McAllen, TX (KRGV) — Volunteers with the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network are collecting rainfall data from recent rain in the Rio Grande Valley, and sharing it with researchers and forecasters in the U.S.

Lee Jones joined the nonprofit eight years ago and has made about 3,000 reports since then. He says he collected about 3 inches of rain at his home in McAllen in the last 5 days.

"I always had a rain gauge and always collected data, but I never really recorded it or did anything with it," Jones said. "It's gotten very dry, but if you look at the annual report, it puts us back on our average annual rainfall track at the end of the year," Jones said.

Volunteers use a rain gauge to measure rainfall and enter the data online for researchers and meteorologists to use. National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Barry Goldsmith says the government does not have enough weather collection stations, so officials rely on CoCoRaHS volunteers for that data.

"It helps fill in gaps in trusted rainfall sources as well as hail and snow, which helps make decision-making and forecasting more accurate on the other end," Goldsmith said. "These observers can run into tens of thousands. In fact, more than 100,000 across the country right now can observe every day because they have been certified and trained, and they have been taught how to mount these devices."

Goldsmith says CoCoRaHS gives volunteers rain gauges and training so they can collect accurate data. He says the data helps support funding for flood mitigation and water conservation projects.

About 219 people in the Valley volunteer with CoCoRaHS, but the organization said they need more volunteers.

"Here in the Valley, we've been under a marginal flash flood watch for this whole rain event, so having better data on where the rain is falling and how much is falling is important to the guys who study that," Jones said.

Click here to find out how to volunteer with CoCoRaHS.

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