3 Weather Stations Across Harford Co. Help Protect Residents

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Three weather stations have been set up across Harford County as part of a statewide network to help first responders as they face weather emergencies.

Called Maryland Mesonet, the project is a joint effort between the Maryland Department of Emergency Management and the University of Maryland. The rapid-sampling weather monitoring stations gather data that helps leaders issue weather-related warnings as quickly as possible.

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The data from the Maryland Mesonet, along with a system called HydroNet, are transmitted to the National Weather Service in near real time and simultaneously made available to local and state emergency management personnel, enabling them to warn Maryland citizens of severe weather, such as tornadoes and flooding.

"Wind speed, temperature fluctuations, etcetera, that's getting into the hands of the people who can issue the warnings fastest," said Maryland Mesonet Manager James Hyde.

The weather stations, called mesonet towers, usually stand 10 meters high.

"These weather stations provide critical information during storms and other hazardous situations," Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly said. "The more information we have, the better prepared we will be to protect the citizens of Harford County."

Having real-time data helps county emergency services respond immediately during severe local weather. Being part of a network allows county emergency management staff to monitor conditions in other parts of the state and better gauge what to expect as the weather system approaches Harford County, officials noted.

For example, if soil moisture levels are high in a specific area, creating the potential for flooding during a significant rainstorm, emergency services and other first responders could reduce response times by deploying additional resources to the area before the storm arrives.

Harford's newest mesonet tower was installed last month at Youth's Benefit Elementary School in Fallston. Another is located at the county's public works facility in Whiteford, and the third is at Abingdon Fire Company's House 3 on Willoughby Beach Road in Edgewood.