hurricane Irma has just wreaked havoc on several nations & small islands in the Caribbean area of our planet and some of those islands have not only lost numerous, if not almost all buildings, but also their ability to communicate with the outside world.
This not only hampers the rescue & relief efforts since no clear picture of the disaster can be obtained by voice or written reports or simply some photographs/videos being taken and transmitted to those who can deliver help, but also leaves confusion and room for dangerous rumors. If no 'proper' flow of information can be upheld people inside and outside a disaster area tend to spread rumors or 'hearsay info' which can result in panic or looting or violence.
In order to uphold proper communication channels basically two things are required: electricity and communication equipment with all 'attached stuff' like fully operational antennas or cables connected a network/grid.
Electricity is usually distributed via power lines, which are often prone to get destroyed if they rely on poles rather than on underground cables. Even when the entire electricity grid consists of underground cables, there must be some inter-connectors and substations in the system which could easily be affected by flooding or metallic debris flying around by strong wind. A blackout of the entire system or only some parts of the AC power grid also affects all kinds of communications from landlines to GSM & other wireless networks to HF/VHF/UHF transceivers and satellite comms equipment.
When the regular power grid is down it might take days, weeks or even months to repair it because spare parts are often available from local stocks only in limited quantities. Everything from miles of cables, wooden or concrete poles, insulators, entire substations, etc must be ordered from one or more manufacturers and then there's often the problem of damaged or destroyed roads/airports/ports which makes purchasing new vital equipment a challenge.
So very often it is better for individuals/firms/authorities to rely on DC backup systems or on a 'private', small scale AC network powered by diesel/generators or by a or solar 'island solution'(offgrid) consisting of solar panels, batteries and (DC>AC) inverters. With the help of a BESS system connected to a part of the regular power grid or even the entire grid, an AC system can be powered up again with some solar and/or wind generators instead of power stations running on conventional fuels. However this medium range solutions will also take some time to fire up, since the damaged grid can require multiple replacements or repairs.
According to Dutch minister Plasterk the situation on St. Maarten is momentarily rather bleak concerning electricity & telecommunication:
translation: There has to happen a whole lot on St. Maarten, communicationEr moet ontzettend veel gebeuren op Sint-Maarten, de communicatie met het eiland is nog moeilijk, zegt minister Plasterk. pic.twitter.com/UfIU42Tqtq— Eppo König (@e_konig) September 10, 2017
with the island is still difficult, says minister Plasterk,
# Please note that all links marked "commercial" provided in this blog post are only to demonstrate that all mentioned products or methods are readily available. Of course there are many other similar products on offer by competitors and all hardware mentioned here isn't a "must buy" recommendation. So everyone interested in such products should do proper market research.
Offgrid solutions, small & medium sized
Local 'private' solutions are easier to transport and to fire up, but relying on liquid fuels like gasoline or diesel might also be a problem in a disaster zone where gas stations are either sold out or destroyed. The fuel distribution system needs to be intact in order to produce electricity locally or small scale wind/solar generators have to be used in order to be independent from properly working fuel distribution system. In can even be most cost effective in the long run and it's safer because the improper use of fuel powered generators pose a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. There have been disasters in the past where people either didn't heed the warning of authorities not to use generators inside buildings or didn't read the instruction manuals or both.
Carbon Monoxide Deaths: Generators Cause At Least Nine Fatal Poisonings After Hurricane Sandy [Huffingtington Post, Nov 2 2012]
Besides the CO problem conventional generators produce noise & need maintenance (lubricants/spare parts/service personnel) just like any car/truck. During maintenance a second backup generator has to be used or there is 'planned blackout'. Solar systems don't need much (or no) maintenance but wind generators do, albeit much less than combustion engines.
commercial storage hardware
size: ¹=small,²=medium,³=big
All-in-one solar power solution [Victron] ¹ #
Stand-Alone Solar Solutions [SMA] ¹/² #
Y cube - unsere plug-and-play Energiespeicherlösung [Younicos,pdf 6 pages,German] ²/³ #
Y cube - plug-and-play energy storage solution [Younicos,pdf 6 pages,English] ²/³ #
Powerwall [commercial,14kWh] ¹ #
Tesla Powerwall [Wikipedia] ¹ #
10 home batteries that rival Tesla’s Powerwall 2 [Business Insider, May 18th 2017] ¹ #
Solar/Wind info
Solar yield calculator [EU Commission, 4 Europe,Africa,Asia]
RE Explorer [NREL]
Solar Maps [NREL]
Wind hybrid power systems [Wikipedia]
Extra strong solar panel (4000 instead of usual 2400 Pascal wind pressure)[commercial] ¹/²/³ #
approx 10KWpeak (53 pcs) =795kg,& 67,7 square meters (installed)
Offgrid solutions, micro size
8 best solar chargers [The Independent, Apr 13 2016]
10 ways to make your phone's battery last longer [CNET, Aug 26th 2017]
Offgrid cooling*
(12/24V DC = more efficient than 230/110V AC systems)
Welcome to Waeco Fridges UK [commercial] #
* think about cooling for medical purposes first and then there's the general need for refrigeration of perishable food.
Renewable goals, energy prices and economics
(before Hurricane Irma struck the island & outlook)
(this section is currently under construction)
Energy Snapshot Saint Martin/Sint Maarten [NREL, pdf 5 pages,ENG]
(detailed data re. production, distribution & consumption of electricity - 2012(!))
Duur
Consumenten in St. Maarten betalen $0.35 per kWh voor elektriciteit. Curaçao en de Bahama’s zijn het duurst in het Caribisch gebied met $0.42 en Suriname, dat hydro-elektrische installaties gebruikt, het goedkoopst met $0.05 tot $0.11 per kWh.
translation: Expensive. Consumers in St. Martin pay $0.35 per kWh for electricity. Curacao and the Bahamas are with $0.42 the most expensive in the Caribbean area, and Suriname which uses hydro-electric generators is cheapest with $0.05 - $0.11 per kWh
Duurzame en betaalbare energie in Caribisch Nederland [rijksoverheid.nl,pdf 18 pages, Dutch] (Just for islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius & Bonaire)source:St. Maarten publiceert ambitieus energiebeleid [Caribisch Netwerk, Sep 5th 2014]
Landlines
advantage:
does not need power at client side, although many customers use base stations & wireless units, which don't work without electricity.Keeping old fashioned telephones for emergency use recommended
disadvantage:
poles with phone lines can be damaged by storms, switchboards can also suffer from wide spread power outages or can be affected by flooding or wind damage.
HF transmitting equipment
advantage:
Can be used to establish long distance connections (up to thousands of miles/kilometers) in different operation modes (CW/morse code, voice or data), does not need to depend on sophisticated existing networks. Can be used mobile/portable.
works like a radio broadcast, multiple receiving stations can pickup message
disadvantage:
Depends on atmospheric conditions (daytime/nighttime & solar winds),
good antenna
Outside world must monitor the used frequencies/operating modes
signal reception often varies
often legal restrictions apply in various countries
high power consumption for transmitting energy (depending on output)
Phone Patch, Autopatch and HF/VHF/UHF Operating Guidelines [re.:USA,ARRL]
VHF/UHF transceivers
Usual range ca. 0-200 km
advantage:
usually more stable connections than much lower HF frequencies, higher data rates / better voice quality are possible because of more available bandwidth
does not need to depend on sophisticated existing networks. Can be used mobile/portable.
works like a radio broadcast, multiple receiving stations can pickup message
disadvantage:
For maximum range high-gain antennas are needed which sometimes are difficult to use in urban areas. Another problem are mountains/valleys which can block propagation of airwaves as well as large buildings.
in some countries legal restrictions can apply
high power consumption for transmitting energy (depending on output)
Satellite based communication
advantage:
depending on system operator could work on the entire planet
stable high speed/data rate connections
quick & easy to setup communication
works without existing infrastructure and could substitute broken systems
ideal as backup after destruction of regular lines of communication
disadvantage:
depending of frequency bands used can be affected by tropical rain downpours
Antennas (dishes, flat square) might not work in buildings, densely populated areas - mostly need free line of sight from client unit to orbiting satellite
expensive (hardware & operating costs)
in some countries legal restrictions apply
Il y a aujourd’hui des unités de téléphones satellitaires qui peuvent permettre au Gouvernement de communiquer en cas de désastres. #Haiti— Communication Haïti (@MCHaiti) September 11, 2017
HF transceivers (commercial website)
Satellite based communication
VSAT systems [Wiki]
VSAT coverage maps & FAQs [commercial website]
BGAN systems [Wiki]
SNG & Microwave Systems [Wiki re video & audio broadcasts]
Satellite backbone & small GSM network [&WIFI=preferred technology]
GSM Rural Extension | Site Installation [commercial website] #
Rural Mobile Telephony: A VSAT (Satellite) based Approach
[by F.E. Idachaba & F.O. Edeko,pdf,Covenant University & University of Benin]
AT&T GSM Microcell [commercial, pdf file 12 pages] #
Iridium system
multiple phone lines [commercial website, French] #
various Iridium phones [Iridium] #
all kinds of SATphones [commercial website,UK] #
US National Guard's Hurricane Irma response
"The JISCC is specifically tailored to support unique homeland defense and civil support mission requirements," said Maj. Michael Holton, commander of the 233rd Space Communications Squadron. "It provides non-secure voice, data, video, intra-team radio, and radio interoperability for first responders supporting the incident commander."source: Colorado National Guard sending special communications facility and crew to South [Nationalguard.mil Sept 10th 2017]
If Internet access is still available, saves network capacity:
Hurricane Sandy - Emergency communication setup using Twitter
[EZR,Nov 2 2012]
Preparation
The impact of a catastrophic event on communication infrastructure can be very limited if:
A existing technology is more resilient (strengthened/reinforced) and has a backup system which could ideally be fired up within minutes or installed in a matter of hours.Countries can force the private sector to invest in resilience by granting/renewing network operating licences only when all requirements are met. Requirements should include wind/rain/flooding/shaking scenarios and consider all possible 'Achilles heels' including installing backup power facilities high enough above ground to avoid flooding.
>>The pre-event tsunami hazards study, if done properly, would have identified the diesel generators as the linchpin of a future disaster. Fukushima Daiichi was a sitting duck waiting to be flooded.”<<source: Fukushima disaster was preventable, new study finds
[Robert Perkins,University of Southern California]
Regarding structural failures of TV/Radio/Cell towers this was found ::
source: Hurricanes and their Effects on Buildings and Structures in the Caribbean [by Tony Gibbs, Director, CEP, oas,org]
2.2.6 Telecommunication Towers and Masts (Photo 6)
These are almost always consciously-engineered structures. There is no good reason why so many of them fail in hurricanes. The bad reason is usually inadequate procurement procedures. Specialist advice is not often sought in specifying design criteria for suppliers or in checking that specified criteria have been met. The most common destruction of engineered structures in Caribbean hurricanes is in this class of facility.
So this section on towers and masts suggest that in principle a design withstanding even the highest wind speeds would be possible to implement on those regions, but so far not too many firms/people/authorities cared about this resilience. Some SHF antennas (parabolic, offset or other designs) used for long distance connection either for horizontal (terrestrial) point to point connections or for a satellite link up/downlink have a problem since they have a high wind drag and the materials widely used aren't not thick enough to widthstand the high torque forces. They either bend or break which on both cases renders them useless and usually they can't be repaired. Some more research has to done on satellite dishes made from solid concrete and their 'survival rates' during tropical storms. They do exist, this author has seen some of them built by ham radio operators. They used this material because of the low costs and in order to be able to cast the dish according to their own specifications (like e.g. F/D ratio). A ground mounted satellite dish made of solid concrete should be able to absorb high winds and even impacts of smaller objects without to much damage.
Some examples of similar structures have been found: Acoustic mirror [Wikipedia]
The alternative for increasing the chances of 'dish survival' would be a protective cover. Either those giant 'golf balls' made of extremely strong reinforced plastics (because metals would block incoming/outgoing SHF signals) which could allow operation to continue even during a storm, or a metal cover, some kind of 'garage' which can house the dish safely during the storm. It would have the advantage to shield the disk also from projectile impact provided the steel or better titanium is thick enough.
Kevlar comes to mind, because it's used in modern bullet proof vests or how about adding a steel reinforced concrete layer at the back of a commercial carbon fibre satellite dish. Creativity and testing is needed.
National authorities should demand that vital communication infrastructure should be able to survive a set of dangers that can be expected in the area such an entity will be or was constructed.
Archives and historical records should be (re)checked for clues about quantity and magnitude of such catastrophic events in the past and new regulations should be of course as stringent as the worst case found on record or what scientists of various faculties believe are possible in the future. After such a area specific analysis it would also be easier to determine what option (A or B) to pursue.
The New Yorker's Amy Davidson, meanwhile, recalls Haiti's recent 7.0-magnitude earthquake, which was less powerful than Japan's but decimated the country's vulnerable infrastructure and killed hundreds of thousands of people. "The scenes from Japan are awful," she writes, but comparing the disasters in Japan and Haiti provides "evidence of why earthquakes are political and economic, almost as much as natural, experiences." Buildings in Tokyo swayed, other water-drenched structures collapsed, and cities in northern Japan suffered more than the capital, Davidson writes, but Tokyo "hasn’t been flattened in anything like the way Port au Prince was."source: Did Engineering Save Lives in the Japanese Earthquake? [The Atlantic, Mar 11 2011]
In a sign of Tokyo's reslience, images are now surfacing of the Tokyo Tower, re-lit and relatively unscathed.
source: Japan builds Tokyo Sky Tree, world's tallest tower [CNET, Mar 1 2012]
The Sky Tree's shinbashira is a hollow concrete tube housing elevators and stairs. It's structurally separate from the exterior truss but is joined by oil dampers, which help reduce quake shaking.
"The anti-quake measures in this structure can reduce quake vibrations by 50 percent," Hirotake Takanishi, PR manager for Tobu Tower Sky Tree, told me. "We've run simulations showing the Sky Tree will withstand an 8.0-magnitude earthquake, and can withstand even stronger ones, but we can't say definitely what its upper limit is."
B replacement hardware is safely stored nearby and doesn't need to be purchased from manufacturer once such an event happens. Ideally logistic experts like military has 24/7/365 access to such storage places in order to react fast enough. A storage place near a tactical airlift airport would be ideal.or
Reliable Hurricane prediction gives logistics/technicians at least 3 days time in advance to predict possible impact and to plan for effective approach to restore full, or at least partial, communication ability in order to reduce additional negative impact on the local population. Runways and properly working ports are important, but so is communication for multiple reasons.
Currently and in the near future earthquakes can't be predicted in advance.
Possible improvement rapid response
current conditions Sint Maarten:
engl.:"Situation on Sint Maarten is dire also due lack of basic needs andToestand op #SXM is grimmig. Mede door gebrek aan primaire levensbehoefte en communicatie. Daarom aankomende dagen opvoeren van capaciteiten— Koninklijke Marine (@kon_marine) September 9, 2017
communications. Thus in the upcoming days capacities will be increased."
Royal Dutch Navy
In order to avoid a delay caused by difficult conditions at one or more airports in the disaster area in coastal areas Navy vessels equipment with state of the art satellite communication abilities should also allow an optional microwave link from shore to ship and allow a 'bridge' function of on-board comms equipment with communication equipment deployed in the disaster zone. At least communication channels under the control of own troops should be able to establish a satellite link. If 'comms teams' are deployed before e.g. a hurricane hits the designated area they could use the time between they are safe to setup their gear and the time the Navy vessels are back in range of the microwave link after they have left the theater in order to avoid being affected by high winds and/or high seas. VHF/UHF link is also a possibility, which should be easier to establish, but has less usable bandwidth. In case of current island scenario it could have worked for local officials to use an emergency GSM network (restricted by special SIM cards or by phone IMEI numbers) including a direct link to the Netherlands or France.
Radio/TV
The full extend of damage to various Caribbean Islands is not know at this point and hurricane Jose trailing Irma has not left the area. According to preliminary reports some transmission towers not only carrying GSM cell phone signals but also those carrying radio and television signals have been knocked out by Irma and those which may have managed to survive the first blow might not endure a second beating by Jose. It should be considered to equip Navy vessels with some lower power FM transmitters for radio broadcasts and VHF/UHF transmitters for emergency TV channels usage.
Sans téléphone, sans internet, les rumeurs agravent les difficultés sécuritaires et matérielles. Attention aux rumeurs. #Prison #SaintMartin— Annick Girardin (@AnnickGirardin) September 9, 2017
Such low power transmitters (200W - a few KW) have been in use in the past at various Airforce and Army barracks where US, UK or other countries' forces have been stationed. A local population in a disaster zone with access to regular and reliable information might start to spread dangerous rumors and it is also useful to provide vital information in a time where there's a media blackout as well as a power blackout. Many locals have small radios or TV sets or at least have smart phones or tablets, but during a long lasting power blackout a free of charge distribution of e.g. simple solar chargers or the establishment of generator powered public recharging stations could be the first step to restore some control. Once the public has access to limit amounts of electricity they can use their devise to receive important messages such as planned evacuations or a constant flow of information that additional resources are being sent in. Larger Navy vessels like US carriers already have own TV studios and a CCTV system which just need to add a small transmitter."À cause du manque d'informations, les rumeurs les plus infondées circulent à Saint-Martin" https://t.co/dPxCt8JGgs pic.twitter.com/XVOiTY0Rot— LCI (@LCI) September 10, 2017
Regarding FM radio broadcasts it's also worth remembering that not only households have radios,but there also portable radios, those in in cars, and also many modern phones have built-in FM radios (often the headphone cables serve as an antenna). Regarding broadcasts from ship to shore, there's nothing unusual about it since this was done since the 1960s by various radio pirates which circumvented national broadcast legislationRadio d'urgence : les fréquences seront communiquées dès que possible dans la journée du 10 septembre ainsi que lien pour l'écoute en ligne https://t.co/YNaPqfw4nY— franceinfo (@franceinfo) September 10, 2017
in the UK : Radio Caroline
and in the NL : Radio Veronica
So the idea that Navy vessels should be able to broadcast in emergency situations isn't so far fetched at all. Especialy when keeping in mind that many larger population centers around the globe are near or directly located at the coast.Of course using FM band instead of long or medium wave (in AM) would make much more sense nowadays. If Navy vessels are also used for emergency assistance their role in 'rumor control' and informing the local population (with perhaps some entertainment as well) should be made possible by adding some broadcast equipment consisting of transmitter and a rotatable Yagi antennas .
source: WSJ , Sep 8 2017>>Speaking at the same news conference, Dutch Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk said that some 70% of the houses on St. Maarten have collapsed. After days of major difficulties in communicating with the island, “some communication” has now been restored, he said.Soldiers have distributed leaflets and used megaphones to tell locals to stay indoors, as Hurricane Jose is expected to pass north of the island later on Saturday. Most patients have been evacuated from the island, the minister said.<<
Although good old leaflets are better than no information at all, they also require some logistics to get printed and distributed. It might take some investments to be able to deliver 21st Century solutions to our vacationing citizens and locals alike, but once modern communication assets are in place it sure makes getting the 'official word' out much easier & faster. Many people have sophisticated hardware to receive such messages and are perhaps even more than willing to provide feedback to authorities in order to speed up and optimize rescue & relief efforts. Once the broken communication channels (radio/TV/GSM networks/WIFI) the citizens are familiar with are restored the mood will most likely change from 'grim' to 'a bit more relaxed'. Considering bandwidth scarcity during the initial phase, perhaps starting firing up GSM SMS messaging service and public WIFI with only a limited number of open ports for the use of messaging apps like Whatsapp, Twitter, Facebook would be sufficient. It would certainly send a positive message that the local, disaster struck society isn't warped back some fifty or more years when they have to cope without electricity and modern electronic communication for many days or even weeks.
Hurricane Irma was terrible, there's no question about it, but it has been mentioned back in 2015 in a blog post regarding the need of much better organized disaster response in case something really catastrophic with many thousands of deaths and widespread chaos happens. On the scale suggested in the earlier article, current emergency in the Caribbean area of our planet is perhaps a level 1 or 2 event. Much bigger earthquakes or tropical storms, or *god forbid* the impact of an asteroid, will happen some time in the future, so a much quicker and more focused response can actually save lives. We are lucky to have so many very useful gadgets - we only have to use them when we lose the vital infrastructure in a disaster event. Mass tourism to very remote areas of the planet also requires more preparedness to support, inform and if necessary also to extract our citizens from their vacation destinations. NATO has excellent logistical skills to handle the aftermath of such unfortunate, but inevitable events - just a few adjustments or upgrades needed in future.
Wireless radio and TV services are easier to provide than power which could be generated aboard the vessels, but thick cables are required to provide electricity for most important onshore buildings like e.g. hospitals/police stations/jails. Depending on the size of a Navy vessel maybe not a bad idea to have 1 or 2 smaller spare generators (conventional or solar/batt system) for such events on board.
planned future related blog releases:
Please note that a second blog post on (timely) evacuations of tourists especially from NATO countries using common NATO resources under a unified command is also 'in the pipeline'. Recent developments in the aftermath of hurricane Irma will be mentioned as well as conclusions from natural disasters which happened in the past.
(in order to fulfill that vital civil protection task for citizens living/vacationing abroad, defense spending in all NATO member countries must be brought back to 2% of GDP where this required minimum isn't currently met)
note: as always during an unfolding event it's highly likely that some additions will be added later to this blog post
related articles (multiple languages)
re TV:
Hurricane Irma legt tv- en radiozenders Sint Maarten plat [tvtotaal.nl, Sep 6 2017]
List of television stations in the Caribbean [Wikipedia]
Huisvesting [re NTSC system being used in Sint Maarten, www.vakantienaarsintmaarten.nl]
NTSC [Wikipedia]
re radio:
Broadcast 500W and 1KW FM Transmitters [commercial] #
#SaintMartin #SaintBarthelemy Urgence Info Îles du Nord émet en français, créole et anglais sur 91.1 à Saint-Martin https://t.co/04QdpJRhQ3 pic.twitter.com/uJVhB9PM0T— franceinfo (@franceinfo) September 10, 2017
#StMaarten: air evacs suspended for today. We continue to communicate w/ US citizens via social media, radio (101.1 FM) & phone w/ hotels.— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) September 10, 2017
US Citizens in #SaintMartin (French side): French police recommend continuing to use 101.1 FM on radio for English language instructions.— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) September 13, 2017
re Social media:The power of public radio. Great video of @wgcu in Fort Myers & how they kept people informed during Hurricane Irmahttps://t.co/P46mrdK0lP— Russell Lewis (@NPRrussell) September 11, 2017
How to use Twitter during a major catastrophe [EZR, May 2015]
How should governments respond to disasters in the digital age? @CBjola #Irma https://t.co/IRveaSYQIc— RUSI (@RUSI_org) September 11, 2017
re power storage systems:We provide #disasterrelief, storm clean up&health/wellness info on all our social media. Stay connected with us! https://t.co/Fexh75gR4b— Harris County PH (@hcphtx) September 11, 2017
for households:
Nissan geeft auto-accu's tweede leven in je meterkast [RTL Z, May 13th 2016]
Prevention strategies to limit impact of catastrophic events [EZRdevelop, Nov 2012]
Automatic link establishment
