Storm Watch

From 1902 to 1946, this building housed the first stand-alone Weather Bureau station and also served as the home of the U.S. Weather Bureau supervisor and his family on the first floor. While his wife ran the household and the children played games and attended school, the supervisor and other weather observers worked upstairs recording changes in winds, temperature, barometric pressure, and precipitation. This 24/7 operation helped predict rough seas and tropical storms, and flags, lights, and sirens warned residents of approaching storms. Information telegraphed to Washington, DC, alerted people along the East Coast to potentially dangerous weather coming their way. In 1942, intern David Low released a weather balloon to measure wind direction and velocity at various altitudes, and technician Don Oden tracked a weather balloon with a theodolite to estimate wind speed and direction. In 1902, weather observer S.L. Dosher sat on the porch while his wife, Cora, held the horse for their adopted son, Hugh.

Hatteras, North Carolina · United States