The Internet-O-Pocalypse we reported on earlier this evening has hit the Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay Command Center, knocking out its communication system, which could interfere with the center’s ability to receive and respond to distress signals.

The center, which is located at the Humboldt County Airport north of McKinleyville, may be able to hear distress transmissions broadcast via VHF-FM radio, but according to a press release the Coasties stationed there “cannot reply or accurately locate the site of the distress” while its main communications system is down.

Here’s the press release from Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay:

The Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay Command Center is currently experiencing an outage of its communications system. Other local Coast Guard units with radio transmission capabilities will continue to monitor VHF-FM Channel 16 for any distress calls, and Coast Guard C-130 aircraft crews from Air Station Sacramento will be airborne over the area to provide long-range radio relay capabilities until the outage is repaired.

Mariners in distress are asked to continue to use their VHF-FM radio, channel 16, and broadcast the nature of distress, number of people on board, their position and if they are wearing life jackets.  Other boaters with VHF-FM marine radios and other Coast Guard units in the area may be able to hear and respond to distress calls.

Sector command center watchstanders may also be able to hear any such distress transmissions, but cannot reply or accurately locate the site of the distress using direction finding features available when the system is up. As a secondary means of communications, Sector Humboldt Bay Command Center asks distressed mariners with cellphone communications to contact them at 707-839-6113.

Any boaters who hear a distress call or see any signs for distress on the water are asked to relay information to the Coast Guard or local authorities.

The communications outage began Monday afternoon and technicians are troubleshooting the problem but cannot estimate when the Sector command center system will be back on line.  The system, known as Rescue 21 <http://www.uscg.mil/acquisition/rescue21/>, provides communications with mariners off the Northern California coast from Oregon to the Gualala River.