ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - Alachua County has installed a new meteorological observation system at the High Springs Fire Station. Alachua County Commissioner Ken Cornell won the free WeatherSTEM system in a drawing at the Florida Association of Counties conference in November 2017.
WeatherSTEM provides users with an integrated meteorological observation system that allows Alachua County residents to receive real-time information on local weather and its impacts.
View the WeatherSTEM System here.
A smartphone app for the system is also available. This new system complements the existing stations located at the University of Florida and the Alachua eSchool.
Alachua County Emergency Management Director John Shaw stated, "This system is part of the growing suite of emergency preparedness tools available free-of-charge to Alachua County residents, including the AlertAlachua Emergency Notification System, Alachua County Facebook and Twitter websites, the Special Needs Registry, and now the WeatherSTEM system."
In the past year, Alachua County has seen significant flooding along the Santa Fe River, as well as the potential for black ice on the bridges in the High Springs area. This system will provide first responders and residents with current information about the weather conditions in the area, including:
• Real-time lightning tracking,
• Satellite/radar with futurecast
• Wet Bulb Globe Temperature: real-time and forecast
• Push notifications to email, devices, and social media
• NWS alert monitoring
The system installation project could not have been completed without the cooperation and support of City of High Springs Fire Chief Bruce Gillingham, High Springs City Manager Ed Booth, and WeatherSTEM CEO Ed Mansouri.
For more information, please call John Shaw at (352) 264-6510.