The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) suspended operations for Hurricane Harvey at 1830 UTC after 51.5 continuous hours of activation.

“As always, our sincere thanks to everyone who use 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz for various nets and rag-chews to allow us use of the frequency,” said HWN Net Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV. “Having a clear frequency certainly makes our job easier, and we know those in the affected area greatly appreciate it as well.”

Harvey made landfall around 0300 UTC on Saturday between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, Texas, with Rockport getting hard hit, Graves said. When it came ashore, Harvey was a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 MPH. Overnight and throughout Saturday morning, the storm all but stalled with a forward speed of 2 MPH, although the storm has been downgraded to a Category 1 storm with winds of 75 MPH.

Harvey is the first Major Hurricane to make US landfall since Wilma in October of 2005, and the first Category 4 Hurricane to make US landfall since Katrina on August 29, 2005, Graves noted. “Many people have been seriously affected by Harvey.”