Hello to all….
….Updated for Picture Archive and Partial Recording of the North Shore Radio Association ARES-SKYWARN Net from June 2nd along with cause of the damage and an EchoLink recording of WX1BOX talking to N1YLE on the 145.49 Ipswich Repeater via EchoLink….
North Shore SKYWARN activated for a powerful Severe Thunderstorm known as a supercell that downed large trees and numerous communities and prompted two Tornado Warnings along with Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for Essex County Massachusetts on the evening of Saturday June 2nd, 2007. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was in effect for much of the NWS Taunton County Warning Area until 8 PM that Saturday Evening.
Hail up to 1″ in diameter fell and accumulated to as much as 3-4″ deep in some locations. Hardest hit communities included Georgetown, Haverhill, Newbury, West Newbury, Rowley, and Ipswich. The hail was enough to crack the windshield of one of the spotters vehicle’s, N1HWA-Phil Knight, who was right inside the storm. He sighted a wall cloud with the storm and reports of rotation within the storm were received.
Various Amateur Radio Operators, who were monitoring the storm from their homes, went down into their cellars when the Tornado Warning, when they got back from their cellars, they noted wind damage at their QTH along with evidence of hail ranging from Pea to Quarter sized as the storm went through the area. The 145.47-Danvers Repeater served as the main repeater for the activation but the 146.64-Waltham, 145.23-Boston, 145.13-Gloucester and 145.49-Ipswich Repeaters were monitored as the supercell worked through the area.
Five members of the North Shore ARES-SKYWARN Team spent much of the day Sunday taking pictures of the damage swath over Georgetown, Rowley and West Newbury. Much of the damage appears to be straight-line winds associated with either several microbursts or one macroburst. NWS Taunton forecasters reviewed the incident and determined straight-line wind damage associated with microbursts as the cause of the damage.
With Public Safety busy handling the incident, Amateur Radio Operators provided key information on the extent of the wind damage and large hail as it happened, while public safety personnel handled the clean up from this significant supercell. The hams provided key information on the supercell as it happened for the National Weather Service to protect life and property and the information was disseminated through the Local Storm Report.
The North Shore Radio Association complete collage of damage pictures along with a partial recording of the SKYWARN Net from June 2nd, 2007 can be found at the following link:
June 2nd Damage Assessment Pictures Video and Partial Net Recording
Other Amateur Radio repeaters were monitored during these warnings including the 146.64-Waltham Repeater from NWS and the 145.23-Boston Repeater was monitored by Mark-KB1EKN and the 147.39-Beverly Repeater was monitored by Gabriel Ricker-KB1OKU. The Ipswich Repeater was monitored via EchoLink by WX1BOX with reports received through the efforts of N1YLE who suffered structural damage from the storm. You can listen to the recording at the following link:
WX1BOX Speaks with N1YLE on the Ipswich Repeater via EchoLink
Special Thanks to North Shore Assistant SKYWARN Coordinator and ARES Emergency Coordinator, Jim Palmer-KB1KQW, North Shore ARES DEC, Eric Horwitz-KA1NCF, ARES Assistant EC, Matt Dempsey-KB1MRH, SKYWARN Spotter Phil Knight-N1HWA, Mike Griffin-KB1OHZ and all other SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators who assisted in providing important reports on this dangerous supercell. Also, special thanks to all repeater owners for the use of their repeaters during this serious situation. An archive of pictures of damage from this supercell will be made available on the NSRA web site in the next few days.
Respectfully Submitted,
Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Pager #: (508) 354-3142
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo
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