Hi Everyone, I hope all is going well with you and yours & that you aren’t melting in this August heat. These are some of the most dangerous days of the year, simply due to the heat. About 237 Americans die each due to heat related illnesses. Our bodies cooling mechanisms – internal blood circulation adjustments, sweating and evaporation are defeated by the high humidity. Though you are rapidly losing your bodies water stores, the sweat cannot evaporate fast enough to dissipate the heat in the high humidity. To help identify the danger zone, and express how the combined temperature and humidity “feels” or effects the human body the Heat Index was developed. Heat Index can be calculated using the simple algorithm (I have wondered what ever happened to the old word “formula”): HI = -42.379 + 2.04901523T + 10.14333127R – 0.22475541TR – 6.83783×10 ^-3 T ² – 5.481717x Continue reading →

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Hi Everyone, June has arrived & with its arrival begins the North Atlantic Hurricane Season, which will last until the end of November. Hurricane season predictions are an inexact science, but most soothsayers are saying, that due to El Nino fading away, we will have a severe tropical season. How severe depends on whom you ask. NOAA is predicting 23 named systems, with 8 to 14 hurricanes, 3 to 7 of which will be major. Dr. William Gray & Phillip Klotzbach of Colorado State predicts 18 named systems, with 10 hurricanes, four of which will be major. Florida State has issued the news that they believe there is an 89% chance of the US being hit by a hurricane that would “cause property damage”. Personally I predict a 100% chance of hurricane related property damage either wind or water related within a 150 mile radius of landfall, with the greater damage potential occurring on the right side of the storm path, especially if at high tide, on a bay and it being on a full moon, going with the operating assumption that a storm actually forms and that it actually makes landfall on the continental US… <str Continue reading →

Hi Everyone, The last few weeks finally saw active weather, which produced callouts. I want to thank all who participated in the callouts. From the feedback I’m getting we did well. For those who where unable to respond, don’t be discouraged. Just keep on keeping on & stand by for the next callout. For others, will surely come & things will finally work out where you can get in on the action. A couple of “housekeeping notes” I’ll pass along. We have had a few requests for access to NWSchat lately from non-ALERT members. To have access you must be a paid up Operational ALERT member, which includes being a currently licensed amateur radio operator, who can respond to callouts. If you are reading this and are not a member, I invite you to join. We welcome you and we need you. For more details visit our website given above. Continue reading →