WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #50
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS AND ARES GROUPS ON STANDBY FOR TROPICAL STORM ERIKA
Tropical Storm Erika is now forecast to cross over the southern part of the State of Florida on Monday 8/31/15 and Tuesday 9/01/15 and continue up the Florida west coast. The maximum forecast winds are still in the Tropical Storm range. Florida Governor Rick Scott, signed Executive Order 15-173 at 0800 on Friday 8/28/15. This order allow the State of Florida to prepare and allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to step up preparations and to coordinate logistics with the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management.
At this time, we are requesting all ARES operators in the West Central Florida Section to continue to monitor the latest advisories issued by the National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov, any Hurricane Local Statements or any other local storm information as issued by the National Weather Service Office in Ruskin at http://www.srh.noaa.gov, continue the preparations of your home and property, check your personal supplies to be sure they are in good supply, check out your portable radio equipment in case your local ARES group is activated its served agency or agencies.
All ARES operators should have their contact information up to date in the ARESDB database so they may be contacted by their ARES Emergency Coordinator, or his designee, in case of activation. Also continue to monitor or check on other methods of activation as described by your local ARES Emergency Coordinator.
For more information about Tropical Storm Erika you may check out the Florida Division of Emergency at http://www.floridadisaster.org.