Eastern Iowa Farmer Spring 2021

mother nature
“If nothing else, people
need to be aware of
the weather for their
own health and safety.
The National Weather
Service doesn’t issue
warnings just for fun,
and it’s good for people
to understand them.”
— Marty Murrell
Convenience
Osterhaus
Pharmacy
CoCoRaHS data to forecast floods, hail,
storms and more.
Reporting every morning only takes a
couple minutes, Murrell said. Furthermore,
as a volunteer, he isn’t obligated to report
anything. CoCoRaHS encourages reporting
even when there’s no rainfall, but you can report
multiday totals when you’re busy. Some
snowbird observers skip the winter months
entirely.
Murrell said it’s easy to play a small part
in weather reporting.
“I’m not a weather geek like I read a lot of
people are,” he said. “It’s just something to
do and help a good cause, for both the weather
service and CoCoRaHS.”
Murrell is also a trained storm spotter
with the National Weather Service. If you’re
tempted to chase storms on your own, consider
putting that adrenaline to good use.
“For somebody to do that willy-nilly is
pretty crazy really,” Murrell said. “You need
to know where to position yourself. Directly
in line isn’t going to give you a good view.
On the sides or back side is a better vantage
point.”
As a spotter, Murrell has also been called
in any style!
At your locally owned pharmacy, we care about keeping you safe.
The Covid-19 pandemic has made every day errands more difficult,
but now you can use our easy drive-up window to pick up your
prescriptions and talk to our pharmacists without ever leaving your
vehicle — no matter what you drive!
We care
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918 W. Platt • Maquoketa • 652-5611 or 1-800-224-5611
to report on local flooding.
Though Murrell was stuck at the office
for August’s derecho, the windstorm was
a devastating reminder for many to heed
quickly-changing weather warnings.
“If nothing else, people need to be aware
of the weather for their own health and
safety,” Murrell said. “The National Weather
Service doesn’t issue warnings just for fun,
and it’s good for people to understand them.”
The National Weather Service typically
holds storm spotter training in the spring.
Keep an eye on local media for announcements.
Another way to get involved is by joining
the Coop program, explains meteorologist
Tim Gross of the National Weather Service.
These volunteer “cooperative observers”
record temperature, precipitation and other
weather data at approximately 25-mile
increments across the U.S., using equipment
installed and maintained by the National
Weather Service.
The program dates to 1890 and includes
families that have been participants since it
Pictured: Gary Drew using the
drive through at Osterhaus Pharmacy.
Meeting him outside is Matt Osterhaus.
Jessie Johnson, Matt Osterhaus, Connie Connolly, Marilyn Osterhaus,
Tammy Bullock, Angie Spannagel, and Amy Dunleavy
eifarmer.com spring 2021 | Eastern Iowa Farmer 93