VoIP helps hurricane response

The Voice over Internet Protocol Hurricane Net (VoIPWX) responded to the multiple landfalls of Hurricane Gustav in unprecedented fashion, showing how VoIP networks are revolutionizing disaster response and reporting. VoIPWX's mission is to help save lives and property during hurricanes through RF to VoIP transmissions of local weather conditions and the timely dissemination of this information to authorities such as the National Hurricane Center.

Public information officer Lloyd Colston said VoIPWX's response to Hurricane Gustav was a success story for the organization.

"We got reports from places we never would have heard from so soon 10 years ago," Colston said. "When Gustav made landfall in Jamaica, we got many reports, and analyzed them as a team, where we needed to send them, who could best address them. We also got a lot of reports from Cuba once it made landfall there, and we were able to pass them on to the appropriate authorities so that people could get the help they needed."

Colston stressed the importance of establishing connections before a storm landfall is imminent, as those connections that can be tested and networked before a storm situation are more effective. He said the ham radio community slowly accepted the transition to VoIP more and more as the efficacy of the program was demonstrated.

VoIPWX could get another big test soon, if Hanna threatens the U.S., Colston said VoIPWX would be ready.

"The program lets people send in specific conditions on the ground, like wind speed, barometric pressure, and any flooding that may be occurring," Colston said. "In the future, with AirCards and such, I think it the updates could be even more frequent and sustainable during a big storm." 

For more:
- see the VoIPWX website here

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