The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) will activate at 7 AM EST (1100 UTC) on Wednesday, October 24 for Tropical Storm Sandy, in support of WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida. As of 2 PM EST on Tuesday, October 24, the storm is about 275 miles south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica with maximum sustained winds reaching 50 miles per hour. Sandy is moving in a north-northwesterly direction at about 5 miles per hour, and is expected to strengthen in the next 48 hours, reaching hurricane status as it approaches Jamaica on Wednesday.

According to HWN’s Stan Broadway, N8BHL, HWN members expect to be active on 14.325 MHz, as well as 40 and 80 meters, depending on propagation. They will also try to monitor Cuban stations. “Amateur stations in the affected area should be aware of the storm and be prepared to operate from a place of safety,” Broadway said. “We will be looking for condition reports from stations in the affected area. We do appreciate the consideration of amateur operators in keeping the frequency clear and listening for possible relays.”

A hurricane warning is currently in effect for Jamaica, while a hurricane watch is in effect for the Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Las Tunas, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin and Guantanamo. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Haiti, while a tropical storm watch is in effect for the Central and Southeastern Bahamas.