ALERT ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SOUTHERN REGION HEADQUARTERS
244 PM CDT WED AUG 31 2005

TO: ALL SOUTHERN REGION OFFICES
FROM: SOUTHERN REGION HEADQUARTERS REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER
SUBJECT: STATUS OF WFOS AND RFCS AFFECTED BY KATRINA

LATEST STATUS OF OFFICES AFFECTED BY KATRINA:

COMM RESTORATION: EFFORTS STILL UNDERWAY FROM MCI TO RESTORE COMMS
AND LATEST ESTIMATE IS POSSIBLY UP TO ONE WEEK. ALTERNATIVES ARE
ALSO BEING ACTIVELY EXPLORED BY SRHQ.

RADAR UPDATES: THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF THE NCF AND THE RADAR
OPERATIONS CENTER...DATA FOR THE FOLLOWING RADARS HAVE BEEN REROUTED
AND SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ON AWIPS AND THE WEB: DGX, POE, EVX, AND
GWX. STILL WORKING ON ACCESS TO LCH RADAR THROUGH AWIPS AND ON THE
WEB.

WFO LIX: MCI COMMS IS DOWN. THEY ARE RECEIVING INFORMATION...BUT
CANNOT SEND ANYTHING OUT OF THE OFFICE. WFO MOBILE IS BACKING UP
OPERATIONS. ALL PHONE LINES ARE INOPERABLE, INCLUDING NAWAS. RADAR
IS DOWN AND ROC TEAM IS ON THE WAY TO THE OFFICE TO WORK ON IT.
CONTACT IS NOW POSSIBLE THROUGH A SATELLITE PHONES THAT ARRIVED LATE
YESTERDAY EVENING AND THIS MORNING. FOUR MORE ARE ON THE WAY. ALL
STAFF HAS BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR EXCEPT ONE NON CONTACT TO AN EMPLOYEE
WHO MAY BE IN A SHELTER. A RELIEF CONVOY FROM SRHQ WILL ARRIVE TO
THE OFFICE SHORTLY. A SECOND CONVOY FROM SRHQ SHOULD ARRIVE
TOMORROW AND INCLUDES IMET SUPPORT EQUIPMENT. POSSIBLY UP TO THREE
EMPLOYEE HOMES DESTROYED...SEVERAL ARE UNINHABITABLE AND MOST OTHERS
HAVE MINOR TO MODERATE DAMAGE.

WFO LCH: MCI COMMS IS DOWN. THEY ARE RECEIVING AWIPS INFORMATION...
BUT CANNOT SEND ANYTHING OUT OF THE OFFICE. WFO HOUSTON IS BACKING
UP OPERATIONS. PERSONNEL FROM WFO LCH AT WFO HGX TO ASSIST THE
BACKUP OPS.

WFO JAN: MCI COMMS IS DOWN. THEY ARE RECEIVING AWIPS INFORMATION...
BUT CANNOT SEND ANYTHING OUT OF THE OFFICE. PHONE CALLS CAN BE
RECEIVED...HOWEVER NO LONG DISTANCE CALLS CAN BE MADE FROM THE
OFFICE. WFO HUN IS BACKING UP WFO JAN OPERATIONS. WFO JAN
PERSONNEL ARE AT WFO HUN TO ASSIST THE BACKUP OPS.

WFO SHV: ON DIAL BACKUP AND OPERATIONAL.

WFO MOB: MCI COMMS IS OPERABLE. THEY ARE BACKING UP WFO LIX. WILL
LIKELY TAKE OVER GRIDS FROM WFO TAE ON THU WHEN 2 FORECASTERS FROM
WFO BMX ARRIVE FOR SUPPORT.

WFO TAE: MCI COMMS IS OPERABLE. THEY ARE BACKING UP GRIDS FOR WFO
MOB.

WFO BMX: MCI COMMS IS OPERABLE. THEY ARE OPERATIONAL.

WFO HUN: MCI COMMS IS OPERABLE. THEY ARE BACKING UP WFO JAN.

WFO MEG: MCI COMMS IS OPERABLE. THEY ARE OPERATIONAL. SOME LMRFC
STAFF AT WFO MEG CONDUCTING LMRFC OPERATIONS. SOME LMRFC PERSONNEL
WILL GO TO WGRFC BY THURSDAY AND TAKE OVER OPERATIONS.

WFO HGX: MCI COMMS IS OPERABLE. THEY ARE BACKING UP WFO LCH.

$$