State of Maryland announces activation of new Mesonet Weather Station in Westernport to improve access to localized weather data
WESTERNPORT, Md. (July 30, 2026) — The Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM), in coordination with University of Maryland, Allegany County Department of Emergency Services, and the Town of Westernport today announced the activation of a new mesonet weather monitoring station in Westernport, Maryland. This installation expands Maryland’s growing network of high‑resolution environmental monitoring sites and strengthens the State’s ability to detect, track, and respond to hazardous weather conditions.
“This investment reflects Maryland’s commitment to proactive emergency management,” said Maryland Secretary of Emergency Management, Russ Strickland. “Expanding our statewide mesonet network provides emergency managers, forecasters, and public safety partners with more timely, localized weather data to support informed decisions before, during, and after severe weather.”
Situated along the Potomac River corridor in southern Allegany County, the new Westernport mesonet station delivers continuous, real‑time measurements on temperature, wind, humidity, precipitation, soil conditions, and other critical atmospheric variables. These data feed directly into Maryland’s statewide hazard analysis systems, the University of Maryland’s public-facing webpage, and the National Weather Service, improving the accuracy of severe weather forecasting and enhancing situational awareness for emergency managers across the region.
Since the historic flooding that impacted Western Maryland in May 2025, MDEM has worked closely with local officials and community partners to support long-term recovery efforts. Most notably, the department administered the first-ever award from Maryland’s State Disaster Recovery Fund (SDRF) to help eligible survivors recover from the disaster. The funding provided direct assistance to affected residents, helping them secure temporary housing, replace essential personal property, and meet other disaster-related recovery needs at a time when federal disaster assistance was unavailable. MDEM continues to coordinate with State and local partners to identify additional resources that support the community’s ongoing recovery.
“We’re excited to have the new Mesonet weather station for our town,” said Westernport Mayor, Allen Shapiro. “Following the devastating May 2025 flooding events, every additional tool that improves weather monitoring is invaluable to our community. This station will help us better prepare for quickly changing weather conditions. We are grateful to be able to collaborate with each agency involved in bringing this important resource to our community.”
The Westernport station is part of Maryland’s ongoing initiative to expand mesonet coverage into rural and mountainous areas where traditional weather sensors are sparse. The enhanced data will support:
Improved flood and storm‑impact modeling
Real-time meteorological impact verification
More accurate winter weather and high‑wind alerts
Enhanced fire‑weather assessments for public safety agencies
Stronger coordination with the National Weather Service
Increased public access to reliable, hyper‑local weather information
“The 2025 Georges Creek flood exposed a monitoring gap that the Maryland Mesonet is actively closing,” said James Hyde, Mesonet Manager. “By swiftly delivering high-quality data, these stations give leaders intelligence and confidence in fast-changing storms. This real-time accuracy contributes to faster warnings and helps engineers design long-term flood solutions.”
The Westernport mesonet station is now fully operational, and its data will be publicly accessible on the Maryland Mesonet website: https://mesonet.umd.edu/
Secretary Russell Strickland and Deputy Secretary Chas Eby will be available for interview and comment on the launch of the Mesonet station and the continued recovery efforts in western Maryland at MDEM Headquarters. To RSVP please email [email protected].
For more information, residents can also go to MDEM’s website at mdem.maryland.gov, and follow MDEM’s social media feeds X (Twitter) (@MDMEMA), Facebook (facebook.com/MDMEMA), Instagram (instagram.com/mdmema), Linkedin (linkedin.com/company/maryland-department-of-emergency-management), Threads (threads.net/@mdmema) and Bluesky (@mdmema.bsky.social).
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