The Brunswick Shores Amateur Radio Club works in close synchronization with the National Weather Service (NWS) to provide critical ground-truth verification when severe or tropical weather systems threaten our region.
📡 Operational Procedures & Infrastructure
When hazardous conditions arise, the Brunswick County Skywarn Emergency Coordinators (ECs) will activate our localized spotter network. Spotters on the ground gather vital meteorological information and transmit reports directly to the ECs.
To ensure our communications remain bulletproof even if commercial infrastructure experiences total catastrophic failure (power grids, internet pipelines, and cellular towers go dark), BSARC leverages advanced tactical radio networks:
- Primary Communications Path: Spotters relay data to the ECs using VarAC FM Chat Mode on a simplex coordinate of
146.550 MHz. - Alternative Digital & RF Assets: Operators can also utilize Single Sideband (SSB) High Frequency (HF) channels across the 40m / 75m / 80m bands, VarAC HF configurations, Winlink email attachments, or the dedicated Brunswick Skywarn GroupMe chat container.
- The Routing Engine: Once reports hit the command desk, the ECs push the verified parameters into the official NWS server interface via their specialized data terminal system (SLACK). This modern protocol speeds up delivery metrics directly to NWS forecasters in Wilmington.
🛠️ Emergency Coordination Contacts: Your localized Brunswick County Skywarn Emergency Coordinators are Dean (N4TYS) and John (KD4VRD).
❌ What to Report to the Net
When reporting weather abnormalities, your transmission MUST contain the foundational parameters: WHAT occurred, WHEN it occurred, and WHERE it occurred.
- 🌪️ Rotation: Any sighting of a funnel cloud, localized tornado, or waterspout activity.
- 💨 Severe Winds: Sustained velocities or gusts measured over 40 mph, or prominent wind damage to structural buildings and trees.
- 🔮 Hail: Ice stones of any size. (Photos are highly encouraged—place a standard ruler next to the stone for scaling if safe to do so).
- 🌊 Flooding: Rapidly accumulating waters. (Always state explicitly if the water is static/standing or moving/flowing).
- 🚑 Casualties: Any weather-related injuries or structural fatalities require immediate priority break-in relay.
🌐 Weather Operations Reference Center
The Emergency Coordinators have compiled a collection of external reference links and interactive operational tracking dashboards for our local spotters and community hams:
🌐 NWS Wilmington Skywarn
Access official training schedules, resource parameters, and local spotter criteria maps.
📊 Tactical Weather Dashboard 1
Review core operational status loops, emergency pager feeds, and local incident wire tracking.
📡 Amateur Radio Dashboard 2
Monitor active solar metrics, local repeater maps, and digital network cluster loops.