AcuRite Helps Severn Fire Department Mitigate Flooding
A small community fire department in Severn, North Carolina relies on volunteer firefighters to protect the community of Northampton County. To keep the community prepared and safe, they do their best to reach out to as many residents as possible in their service area to inform them of severe weather. By warning the residents early, they help them plan ahead so they can protect themselves, their loved ones, and their property.
Problem
Severn is no stranger to flooding conditions. Back on July 4, 1995, Severn had a storm that produced over 6 inches of rain in less than one hour, causing major flooding to 16 homes. A rain gauge at the town hall recorded the event with a total of 12 inches that evening. Numerous people were without a place to live for months during repairs to the damage they suffered.
Solution
An AcuRite Atlas™ with lightning sensor was installed at Severn Fire Station. This wireless weather station can help them monitor storm progression while keeping an eye on rainfall totals. With this weather data in real-time, they keep the community updated on developing weather systems in hopes to mitigate flooding damage to low areas of their district. They also share the weather data directly with community members through My AcuRite. When they installed the weather station, they also set up the AcuRite Access™ for remote monitoring through www.myacurite.com. Severn Fire Department believes giving people advanced warning is key to keeping them safe.
Results
The Severn Fire Department announced its new weather station installation on their community Facebook page. The community loved it! They quickly had 24 followers signup to access the data through the My AcuRite app from the convenience of their smartphones, tablets, or computers. Also, 30 people have enrolled in their weather alerts email list! This weather station is currently the only reliably-reporting weather station in the area; previously, they relied on distant TV stations. An additional bonus to having this real-time weather data is their location in a rural farming community. The farmers in the area greatly benefit from knowing how much daily rainfall their crops receive and can plan accordingly.
Also through My AcuRite, they have enabled Weather Underground sharing for additional exposure in the community. See the Severn Volunteer Fire Department weather data on Weather Underground.
