BINGHAMTON, NY – The Binghamton Community Lab will host a mixer and discussion titled, “Floods, changing frequency, and living in Binghamton--an underwater future?” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, at the Lost Dog Café Violet Room, 222 Water Street in Binghamton. This event is free and open to the public. At 6 p.m., participants are welcome to purchase an optional self-pay dinner.

Record-level floods in recent years have ravaged not only Binghamton, but also most areas of the Northeast. These have been caused by unusual severe storms, such as Irene and Lee in 2011. And most of these events have exceeded anything previously recorded in modern times. Is the severity of flooding increasing? Are these really unusual events? Or have we been especially unlucky in the last decade? And what are the implications of these kinds of floods for the sustainability of riverside communities? Explore these questions with Professor Peter Knuepfer from Binghamton University.

Knuepfer is an Associate Professor of Geology and Environmental Studies at Binghamton University, where he has taught for nearly 28 years and until recently has been director of the Environmental Studies Program at Binghamton University. His current research is on the frequency and magnitude of prehistoric flooding in the upper Susquehanna River basin and on changes in historical flood frequency.

The Binghamton Community Lab is a gathering place for citizen investigators to create and support improvements that will grow a healthier, wealthier and strong Binghamton region. The series, held regularly on the third Tuesday of each month will be facilitated by David Sloan Wilson, SUNY distinguished professor of biology and anthropology at Binghamton University and founder of the Binghamton Neighborhood Project, and David Currie, director of the Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition.

For additional information, contact Hadassah Head at hhead1@binghamton.edu.