1. N EW Y ORK S TATE D EPARTMENT OF E NVIRONMENTAL C ONSERVATION H UDSON R IVER E STUARY P ROGRAM Telling Hudson River Stories with Graphs 2. STORMS & WATER LEVELS Radar images of Tropical Storm Lee remnants (National Weather Service/Binghamton NY)

2. N EW Y ORK S TATE D EPARTMENT OF E NVIRONMENTAL C ONSERVATION How might major storms impact water levels in the Hudson estuary? Hurricane Irene

3. 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.Hudson Environmental Conditions Observing System website

4. What caused this pattern of water levels in spring, 2011? Source: New York Harbor Observing and Prediction System Source: Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System

5. Runoff from heavy rains in the Hudson River watershed caused flooding in the estuary near Albany. The lower estuary remained at sea level. USGS North Creek Gaging Station Image from National Weather Serivce/Binghamton Image from National Weather Serivce/Albany Hudson River at North Creek hydrograph River stage (water level) in feet River discharge in thousands o f cubic feet per second

6. 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

7. Flooding due to storm surge from Hurricane Sandy extended all the way to Albany. Photo by Hudson River Park Naturalist Keith Michael South Ferry subway station 10/30/12 Image credit: MTA Wind speeds (average) & gusts at Piermont on the Hudson River Marina in Rockland County Image credit NYSDEC

8. What stories do these graphs tell? Source: U.S. Geological Survey’s Hudson River Salt Front Data website

9. 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. Tropical Storm Irene’s one-two punch: Flooding in Poughkeepsie 8/28/11 Image credit NYSDEC Flooding in Schoharie County Image credit Natural Resources Conservation Service

10. N EW Y ORK S TATE D EPARTMENT OF E NVIRONMENTAL C ONSERVATION For more information, contact: Steve Stanne, Education Coordinator NYSDEC – Hudson River Estuary Program/New York Water Resources Institute – Cornell University 21 South Putt Corners Road New Paltz, NY 12561 845 256-3077 spstanne@gw.dec.state.ny.us spstanne@gw.dec.state.ny.us