Plus the various nodes on the Hawaii AllStarlink
Those on Winlink you can send your SKYWARN messages to [email protected] or to [email protected].
Please listen to the NCS as to what reports are being requested. We will also have at least two HF relay stations on Oahu to help pass on messages to KH6SW on HF.
Whether you are a register SKYWARN weather spotter or not, request all amateur radio operators to participate in this SKYWARN activation.
For those ARES stations, especially on the Big Island, please support any agencies requesting your assistance. The VOAD Mauna Loa repeater, 146.720 pl 100, is available for use by all Hams. No one agency can have exclusive use. It is open to all. Suggest several ARES members monitor this repeater for any emergency traffic.
Request widest dissemination of this email.
Be prepared, be safe.
Clem Jung (KH7HO)
HI State SKYWARN Ham Coordinator
Pacific ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Hawaii State Emergency Management Agency
HI EMA RACES operations is being handled remotely. The SKYWARN/DEM RACES net and 7088 kHz are monitored remotely for traffic. The operations started at Thu Aug 23 at 8:00 pm and secured at 11:00 pm. VHF/UHF operations started on Fri Aug 24 6:00 am. HF 7088 kHz monitoring has secured on Fri Aug 24 at 10:23 pm. VHF/UHF monitoring has secured on Sat Aug 25 at 00:15 am, to resume in the morning.
HI EMA RACES remote operation from 7:00 am to 8:30 am. To resume at 11 am.
.
AH6RH and KH6WG operated during this event.
Department of Emergency Management RACES
DEM RACES to staff the EOC starting on Wed Aug 22 at 6 pm.
DEM RACES secured the EOC position on Fri Aug 24 at 10:29 pm
.
Oahu Shelters
These public shelters were staffed with amateur radio operators during Hurricane Lane.
| Shelter | Operators | Comments |
| Aiea High | ||
| Brigham Young University Hawaii | ||
| Campbell High | ||
| Castle High | ||
| Dole Middle | ||
| Farrington High | ||
| Kaimuki Middle | ||
| Kaiser High | KH6FLO | 13 clients |
| Kalani High | AH6OO | |
| Kapolei High | ||
| Leihuko Elementary | WH6CPH | |
| Leilehua High | ||
| McKinley High | ||
| Nanakuli High and Intermediate | KG7TSB, WH6CPH | 111 clients |
| Pearl City High | ||
| Radford High | ||
| Stevenson Middle | ||
| Waialua High and Intermediate | WH6CQX | |
| Waimanalo Elementary and Intermediate | WH7GG | 8 clients |
| Waipahu High |
The shelters to close at 12 noon Saturday.
Maui RACES/ARES operations
The Maui EOC was staffed. KH6H staffed on Tue Aug 23 from 2:00 to 6 pm. KH6H, KH6UU and NH6Y rotated coverage in the EOC. NH6Y staffed until Fri Aug 24 8:00 am.
NH6Y responded to the Lahaina Civic Center shelter evacuation and cell tower fiber cable cut on Fri Aug 24 9:10 am.
American Red Cross Headquarters
The WH6ARC station was staffed by KF7NGK.
The Star-Advertiser Reporting
These are links to articles from The Star-Advertiser.
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August 23, 2018. Updated: August 25, 2018 DISCLAIMER: Ron Hashiro Web Site is not responsible for the content at
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