It doesn’t happen often, but I made a mathematical mistake. I’ve always been good at math and it’s not often that I screw up and don’t catch it.
However, I did just that on the last post in this blog.
I stated that 77.5 knots was equal to 86.25 miles per hour. It’s not.
In reality, 77.5 knots X 1.15 (the proper conversion factor) = 89.125 miles/hour.
I have no idea where I went wrong on the previously published figures, but it’s corrected now. We had winds at my house with a velocity of damn near 90 miles an hour. That’s fairly quick.
I have no idea what the wind speed was at the center of the downburst or microburst that ripped the roof off the nursing home or folded the tower over at Gene’s house. It was probably a lot faster than the wind speed I recorded here approximately two miles from the most serious damage.
Whatever the wind velocity really was, we really got quite lucky in that there were no injuries during the storm. The spring storm season is approaching here in Texas and I just hope that we’ll continue to be as fortunate as we’ve been and that our severe WX season will pass with no injuries and minimal damage.
Start preparing now for the spring storm season. Remember, in many cases it’s not really an emergency if you’re prepared for it.
73,
ldb
K5WLF
I am an a Navy Air traffic controller in Fort Worth here from Indiana. I would like to get involved in weather and emergency services in the Bedford Area, or even Fort Worth. Can you point me in the right direction?
Mike Heskett (WB5QLD) is the Volunteer Coordinator for Skywarn at NWS Fort Worth. You can email him at:
(call-sign) AT arrl.net
Welcome to Texas and thanks for your interest in working with Skywarn.
73,
ldb
K5WLF
Thanks. Also, do you know of a repeater list published any where for the area besides the ARRL book?
Thanks,
KB9LEF
Some of the Metroplex clubs may have some local lists on their websites, but I don’t know of any comprehensive lists except in the ARRL Repeater Directory.
73,
ldb
K5WLF