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During the last solar maximum, from 1985 - 2001, I helped collect data on solar flares and their effect on Earth as viewed through various reports from businesses, police, news sources, and personal observation. I wasn't the only civilian scientist collecting data and funneling it to scientists who used the data to create and test theories. That data is going to prove useful in the coming years as we enter another solar maximum period.
I may just start collecting data again, although the scientists for whom I collected data before are working on totally different projects now (or are retired), so I don't know where to direct the data records I will have.
Since I enjoyed collecting the information, I think enjoyment will be my goal, and if I happen to stumble across a scientist or two who want that data, cool. I'll have it.
I kept the data in a spreadsheet under columns headed "Date", "Location", "Solar Weather", "Local Weather", "Communications Incidents", "Air Traffic Incidents", "Land Traffic Incidents", "Water Traffic Incidents", "Computer Incidents", "Electronic Incidents", "Crime Stats", and "Odd News". I think I will add another category: "Internet Incidents". Back then, I looked for telephone service disruptions, telegraph service disruptions, personal and business computer program malfunctions, GPS malfunctions, staticy TV and radio reception, and the new cell phone issues, at plane crashes or plane malfunctions, train and bus disruptions, traffic snarls, any increase or change in various crimes, and any odd news that didn't fit. Back then, the internet was still new and not as heavily populated as it is now, so I didn't track internet outages and such, just computer tics and program malfunctions, reports of businesses reliant on computerized production issues and such. Now, with the internet so strong and dense, it's worth it to track who has outages and their proximity to solar flares.
The thing is, we won't feel the effects of a solar flare immediately, and flares can last for a while increasing and decreasing in intensity, so what I find today may be related to a flare that occurred yesterday. This is why I gave the raw data to the scientists so they could extract the maximum information from it.
I got my solar weather information from Space Weather and will also get it from NOAA Space Weather Now and the SOHO Observatory. The Solar Terrestrial Dispatch is a new site, and I may also use it.
The other data will come from various news sources, reports, and personal comments and observations.