Hi everybody and welcome to the October ALERT Newsletter.

We begin this newsletter on a sad note as I have just received word of the passing of Penny Isbell KA4KUM wife and soul mate of Jay Isbell KA4KUN. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

This month’s newsletter will start off with news of the upcoming ARRL Simulated Emergency Tests.

This year’s October tests will be held on two different dates. Autauga, Cherokee, Montgomery and Shelby Counties will hold their SET’s on October 6 from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon. While Bibb, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston Counties will be holding their SET’s October 13 from 9:00 AM to 12 noon.

There will be various emergency scenarios being played out. The scenario for Shelby County will deal with a complete loss of landline phone service and sporadic and wide-area loss of cell phone service throughout the county and nearby areas.

Hi Everyone,

I hope you had a good Labor Day and are enjoying the early taste of fall. The lengthening shadows tell us that summer is slowly winding down. Soon the storms of our fall severe weather season will arrive as winter tries to sneak in and summer pushes back, not wanting to cooperate and move out of the way.

Now is the time to ask yourself a simple question “am I still prepared for the storms and other dangers that might come?”

You see we humans are reactive creatures. Once something happens, after it’s over and done with THEN we train and plan for the situation that just occurred. We are ready at that point. “Were ready,” we tell ourselves, and then we turn our attention to other things and then in a shorter amount of time than we think, our preparations and training can fade into nothing more than a comforting myth.

Hi Everyone,

I hope this newsletter finds you doing well.

As I type this I am watching the Summer Olympic games.

I’ve always enjoyed the Olympics. I toyed with the idea of participating myself this year, still being a prime specimen, but, I thought I would sit it out this time. After all, a storm might arise and I certainly wouldn’t want to miss that.

One of my favorite moments was watching Queen Elizabeth parachute in with James Bond during the opening ceremonies.

Please resist the temptation to say there are a few politicians that you wish would also take a flying leap. Don’t do it. Resist the urge.

Take a deep breath as we continue.

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Dual Pole Radar Sources

During last month’s meeting we were treated to a very interesting presentation by Kevin Laws on the new Dual Pole Radar system and it’s data interpretation.

Dual pole radar, which by the way, Bing says is available at Walmart.Com (go to http://www.bing.com/ type in “dual pole radar” and see) is new technology which everyone interested in meteorology should familiarize themselves.

The best source I’ve found for basic training is the NWS training sit Continue reading →

Hi Everyone,

In our past newsletters I have tried to interject humor so that the newsletter wouldn’t be as dull as a telephone directory from Minnesota. But, with this newsletter I’ll be dealing with a subject of DEADLY importance.

HEAT & It’s Dangers

We are currently enduring one of the most dangerous heat waves in many years. Heat and heat related illnesses are not something to be shrugged off. About 237 Americans die each year due to heat related illnesses.

The first part of this heat wave lacked humidity, and it wasn’t overly terrible, except for it feeling like a desert. But now, as my instruments agree, the humidity has returned and we are in a seriously dangerous situation.

Our bodies cooling mechanisms – internal blood circulation adjustments, sweating and evaporation are defeated by the high humidity. Though you are rapidly losing your body’s water reserves through sweating, the sweat cannot evaporate fast enough to dissipate the heat in the high humidity.