September 2015

Storm and Tropical Storm Joaquin Coordination Message #2 – Late Tuesday Night 9/29/15-Early Thursday Moning 10/1/15 Storm Potential

September 29, 2015 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

..Active Weather Pattern for the next few days in Southern New England. Starting with a storm system from Wednesday into Thursday along a cold front and then attention turns to Tropical Storm Joaquin just north of the Bahamas..
..A Flood Watch remains in effect for late tonight through Thursday Morning for Northern Connecticut and Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester, Middlesex and Essex Counties of Massachusetts for 2-4″ of rain and the potential of urban, poor drainage and low lying flooding and the possibility of small river and stream flooding. Mainstem rivers should remain in their banks. Strong winds are also possible in any convective activity across much of the region during the storm late tonight through early Thursday Morning with the potential for isolated pockets of tree and wire damage..
..A Coastal Flood Advisory is now in effect for South Coastal Rhode Island including Bristol, Eastern Kent and Southeast Providence Counties Rhode Island and Southern Bristol County Massachusetts from 8 AM-Noon for minor coastal flooding at the time of high tide Wednesday Morning due to southerly/southeast wind flow. Minor to pockets of moderate coastal flooding are possible at the time of high tide Thursday and Friday across East Coastal Massachusetts including Cape Cod and the Islands as winds shift to the northeast.
..Tropical Storm Joaquin will bear watching as we get into late this week through the weekend. Joaquin is expected to reach hurricane strength within the next day or so. Track variance is very wide at this time and will likely narrow down in the next 24 hour period..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation is likely Wednesday Morning. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are possible on later Wednesday into Wednesday Night. Specific timeframes for any ops remain under review. Additional activations are possible near the time of high tide for several days this week along with during any rounds of heavy rainfall..

After a very quiet period of weather for most of September, the weather will become quite active late tonight through early Thursday Morning with the potential for active weather through the weekend. A Flood Watch remains in effect for Northern Connecticut and Western, Central, and Northeast Massachusetts for late tonight through early Thursday Morning for 2-4″ of rain and the potential for urban, low-lying and poor drainage flooding and possibly small river and stream flooding. Other areas could see 1-2″ of rainfall. Strong winds will be possible in any convective activity that occurs with the potential for isolated pockets of tree and wire damage during this storm. It is noted model trends have been north and west with the heaviest rainfall with some of it occurring north and west of the NWS Taunton coverage area but these axes of heavy rainfall could also occur in more convective showers and possible thunderstorms over Southern New England and will bear watching.

Winds on Wednesday are now expected to remain southerly or southeast. This means the area to watch for coastal flooding on Wednesday will be over South Coastal Massachusetts. A Coastal Flood Advisory is now in effect for South Coastal Rhode Island including Bristol, Eastern Kent and Southeast Providence Counties Rhode Island and Southern Bristol County Massachusetts from 8 AM-Noon for minor coastal flooding at the time of high tide Wednesday Morning due to southerly/southeast wind flow. Minor to pockets of moderate coastal flooding are possible at the time of high tide Thursday and Friday across East Coastal Massachusetts including Cape Cod and the Islands as wind shift to the northeast.

Tropical Storm Joaquin will bear watching as we get into late this week through the weekend. There is high uncertainty right now regarding the track of Joaquin with storm tracks as far east as Bermuda and other models suggesting a US East Coast threat. Future model runs in the next 24 hour period will best discern any threat from Joaquin for the weekend time period. There is a slight bias currently towards model tracks closer to the US East Coast at the time of this coordination message issuance but could change over the next 24 hours.

SKYWARN Self-Activation is likely Wednesday Morning. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are possible on later Wednesday into Wednesday Night. Specific timeframes for any ops remain under review. Additional activations are possible near the time of high tide for several days this week along with during any rounds of heavy rainfall. Another coordination message will be posted either Wednesday Morning depending on storm operations or Wednesday Evening. A shortened coordination message could also be issued if Ops at NWS Taunton are initiated during the day for Wednesday for the storm. Below is the NWS Taunton Flood Watch Statement, Coastal Flood Advisory Statement and Hazardous Weather Outlook as well as the Tropical Storm Joaquin advisory information:

NWS Taunton Flood Watch Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wgus61.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton High Rip Current Risk Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

Tropical Storm Joaquin Advisory Information:

Tropical Storm Joaquin Public Advisory:
http://kamala.cod.edu/TPC/latest.wtnt31.KNHC.html

Tropical Storm Joaquin Forecast Discussion:
http://kamala.cod.edu/TPC/latest.wtnt41.KNHC.html

Tropical Storm Joaquin Forecast/Advisory:
http://kamala.cod.edu/TPC/latest.wtnt21.KNHC.html

Tropical Storm Joaquin Wind Speed Probabilities:
http://kamala.cod.edu/TPC/latest.font11.KNHC.html

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: (508) 346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
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Storm and Tropical Storm Joaquin Coordination Message #1 – Late Tuesday Night 9/29/15-Early Thursday Moning 10/1/15 Storm Potential

September 29, 2015 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

..After severe weeks of quiet weather, an active weather week will start this evening and potentially continue right through the weekend with several rounds of heavy rainfall, minor to moderate coastal flooding and the potential for strong to damaging winds. Impacts from Tropical Storm Joaquin are also possible as we get to the weekend but far too early to get into specifics on the system’s impact on the region..
..A Flood Watch is now in effect for late tonight through Thursday Morning for Northern Connecticut and Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester, Middlesex and Essex Counties of Massachusetts for 2-4″ of rain and the potential of urban, poor drainage and low lying flooding and the possibility of small river and stream flooding. Mainstem rivers should remain in their banks. Strong winds are also possible in any convective activity across much of the region during the storm late tonight through early Thursday Morning with the potential for isolated pockets of tree and wire damage..
..There is a high rip current risk in effect from 10 AM Tuesday through Tuesday Evening for Southern Bristol County Massachusetts, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard and South Coastal Rhode Island. Minor to moderate coastal flooding is possible at the time of high tide in East Coastal Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands starting Wednesday..
..Tropical Storm Joaquin will bear watching as we get into late this week through the weekend..
..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are possible on Wednesday. Specific timeframes are under review. Additional activations are possible near the time of high tide for several days this week along with during any rounds of heavy rainfall..

There is a high rip current risk from 10 AM Tuesday through this evening on Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Southern Bristol County Mass and Southern Rhode Island. As we get into Wednesday, minor to pockets of moderate coastal flooding are possible as winds shift to northeast across East Coastal Massachusetts and Cape Cod and the Islands. There could be several days of this potential with persistent Northeast winds and high astronomical tides.

Tropical Storm Joaquin will bear watching as we get into late this week through the weekend. There is high uncertainty right now to the track and intensity of Joaquin but this will bear watching throughout the week as some impact as remnants or as a tropical system are possible.

SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are possible on Wednesday. Specific timeframes are under review. Another coordination message will be sent by 10 PM this evening. Additional activations are possible near the time of high tide for several days this week along with during any rounds of heavy rainfall. Below is the NWS Taunton Flood Watch Statement, High Rip Current Risk Statement and Hazardous Weather Outlook as well as the Tropical Storm Joaquin advisory information:

NWS Taunton Flood Watch Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wgus61.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton High Rip Current Risk Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

Tropical Storm Joaquin Advisory Information:

Tropical Storm Joaquin Public Advisory:
http://kamala.cod.edu/TPC/latest.wtnt31.KNHC.html

Tropical Storm Joaquin Forecast Discussion:
http://kamala.cod.edu/TPC/latest.wtnt41.KNHC.html

Tropical Storm Joaquin Forecast/Advisory:
http://kamala.cod.edu/TPC/latest.wtnt21.KNHC.html

Tropical Storm Joaquin Wind Speed Probabilities:
http://kamala.cod.edu/TPC/latest.font11.KNHC.html

Respectfully Submitted,

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Special Announcement: FEMA Advisory – FEMA to Conduct Test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in New England – Wednesday 9/16/15 at 220 PM EDT

September 16, 2015 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

The following is a complete announcement from FEMA regarding a test of the Emergency Alert System as part of National Preparedness Month:

FEMA ADVISORY
FEMA To Conduct Test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island
September 14, 2015

As part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) mission to strengthen preparedness and resiliency during National Preparedness Month, FEMA, state and tribal emergency managers, and state broadcasters associations will conduct a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The EAS will be tested in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, at 2:20 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, and will last approximately one minute.

The test will be seen and heard by the public over radio, television and cable TV systems, with only minor disruptions in programming. It’s designed to occur during the state’s regular monthly EAS test conducted by local broadcasters in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. (It’s also possible the EAS test could be heard or seen in upper New York, as some stations in New England can be received across the New York border.)

The message will be the same as typical EAS test messages, with the word “national” added to the message: “This is a national test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test…” The test is designed to have limited impact on the public, with only minor disruptions in radio and TV programs.

The test requires that participating radio and television stations make a minor configuration change to their station EAS equipment to receive a National Periodic Test (NPT) code message. EAS stations will receive and broadcast a national test message from FEMA’s system known to broadcasters and state alerting officials as the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System or IPAWS. Participation in the test on September 16th is completely voluntary for radio and TV stations and cable operators in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. There is no Federal Communications Commission regulatory liability for stations that choose not to participate. Comprehensive testing and analyzing of alerting technologies will ensure that an effective and reliable system will exist to alert members of tribes, and residents in all six states if an emergency occurs.

The FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System also supports capabilities for state and local alerting authorities to distribute emergency alerts to cellular phones as Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), to broadcast non-weather emergency information to NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radios, and to publish emergency information and alerts to the Internet connected to unique alerting systems that monitor and redistribute alerts through various Internet applications, services, or websites. Internet redistributors of emergency information can include Facebook, Twitter, websites, digital signs and specialized applications (APPS). Devices that serve people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs can also pick up the redistributed alert messages through the FEMA All-Hazards Information Feed partners. While IPAWS supports all of these other capabilities, the test on September 16 will only include the Emergency Alert System through radio, television, and cable TV systems.

In 2007, FEMA began modernizing the nation’s public alert and warning system by integrating new technologies into the existing alert systems. The new system, known as the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) became operational in 2011 and today supports over 700 local, state, and federal users and uses a standardized message format to enable public safety alerting authorities to send the same alert and warning message over multiple communication pathways at the same time to citizens in harm’s way, helping to save lives.

Public safety officials need to be sure that in times of an emergency or disaster, they have methods and systems that will deliver urgent alerts and warnings to the public when needed. Periodic testing of public alert and warning systems is a way to analyze and determine what improvements in technologies need to be made.

September is also National Preparedness Month, and FEMA reminds the residents of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island to be informed about emergencies that could happen in their community. FEMA’s theme this year: Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today. FEMA is encouraging the public to take action now and to make a plan with your community, your family, and for your pets. Plan how to stay safe and communicate during the disasters that can affect your community. Get involved. Build an emergency supply kit. Go to www.READY.gov<http://www.READY.gov> for more information.

For more information on FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, go to: www.fema.gov/ipaws<http://www.fema.gov/ipaws>. For more preparedness information, go to www.ready.gov<http://www.ready.gov>.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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Respectfully Submitted,

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Special Announcement: 2015 Southern New England Weather Conference – Saturday October 24th, 2015

September 12, 2015 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

The Southern New England Weather Conference will take place Saturday October 24th, 2015. Early Bird Registration is now open for this year’s conference. The conference will again be held at Meditech, at the base of Great Blue Hill in Canton, Massachusetts. Some topics that will be covered this year include:

-Severe Weather Preparedness, including a talk by Dr. Lans Rothfusz, Deputy Director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory
-The record-setting winter of 2014-2015
-Short-lived tornadoes, such as the one that struck Revere in 2014

The tentative agenda for the Southern New England Weather Conference can be seen via the following link:
http://www.sneweatherconf.org/2015Agenda.shtml

Registration Fees:
Please note that registration will be stopped after 230 registrants!

Early Bird Registration (Today – Sept 14): $89
Student/Teacher Early and Regular Registration (Today – Oct 19): $89
Regular Registration (Sept 15 – Oct 19): $99
Late Registration (Oct 20 – Oct 23 – at the conference site): $109 (on-line registration will not be available after Oct 19.)
Student/Teacher Late Registration (Oct 25): $99 (same rules as above)

To register by phone, contact the Blue Hill Observatory at 617-696-0562. Complete registration information can be seen via the following link:
http://www.sneweatherconf.org/confregform.cfm

We hope to see many of you at the 2015 Southern New England Weather Conference!

Respectfully Submitted,

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