New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

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New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation
Hudson River Estuary Program
Radar images of Tropical Storm Lee remnants
(National Weather Service/Binghamton NY)
Telling Hudson River Stories with Graphs 2.
STORMS WATER LEVELS
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How might major storms impact water levels in the
Hudson estuary?
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Interpreting graphs What is the story that each
graph tells?
Answer these questions when looking at each
graph 1. What time period is shown in this
graph? 2. What is being measured in this
graph? 3. Where was the information gathered? 4.
What happens to it over the time period shown? 5.
What is your hypothesis about what caused this to
happen? 6. Measurements of what other parameters
would help you test and verify your hypothesis?
If you have Internet access, you can go to the
Hudson Environmental Conditions Observing System
website to check other parameters and test your
hypothesis.
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What caused this pattern of water levels in
spring, 2011?
Source Hudson River Environmental Conditions
Observing System
Source New York Harbor Observing and Prediction
System
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Runoff from heavy rains in the Hudson River
watershed caused flooding in the estuary near
Albany. The lower estuary remained at sea level.
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What caused this pattern of water levels in
October, 2012?
Source Hudson River Environmental Conditions
Observing System
Source New York Harbor Observing and Prediction
System
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Flooding due to storm surge from Hurricane Sandy
extended all the way to Albany.
Wind speeds (average) gusts at Piermont on the
Hudson River
Photo by Hudson River Park Naturalist Keith
Michael
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What stories do these graphs tell?
Source U.S. Geological Surveys Hudson River
Salt Front Data website
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Tropical Storm Irenes one-two punch
Winds along the coast led to storm surge
flooding, showing as a water level peak in
Poughkeepsie and at the start of the flooding in
Albany.
Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding in the
watershed and at Albany. Runoff even affected
water levels at Poughkeepsie in the days
following the storm.
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For more information, contactSteve Stanne,
Education CoordinatorNYSDEC Hudson River
Estuary Program/New York Water Resources
Institute Cornell University21 South Putt
Corners RoadNew Paltz, NY 12561845
256-3077spstanne_at_gw.dec.state.ny.us