Amateur Radio operators put their skills to work during flooding in the Centralia area of Southwest Washington and historic flooding in the Greater St Louis area in December and January. In Missouri ARES® volunteers from three counties pitched in. According to Bill Grimsbo, N0PNP, District C Emergency Coordinator, Amateur Radio volunteers contributed more than 170 hours of service just in his district, working with responding agencies.
“These people commit their personal time as well as working regular hours at jobs that represent a cross section of America’s workforce for the greater good of the community,” he pointed out.
Prolonged rainfall occurred December 26-28, with the heaviest rainfall in a 50 to 75 mile wide swath from Southwest Missouri through the St Louis Metropolitan area and into Central Illinois. The total 6 to 12 inches of rainfall led to life-threatening flash flooding and historic river flooding, capping off the wettest year on record for St Louis at 61.24 inches.
More than 26 radio amateurs from St Louis Metro ARES, St Charles County ARES, Illinois Section ARES, and St Louis and suburban radio club members worked with the American Red Cross in serving some 19,400 meals and coordinating more than 640 overnight stays for those displaced by flooding. ARES and club operators were asked to help coordinate communications among shelters in four counties and Red Cross headquarters. On average, volunteers worked 6 to 8 hour shifts, employing repeaters maintained by area radio clubs.READ MORE
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