Tornados Hit Southwest Georgia; Hams Respond

QST de W1AW 
ARRL Bulletin 10  ARLB010
From ARRL Headquarters 
Newington CT  February 15, 2000
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB010
ARLB010 Georgia Amateurs Respond to Tornado Disaster

Amateur Radio operators are responding in force in the wake of
tornadoes that struck rural extreme southwestern Georgia this week,
killing more than a dozen people and injuring many more. Georgia
Section Emergency Coordinator Tom Rogers, KR4OL, reports that hams
from nearby communities including Moultrie and Albany have turned
out to help.

Twisters late Sunday and early Monday leveled a housing development
in the town of Camilla, in Mitchell County. The town was one of the
worst-hit areas. The storm also tore roofs from houses and flattened
mobile homes. The storm caught many residents by surprise since
warnings were not issued until after they'd already gone to bed for
the night.

Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes has declared a state of emergency in
Colquitt, Grady, Mitchell and Tift counties. Georgia Emergency
Management Agency reports emergency shelters have been set up in
Camilla and Moultrie.

''Shelters are open, and the Georgia Baptist Hams are setting up
feeding locations and assisting with the cleanup,'' Rogers said.

An HF emergency net is running on 3975 kHz to coordinate activities.
Rogers advised all participating stations to monitor that frequency.
If relief operators are requested, operators should coordinate
through the emergency net on 3975 kHz before attempting to enter the
disaster area.

Thousands were left without power in Georgia and elsewhere. The
storm that wreaked havoc on Georgia was part of a system that also
struck Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama before moving
into Georgia, Northeastern Florida and the Carolinas.

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