By Sherry Larson

People’s Defender

Did you ever wonder how the weather service obtains data to protect life and property? They use satellites and radar, but according to Thomas Johnstone, Meteorologist-in-Charge of The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, nothing beats volunteer gauge observers like Roger Rhonemus and his sister, Polly Rummer. Johnstone said, “They actually track the precipitation falling and the river and creek levels out there.”

On April 14t, the siblings received an award from The National Weather Service acknowledging 50 years of service. Rummer observed in Adams County for a year and later moved to Licking County, where she measured melted snow for 15 years. Rhonemus has observed and monitored a creek on 348 in West Union for 49 years.

When they started, Rhonemus explained that they reported by sending daily postcards to the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. He relayed that if the water ran more than half an inch or the creek was over five feet, he had to make a phone call. Rhonemus now does much of his reporting via the Internet. By measuring the stream flow and accessing the website, one can determine the number of cubic feet of water coming down the creek. Rhonemus admits to being old-fashioned and said he has over 47 years of printed reports.

The highest daily rainfall total Rhonemus recorded for 24 hours was after the flood of 1997. The measurement was 12 inches. He described the creek, “It’s like a bathtub with a good drain. It will fill up quickly, but it will drain quickly.”

One of Rhonemus’ most unforgettable experiences was seeing a wall of water of about eight to 10 feet roll down the creek, over trees, and watch everything flush. He said, “I didn’t stay on the bridge long, but that was unique. Not very many people get to see that.”

James Gibson, Observing Program Leader at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, said, “What makes Roger unique is most places that do this now are businesses, so there are multiple observers.” They can look back at records for Adams County and know it was Rhonemus who documented the data. Out of 73 observers, the Weather Service has only five individual observers. Johnstone said of Roger, “He’s a critical component of how we do our job in the National Weather Service.”

Johnstone read a letter to Rhonemus and Rummer from Ken Graham, Director of the National Weather Service, congratulating them on their “50 years of dedication and steadfast service as cooperative weather observers.” The letter continued, “Your observations from West Union dating from 1972 have made a significant contribution to our understanding of local, national, and global climate in addition to keeping our residents safe from the hazards of weather that are coming.”

Rhonemus said he would continue to measure the creek. He stated, “My living depends on the weather.” He described his memory of his mother recording weather patterns daily. “The weather is important. If it rains one drop, I’ve got to put a trace down.” And about that time, a sprinkle fell from the sky – and you can be sure Roger Rhonemus reported it.