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Storms, Floods, & Droughts: Hydrological Extremes in the Catskills

Speaker: Dr. Allan Frei

Nine million New York City residents depend on the Catskills for drinking water. Climatologist Dr. Allan Frei of Hunter College presents a historical perspective on storms, floods, and droughts in the Catskills. 

His talk will review hydroclimatological variations going back 500 years, and for the remainder of the 21st century, with a focus on extremes. Using a variety of evidence, including paleoclimate records from tree rings, newspaper reports, geomorphological evidence, and climate models, Frei will consider recent events in the context of historical variations and future vulnerability. 

Frei is a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences at Hunter College, City University of New York. He is currently collaborating with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate the vulnerability of the city’s water supply in the face of climate change and other threats. He received his PhD from the Department of Geography at Rutgers University. 

This virtual Climate Change Series is presented by Catskill Science Collaborative, a group of individuals and institutions dedicated to facilitating collaboration and outreach by those doing environmental research in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State.

These science lectures are sponsored by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and by Sherret E. Chase, Associate RE Broker with Select Sotheby's.

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