Month: June 2017

Here’s a list of a few of the Public Field Day Events in SW Missouri. Field Day starts at 1 p.m. Central (1800 UTC) Saturday, June 24, 2017 and continues for 24 hours.

Christian County (Ozark, Missouri):  Click Here for a Map
Christian County A.R.E.S. will be operating at the location of the Old Riverside Inn along Riverside Road just north of Finley River Park in Ozark, MO.

Douglas County (Ava, Missouri): Click Here for a Map
The DCAR Radio Club will be operating at 309 N. Jefferson Street in Ava, MO which is the Lions Club building. You can email Teresa KC0OKP at kc0okp@yahoo.com for more information.

Texas County (Houston, Missouri): Click Here for a Map
The Ozark Mountain Amateur Radio Club will be operating in front of Pizza Express in Houston, Missouri. Free Dinner will be served around 5 – 6 p.m. on Saturday!
More information: Via this Newspaper Article

Newton County (Joplin/Diamond, Missouri): Click Here for a Map
The Joplin Amateur Radio Club will be operating from Camp Childress Boy Scout Camp at 12255 State Hwy V, near Diamond, MO.
More information: http://joplin-arc.org/field-day/

Phelps County (Rolla, Missouri): Click Here for a Map
The Rolla Regional Amateur Radio Society will be operating from the Rolla Lions Club Den and Park in Rolla, Missouri.
More information: http://www.rollanet.org/~rrars/fieldday.html

Camden County (Camdenton, Missouri): Click Here for a Map
Lake of the Ozarks Amateur Radio Club will be operating at the Missouri Conservation area on Thunder Mountain Road in Camdenton.
More information: http://www.loarc.com/?page_id=663

The annual A.R.R.L. Amateur Radio Field Day is next weekend! While it’s formatted like many other American Radio Relay League contests, Field Day has much more purpose than just racking up contacts. The A.R.R.L. says that Field Day is ham radio’s open house with one of its main objectives being learning to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. In other words, it encourages us to get out and show off the hobby to others while practicing and preparing for emergencies. The A.R.R.L. adds that Field Day, “…combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event.”

Field Day is always held on the fourth weekend of June. The on-air portion of it starts this year on Saturday, June 24, 2017 at 1 p.m. Central and lasts for 24 hours.

According to the A.R.R.L.’s online Field Day Locator, the Douglas County Amateur Radio Club will be hosting a public Field Day event in Ava, Missouri. The listed address is 309 N. Jefferson Street in Ava which is the Lions Club building. You can email Teresa KC0OKP at kc0okp@yahoo.com for more information.

Whether you go to a public Field Day event or stay home and make a few contacts, let the last weekend of this month be a time for you to review your amateur radio setup and see how you can better prepare yourself to stay on the air following a disaster.

Visit the A.R.R.L. Field Day page for more details at: www.arrl.org/field-day

As we get ready to welcome summer with arms wide open on Tuesday, June 20th at 11:24 p.m. Central, the cleanup from our recent deadly springtime severe weather throughout the Springfield, Missouri County Warning Area continues. A total of 27 counties are eligible for financial assistance from The Federal Emergency Management Agency. Officials are urging residents of these 27 Missouri counties designated in the federal major disaster declaration to register with the agency without delay.

Registration is easy:

• Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Use the FEMA app for smartphones.
• Call 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. CST. Multilingual registration assistance is available. People who use 711 or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362. Those who use TTY may call 800-462-7585.

Eligible homeowners and renters may be able to receive money for disaster expenses not covered by insurance to help pay for basic home repairs, temporary rental assistance and other needs such as replacing personal property. FEMA Individual Assistance is grant money that does not have to be repaid.

FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Michael Parker says not to wait for a Disaster Recovery Center to open in your area. He says folks should register now and start the process as soon as possible.

Filing an insurance claim does not start the FEMA registration process. Neither does registering with the American Red Cross or other agencies. To be considered for FEMA grant assistance, applicants must register directly with FEMA. Even if they have insurance coverage, FEMA might be able to assist with disaster expenses that aren’t covered by insurance.

The 27 counties affected by the April 28th through May 11th flooding that have been designated for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program are: Bollinger, Butler, Carter, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Howell, Jasper, Jefferson, Madison, Maries, McDonald, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Phelps, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, St. Louis, Stone, Taney, and Texas.

Missourians who have critical unmet needs are encouraged to call United Way 2-1-1, which can provide access to other assistance provided by voluntary agencies, faith-based organizations and state agencies. Those who have already called 2-1-1 for help with disaster recovery needs still need to register separately with FEMA.

After registering with FEMA, all businesses and most residents will be referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). SBA provides federal low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters impacted by this disaster. SBA disaster loans are to help pay for disaster repair or replacement costs not fully covered by insurance or other sources. In addition, for small businesses and most nonprofit organizations SBA disaster loans can help meet disaster-caused working capital needs. There is no cost or obligation to apply to SBA.

Homeowners and renters should apply to SBA, even if they are not sure if they will need or want a loan. If SBA cannot approve their application, in most cases SBA refers them to FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance (ONA) program for possible additional assistance

SBA representatives are at all of the Disaster Recovery Centers to help each applicant apply. Applicants may also apply to online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela, contact SBA for additional information at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

In a flashback to last September, another series of earthquakes were felt throughout parts of the Springfield, Missouri County Warning Area last weekend. While these quakes centered between Harrison, Arkansas and Bull Shoals Lake were significantly weaker than the magnitude 5.8 quake that hit Pawnee, Oklahoma on September 8, 2016, they were much closer and were felt by folks in Stone, Taney, and Ozark Counties.

The main quake hit at 7:40 a.m. on Sunday, June 11, 2017, and had a magnitude of 3.6. It was followed by 6 very weak aftershocks. Boone County, Arkansas Emergency Management Officials are reporting no injuries or major damage.

Details about the quakes including a map can be found by clicking here.

2017 Missouri Summer Weather Safety Week: Excessive Heat and Lightning
June 18th – June 24

The National Weather Service, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and the State Emergency Management Agency are joining together to promote Missouri Summer Weather Safety Week 2017: Excessive Heat and Lightning. The following is important safety information that can save people’s lives. Please help spread the word about excessive heat and lightning safety so everyone can have a safe summer.

Before heading to the park, lake, scenic river, ball game or to any outdoor activity be ready for unexpected or even hazardous weather conditions. Get the latest forecast before heading out. Monitor NOAA Weather Radio, local media, or favorite weather app. Pay attention to changing weather conditions (changing skies, winds, or temperatures).
Listen for thunder. Monitor stream levels. Be aware of the effects of excessive heat.

During the past 10 years heat has killed nearly 20 times more people than lightning in Missouri!

The National Weather Service has a trove of information on their website on how you can can stay safe this summer. Visit this link for safety tips, videos, and more.