[Fourlanders] [Mw] 2011 Conference Canceled

[whensley11 at comcast.net]

For those with comments about the conference.  I hope my words will fall on the side of grace. 



My name is Kim.  Call is WG8S.  I reside here in Huntsville.  I was at the core of the process to cancel the conference.  I work for the electric utility here. 



No one had any idea of the devastation that would occur here.  In addition to lives lost, and homes lost, ALL the transmission lines into the Huntsville area were lost.  At the time all of this was occurring nobody had an idea about the extent of the damage.  I had some contacts with hams associated with the SVHFS.  I told them I would let them know Thursday morning ASAP about the extent of the outage.  As soon as I got word Thursday morning about the extent of the damage and just how long we could be without power (5-7 days at that time), I put out the word: CANCEL. 



This event and the circumstances are unprecedented - for the State of Alabama; for the communities involved; for TVA's electric system; and, for the conference. 



The simple thing for this conference and ALL conferences to learn from this:  have a notification plan, just in case something unprecedented does occur. 



For those of you who did get on the road, and perhaps arrived here, be thankful you have a home to get back to.  Many folks here do not. 

So... since Wednesday I've been working 12 hour days.  I typed this on my lunch break.  I still don't have power. 



Please... tread lightly when the unprecedented occurs.  The SVHFS did their best. 



73, 

Kim - WG8S