ARES ACTIVATION

Robert Hayes10:08 PM

MS ARES Activation Alert: Tropical Storm & Flash Flooding Emergency Communications
Situation: A tropical system currently maintaining maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (25 knots) is expected to track northeastward over warm Gulf waters tomorrow, where intensification is forecasted. The system is projected to move offshore of south Texas tonight, approach the coast tomorrow, and move inland over central Louisiana by Thursday morning before rapidly dissipating.👍

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The primary hazard to Mississippi and the broader Gulf Coast (extending from the Upper Texas coast through the Florida Panhandle, including Alabama and Georgia) is heavy rainfall and significant flash flooding extending into the weekend. Mississippi ARES should be prepared to monitor rising water levels, provide ground-truth situational reports, and pass priority emergency traffic as requested by served agencies.

Served Agencies: National Weather Service (NWS), local Emergency Management Agencies (EMA), and state public safety entities requiring Emergency Communications (EMCOMM) support. Weather Conditions: Heavy tropical downpours, severe flash flooding risks, and potential localized infrastructure failures due to rising water.

Mission: Mississippi ARES will activate to monitoring status at 0900 on 17 June 2026. We will remain on standby to transition to emergency status to provide storm monitoring, flash flood reporting, and EMCOMM relays via DMR, HF, and VHF/UHF networks. If a full activation occurs, MS ARES operations will remain active for the duration of this tropical weather event and subsequent flooding.

Amateur radio operators should monitor local flood conditions, report localized rainfall data, prioritize life-safety traffic, and stand ready to support served agencies if primary commercial telecommunications grids fail. Communication Tasks: North of I-20: Utilize North East Mississippi DMR Talkgroup 31285 for severe weather and regional tracking reports. South of I-20 (Primary Impact Zone): Utilize Lucedale DMR Talkgroup 312801 for rapid flash flooding and tropical storm updates.

Mississippi Section Phone Net (MSPN): Standby and active emergency operations will be maintained on HF frequencies 3862 kHz SSB (Primary) and 7238 kHz SSB (Daytime/Backup). Net Control Stations (NCS) will manage HF operations on a continuous basis if needed. Local Spotting: Utilize local DMR networks and VHF/UHF repeaters for localized severe weather traffic.

CRITICAL NOTE: Ensure immediate, life-threatening flooding situations are reported directly to local civil authorities (911) before transmitting via amateur radio networks. Coordinator Instructions: If necessary, the Section Emergency Coordinator will call for NCS operators to manage traffic on assigned analog voice, DMR, and HF networks. Incident leadership coordination will be maintained continuously via the established GroupMe channel and local VHF/UHF repeater infrastructure.

Personal Readiness: All participating members should be prepared for a minimum 72-hour period of complete self-sufficiency. Ensure personal gear and stations are hardened against water intrusion and power outages.❤️👍👎🤣

Primary Signal: Local VHF/UHF analog repeaters, DMR Talkgroups (31285 / 312801), and HF MSPN frequencies (3862 kHz / 7238 kHz). Tertiary Signal: GroupMe and SMS texting (cellular data permitting).
Safety Brief: Turn around, don’t drown. Under no circumstances should any MS ARES operator attempt mobile operations or drive through flooded roadways to gather weather intelligence. Secure your home station first, monitor local conditions from safety, and do not put yourself in a rescue scenario.