Dear Editor, I measured and reported 4.53 inches of rain from last Friday’s storm. How much did you measure?
I am a member of an organization called Co-CoRaHS, a group of volunteers who measure and report daily precipitation. Currently, there are only two volunteers in Cibola County who report on a regular basis, and the other one is in Ramah. The June 21 storm brought home to me the importance of this group. Although I normally read and empty my rain gauge the following morning, in the case of a significant weather event we are encouraged to report immediately. Shortly after reporting the fact that I had received 4 inches of rain in 2.5 hours, I received a call from the National Weather Service wanting more details. Fortunately, I was able to send photos and videos, which were appreciated.
Unfortunately, I was the only one in Grants and the surrounding area to report. Some parts of town may have received more, and some may have received less. It would be wonderful if Cibola County had several volunteers. The only expense is a one-time purchase of the official rain gauge, which currently costs $42.00. Reporting daily is not a problem once one gets set up, as I usually just report the default amount of 0.00.
Any interested readers are encouraged to go to cocorahs.org and sign up.
Sharon MacKendrick