Local Severe Weather & Tushka, OK Tornado

Served as initial Net Control for Tarrant County RACES SKYWARN activation: 9:59p to 11:19p. Line of severe storms producing up to golf-ball size hail moved east across far north Tarrant into Dallas Co and E. Texas. Was part of the same system stretching up through OK & KS. My cousin reports 2 family member's houses were destroyed by the large tornado in Tushka, OK yesterday. All are safe. See video of the tornado taken by the Texas Storm Chasers, who stopped to help rescue victims and render aid. Thanks guys!

Since I'm still up

Yay, RAIN!! A line of severe thunderstorms moved through overnight triggering 3 RACES Net activations in Tarrant County. 2 tornadoes in counties just south and further east of here. After our net closed, I listened to the Dallas County RACES Net. Their Net Control talks twice as fast as I even can! She must take notes twice as fast as well! Either that or has an eidetic memory. Or a voice-activated recorder. I use a legal pad and pencil. 

MVP Awards

Gerry Dalton received a Volunteer of the Year award from the City of Arlington for his many years of volunteerism with the Office of Emergency Management. He put in 90 hours organizing and assigning volunteers at the OEM/EOC during Super Bowl Week. I and 3 others received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Office of Emergency Management for our work with the OEM and CERT. This is my second. All attending AFD and OEM Super Bowl volunteers were called to stage and thanked in a an humbling speech by Fire Chief Don Crowson (far right in photo). City website article. Beautiful morning topped off when I won a Gift Basket from Arlington Animal Services full of very nice doggie items. I have cats. After discovering what was inside, I'll probably return all but the stuffed plus puppy that sings "I'm Crazy (about  you)" back to the Shelter volunteers for their use. Or maybe I'll give in after 3 years and adopt another dog.

SuperBowl debrief, SKYWARN, TESSA and so forth

"I really should update more often." How often do you read these words? Must be a lot of us lax bloggers.

The Super Bowl has come and gone - thankfully with the only issues of any particular and immediate concern turning out to be the worst winter weather in 25 or 40 years and understandably upset fans due to stadium seating problems. The unusually cold and icy winter weather moved back north substituting 10 to 15 degrees ABOVE normal within a week or two. A continuing significant drought has led to fire hazard warnings, burn bans, and wild fires throughout North Central Texas and Oklahoma. Rainfall in March was only .06" , the second driest on record. It did finally rain (and hail and blow) on April 4th. I'll take it! The rest of spring is reported to remain unusually dry. We've been on year-round watering restrictions for 2 or 3 years - no sprinkler watering between 10am and 6pm. Hand watering still okay. My neighbor and I both xeriscape (ok, she xeriscapes and I have let the native plants take over as they will). But still she runs a sprinkler every few days and last summer I only watered the front yard a couple of times. My yard benefits from her wind-blown moist spray and my other neighbors frequent watering as well. The back yard, an urban native growth "forest," is on its own.

Hi Ben!!

Well, on to it then. Volunteer activities since last October (that long?  Yikes!) Because it turned out to be so long, comments re volunteering re the Super Bowl have been moved to a separate stand-alone Page. See above.

• November - RACES Check-in and Training Net; Monthly Warning Siren Test cancelled, CERT Continuing Education; AARC
• December 1 - Siren Test
• December 4 - Saturday - Attended the Fort Worth National Weather Service Office's Open House in NW Fort Worth; later served as Net Control for Fort Worth's Jingle Bell Run held in Trinity Park for the first time. The RACES van was instructed to set up in a small parking lot a couple of blocks away from the staging area. That turned out to be inside the course meaning a couple of blocks from the porta-potties and unable to exit the location until after the Start/Finish Gate had been dismantled - some 30 minutes after the end race span - well after dark. The later-than-before start time meant some participants had to finish the unlit 5K course and walk back to their cars in almost total darkness. Really bad idea.
• December 7 - AARC Christmas dinner at The Black Eyed Pea. Yum! Chicken fried steak, mashed red taters with skins & peppery white gravy, and their yellow squash casserole.
• December 16 - CERT Christmas Pot-Luck at the EOC. I was surprised so few attended. With the OEM so focused on the Super Bowl, particularly the several months, CERT activities have been let slide and far too many members no longer participate .

2011

• January 3 - RACES Net cancelled
• January 5 - OEM Siren Test
• January 7 - Served as a CERT volunteer at the EOC preceding and during the first 1/2 of the Cotton Bowl Game - now held in Cowboy Stadium. We used it as a practice drill for the upcoming Super Bowl. Answered one phone call, set out some food, cleaned up and took out some trash, then came home and watched the rest of the game.
• January 18 - CERT ConEd - class held in the EOC as introduction to the EOC and what was expected of OEM volunteers before and during the upcoming Super Bowl event. Attendance required  for those wishing to participate. As I recall 32 of us were there.
• January 28 - Friday - At the OEM for 6 hours but at this point I can't remember what it was about. Super Bowl related I'm sure.
• January 29 to February 7 - info and comments re Super Bowl volunteer experience have been moved to a separate Page due to length
• February 7 - RACES Net
• February 26 - Saturday - Day 1 THE COWTOWN marathon - Net Control for RACES assisting with radio communication between officials, various vehicles on the course, requests for resupply at water stations, etc. This year the events were held over a period of 2 days and the Start/Finish moved from downtown Fort Worth to the "Museum District." This day the Kids 5K and Adult 5K and 10K took place. Arrived in down right chilly temps at 4:30 a.m. The van wasn't heated. All races were concluded and awards handed out before 11:00. Then several of us went to Pulido's for lunch.
• February 27 - Sunday - THE COWTOWN 1/2, full and ultra marathon. 4:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Net Control for Medical frequency and back-up for main Net Control. Another RACES member kept up with supply issues. Each of us kept a hand-written log. Mine is 11 pages long. Weather very windy, somewhat dusty, and a bit warm for running. A few medical issues required transport to hospital. Most were addressed by interns located along the route at various water stations, others at the Finish Line facility. I had to use the car a/c on the way home.
• March 5 - Saturday - all day  - NWS SKYWARN basic and advanced training in Fort Worth at the Convention Center - This is usually held the end of January, but because of the Super Bowl and venue scheduling conflicts it came rather later. Over 400 attended.
• March 7 - RACES Net
• March 11 - Saturday - all day - annual TESSA (TExas Severe Storm Assn) Conference in Colleyville. SUPER STORM SPOTTER training. Not sure why, but I didn't find it quite as interesting as I did in the past. Bought a RACES patch to sew on to my CERT shirt and a decal for the car. 450 in attendance.
• March 25 - Friday - Late evening 2-1/2 hour  ride-along with a member of COPs - Citizens on Patrol - as part of a saturation sweep. We heard a shot. Determined it to be a starting pistol then realized that the activity at the near by high school stadium was in fact a track meet.
• March 26 - Participated in a Tarrant County Radio Drill - purpose was to make sure the numerous local EOCs and a couple of local hospitals could access all of the repeater frequencies in Tarrant County; Dave spent time after the drill familiarizing me with radios that I had not yet used at the EOC. Then I had to contact the COP driver and drive across town to pick up something that had fallen out of my backpack and left in his car the night before.
• APRIL 4 - Initial Net Control during severe weather event beginning at 3:52 a.m., but only because I was awakened by distant rumbles. The storm spotter activation notification system initially malfunctioned. Frankly I rely on a phone call to wake me up rather than turn on my weather radio. Need to rethink that. At 5:12 Gerry (primary Net Control), woken by his truck alarm set off by 3/4" hail, activated RACES. I handed over Net Control shortly thereafter.
• April 4 - RACES Net - Net control for one quadrant of Tarrant County in a "scatter net" exercise. That entails the radio operators initially tuning to the main RACES frequency then being directed to another frequency handling traffic in the quadrant in which they reside.
• April 6 - today - first Wednesday - Siren Test;  Irish Hancock handled the assignments and radio reports in my stead. I did radio in a report for the siren I can hear from home. He advised me next month I'm doing it. For this being his first time to run the siren test net, he did very very well. My concern always is that if the staff figure out those of them with amateur radio licenses can do it then perhaps they won't want nor need outside volunteers - and I rather enjoy having some access to location and staff at the OEM/EOC from time to time. The reality is that in the event of an emergency, we need to be familiar with them and the equipment and they equally with us. They won't have the time to keep up with amateur radio communications.
• April 9 - There is a Municipal Volunteer Program (MVP) Recognition Fair to which I, and I assume other CERT members, were invited to attend. Not sure what it's about. In the past CERT and EOC volunteers were not considered part of the general City volunteer programs. Will be interesting to see if we're being integrated into that system or if the OEM isn't going to have a separate recognition lunch this year.

I pat myself on the back for having the chutzpah to belatedly dive head first into something I was only marginally familiar with. I am also very fortunate and thankful that I've been continually mentored upward and onward during this very interesting ride. Always good to be needed and appreciated some where by some one.

VOLUNTEER - LEARN SOMETHING NEW - MAKE A DIFFERENCE

FREE Game Day Parking at Lincoln Square with $75 in Merchants' Receipts!!

Note:  The bit about only being 1 block from the Stadium is WRONG. It's at least .4 mile from the closest parking spot and could be almost twice that distance. But HEY, IT'S FREE!! Free Lincoln Square Game Day Parking

Coming to Super Bowl XLV? Important Info

A personal welcome to Arlington!! We're delighted to have you! Here's some of the latest important info:

WARNING: Don't bother with most online maps and turn off your GPS.  Due to massive road construction projects on and along I-30 and around the Stadium site in the past few years (some only barely completed in time) most of those services have not been updated and are wrong. Arlington City Officials worry visitors may get lost. 1/23/11 WFAA TV newsstory:

Road Closures: Some roads around the Stadium have already been closed and others will divert or limit traffic for the next couple of weeks, on game day some will be one-way only or closed entirely. See:
www.arlingtontx.gov/superbowl/SBRoadClosureMap.pdf

Information from the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau A good site with comprehensive Arlington and Cowboy Stadium info separate from the official NFL SuperBowl site. Be sure to read the Game Day Security info, particularly about the very tight security measures that will prohibit entering the stadium with items generally otherwise allowed, such as camcorders, baby strollers, food or beverages (those'll be EXPENSIVE!), horns, cushions, etc. Don't even bring them with you from wherever you arrive. They won't let them in and security officials won't watch after them for you. So it's back to the car (if you arrived in one) or I assume they'll end up in the trash. See the surprising list!!  http://www.arlington.org/super-bowl-xlv

Regional Transportation on Super Bowl Sunday:
http://www.northtexassuperbowl.com/going-cowboys-stadium-super-bowl-sunday

The TRE (Trinity Railway Express) station at Centreport is just south of DFW Airport (buses from airport to station if you fly in that morning - but why would you risk that??) where you'll be tranfering to a bus for the apx 9 mile drive to the Stadium, subject to the whims of what is going to be very heavy traffic. Arrive EARLY!! As I understand it, the drop off point will be about 1/2 mile from the Stadium. Same for taxis and limos. Be aware if you're flying in that Arlington does not have public transportation other than taxis. Good luck. Ask your hotel about ground transportation from that location to as close as possible to the Stadium. If a 1/2 to 3/4 mile one-way hike doesn't bother you, the Sheraton and Mariott Courtyard are within walking distance and your best (and perhaps only) bet. Not sure what they are doing for those with mobility issues.

Official Stadium Parking:  The wide security perimeter has taken up much of the official Stadium Parking. http://sbxlv.clickandpark.com/superbowl

Other Nearby Parking - Don't feel like a long hike? The closer you park in these privates lots the more you pay. How about $990 for .1 mile? Others within 1/2 mile as low as $110.  Feel like a 1.2 mile stroll? Only $60 bucks. Looking at the list apparently every business and some churches around there is selling parking space (might as well, the businesses will pretty much have to closed due to Stadium traffic patterns). Lists of parking venues, including official lots, prices and loction map here.  Here's a Star Telegram article with comment by an owner of one of the private lots.

Other Info:

• Official NFL Parking Opens at 10a.m.
• No recreational vehicles or motor homes allowed in official lots
• NO TAILGATING  in official lots
• Taxis will be allowed to drop-off and pick-up on Road to Six Flags located North and West of Rangers Ballpark. (That's almost 1/2 mile)
• There are no bus, limousine, sedan or shuttle drop-off or pick-up areas at Cowboys Stadium - wherever they drop off, you'll have a hike
• NO SCALPING POLICY is STRICTLY enforced - there are eyes in the sky, the transaction will most likely be seen and if so, someone will be arrested, your tickets will almost certainly be forgeries, they will be confiscated and you will end up at the police station (if you can get there) filing a complaint hoping to get your money back instead of watching the game. Because of very sophisticated fake tickets, don't trust anyone offering you any ticket at any price.

Food and Beverage Choices and $$$ inside the Stadium: It ain't cheap, but hopefully better than your typical stadium fare. Maybe. Food & Beverage

Other NFL Events:  All the other events in the DFW area, where, how much, directions, etc.  

CAUTION: You are on candid camera. There are numerous public safety cameras around and inside the Stadium. This is true of every major sports venue and is a really good thing.

JUST ANNOUNCED this morning: In addition to the Black Eyed Peas at half-time, Keith Urban and Maroon 5 have been added to the Super Bowl XLV Fox Pregame Lineup (I foresee the older generations changing channels en masse)
 
The NFL took possession of the Stadium right after the Cotton Bowl on January 7th and is adding all of  it's special touches, including additional interior and exterior seating. Cowboy season ticket holders were advised Friday or Saturday that they may purchase tickets at $200 each (minimum 4) to stand outside and watch on the Jumbo Tron (now WHY would anyone spend an inordinate amount of time in traffic and waste their $$ to do that?? Go to a local Sports Bar if  you don't want to watch SB45 alone at home, for goodness sake!)
 
I've lived in Arlington for decades. If you have any questions or would like additional info about Arlington, the Stadium (yes, I've been inside - twice - even on the field) or Fort Worth (such as Sundance Square that ESPN is going to be Broadcasting from or really interesting things to do), post your questions in the comment section and I'll try to answer them.  I might even accurately respond to questions about the Mid-Cities or Dallas.

See an interesting but not entirely accurate composite of what the Fort Worth ESPN Sundance Square site will look something  like and read the Star Telegram article.

- Linda

OEM Photo & Volunteer Opportunities

A photo of some of the Office of Emergency Management Staff taken and posted on Facebook by the US National Weather Service Fort Worth.  Left to Right: Matt, Rebekah, Irish Hancock (OEM Administrator), Mayor Robert Cluck, NWS (embarrassed but name escapes me) and Fort Worth NWS Warning Coordinator Meteoroilogist Mark Fox.

Since I last posted:

• August:  - RACES check-in and training net and the monthly warning siren test
• September - RACES check-in and training net and monthly warning siren
• September 7 - RACES activation for spin-up tornadoes part of the former Hurricane Hermine system moving north through central and north Texas
• September 8 - RACES activation for torrential rains of  up to 11 inches just south of Arlington causing major flooding across the entire Central and North Texas area - short stint at EOC then home to constant droning of helicopters hovering above flooded apartment complex  (about a mile from my house) taking video of several rescues that made international news. I had over 6" at my house, then my rain guage overflowed.. The creek at the bottom of the back yard looked like a lake. I've never seen it that high. Water came up over the bridge on the major street around the corner. My neighbors, driving around to see the water and damage, drove into water much higher than they expected and ended up with new car.
• September 19 - CERT volunteer at all day EOC Super Bowl Exercise
• October - RACES check-in and training net and the monthly warning siren test
• October 11 - meeting at OEM re the monthly warning siren test - Arlington is instituting an "adopt a siren" program giving local citizens the opportunity to report in on their neighborhood siren rather than having a Ham operator observing it from time to time. There has been some mis-communication as to who is going to observe what siren. Today was the first opportunity to try new approach, but test was cancelled due to weather
• October 16 - served at Net Control for RACES public service event: Alzheimer's Memory Walk held in Trinity Park in Fort  Worth; came back to Arlington and got in on the tail end of Tarrant County Health Department radio exercise that ran considerably past the time expected
• October 23 - brief RACES activation for severe weather moving through NE Tarrant County; F0 touch down at 820 & Trinity Blvd doing limited damage
• October 24 - I wasn't personally involved, but Emergency Manager from Navarro County took this video way too close to the F2 that hit Rice, Texas. See video here:
• October 30 - GO RANGERS!! - World Series Games #3-5 held in Arlington. I was at the EOC for Game #3 - the one the Rangers won!! Answered phones, made coffee, set out pizza delivery for consumption, tossed empty boxes, emptied trash, and watched game on the big screen it was sharing with several traffic camera feeds. It was a bit strange watching the last hitter on the 7-second delay Fox feed while seeing fireworks already going off from a traffic camera in a box next to it. Forgot to take any pictures! Came home and ate coffee ice cream in celebration.