Monitor Stations Bring Better Weather Data to the Southeast

摘要

Keeping an eye on weather conditions around critical infrastructure is a persistent problem for public agencies and private owners, particularly in underserved communities far from government weather stations. That was the issue faced by Pam Brownell, director of emergency management for Franklin County, Fla., a low-income coastal county in the state's panhandle. A single bridge links the tourist spot of St. George's Island to the mainland, and knowing when to close the bridge due to winds was a major issue, says Brownell."It's a really high bridge, and we've had vehicles spun around up there due to wind," Brownell says. Two years ago she got a call from a new company named WeatherSTEM that wanted to run a free pilot for its weather monitoring station.