Courtesy of the ARRL website:(Jun 1, 2007) -- The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season officially began June 1, 2007, and runs through the end of November. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami is the focal point for hurricane predictions and advisories once a storm is identified. Information on the storm is gathered from a variety of sources, one being Amateur Radio. When a hurricane comes within 300 miles of landfall, the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) generally is activated; the net may also be activated for a tropical storm that is expected to intensify to hurricane status. HWN's primary thrust is to provide information to the NHC regarding the position and conditions within the storm area and providing advisories to those in the affected area who might not have any other way to get that information. HWN is not a "check-in" net, and checking in from outside of the affected area is strongly discouraged. HWN is also not a health and welfare traffic net but it will provide information as to frequencies where health and welfare nets are operational. When there is a named storm, feel free to tune to 14.325 and listen, but please don't transmit unless you have good reason. When the HWN is in operation, keep in mind that a clear frequency on either side is appreciated, since reporting stations will often be using makeshift antennas and low power. You can get up-to-date information on the storm, as well as receive the latest outlook and advisory bulletins via e-mail, at the Hurricane Watch Net Web site.
