Lightning Strikes the National Weather Service Station - Did the Amateur Radio Station Survive ?

Public Information Statement
Sunday, September 2, 2007

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
920 AM CDT SUN SEP 2 2007

...LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE ANYWHERE...
AS WE CONTINUOUSLY EMPHASIZE LIGHTNING SAFETY...KEEP IN MIND THAT
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE ANYWHERE. NO ONE PERSON OR EVEN BUILDING IS
IMMUNE TO A LIGHTNING STRIKE. ON FRIDAY EVENING...THE END OF AUGUST
WENT WITH A FLASH AND THEN A LOUD BANG AS A LIGHTNING BOLT HIT THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE LOCATED IN CALERA.
NUMEROUS COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND OTHER HARDWARE WERE AFFECTED BY THE
STRIKE. HOWEVER...MOST ROUTINE OPERATIONS WERE NEVER INTERRUPTED AND
PRODUCTS CONTINUE TO GO OUT AS NORMAL.
THERE ARE A FEW ITEMS AND PRODUCTS OF NOTE THAT WERE IMPACTED.
MOST OF THIS HAS TO DEAL WITH PRODUCTS NOT UPDATING ON THE WEB-PAGE.
THESE INCLUDE:
POINT AND CLICK FORECAST
GRAPHICAL FORECAST IN THE BMX CWA SCALE
HOURLY FORECAST
THE OBSERVATION TABLE ON THE FRONT PAGE
CURRENT OBSERVATIONS
THE GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK (THE TEXT
VERSION OF THE HWO IS STILL UPDATING PROPERLY)
THERE WAS ALSO A LOSS OF THE COMPUTER THAT RECEIVES THE UPPER DATA
FROM THE BALLOON LAUNCH. THIS WILL RESULT IN NO UPPER AIR DATA
UNTIL THE SYSTEM IS REPAIRED.
SEVERAL PRODUCTS WILL BE MISSING DATA. THESE INCLUDE THE DAILY RIVER
SUMMARY(RVA)...AS WELL AS THE HOURLY WEATHER ROUNDUP(HWR).
THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED...AND PARTS ARE ON ORDER
FOR ALL OF THE HARDWARE ISSUES.
$$
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The condition of the ham radio station at the NWS is still up in the air, preliminary reports indicate one damaged radio and some PC connectivity problems..... we hope to have a detailed report soon.

Rod, N1YZ