BROOKHAVEN, Miss. (AP) - The National Weather Service is looking for volunteer weather watchers in Lincoln and Lawrence counties.
Jackson-based weather service hydrologist Marty Pope told The Daily Leader (https://bit.ly/1kHJlgO) that more people are needed to monitor and report local weather conditions. The reports, he said, can help keep local residents informed when inclement weather threatens.
Currently, there are no weather watchers in Lincoln or Lawrence counties, he said.
After a flood struck Fort Collins, Colo., in 1997, the weather service decided a base of community weather reporters could help it make predictions when heavy rainfall swells local waterways.
Pope said there hasn’t been an active observer in Lincoln County since 2012.
“We are missing volunteers in more of our rural counties in Mississippi,” Pope said. He said he thinks limited access to the Internet is keeping down the number of volunteers.
Pope said people of all ages are welcome to participate. All that’s needed is Internet access to permit the participant to submit reports and a measurement tool that costs around $30.
There is some training involved, but Pope said the weather service will provide information the weather watcher would need to get the job done.
“We’ll send people what they need,” Pope said, “but, it requires them purchasing a rain gauge,” he said.
“The most difficult part is measuring precipitation every day at the same time - that isn’t very hard. I have one at my home and it’s been a habit of mine for years to go outside and get my measurement,” Pope said.
Information about participating in the program is available by calling Pope, meteorologist Daniel Lamb or administrative assistant Joanne Culin at
601-936-2189. Pope’s email is Marty.Pope@noaa.gov; Lamb’s email is Daniel.Lamb@noaa.gov.
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Information from: The Daily Leader, https://www.dailyleader.com
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