Ed. note: This article, originally published in 2018, has been reprinted with updates to reflect current events and recent developments. The remnants of Tropical Storm Debby brought widespread impacts to New York, setting rainfall records and triggering warnings around the state.
According to the State Weather Risk Communication Center at the University at Albany, Penn Yan’s rainfall total was 2.12 inches per hour. Historically, Yates County isn't an area considered prone to heavy precipitation events or flooding.
Still, they have occurred, and research by climate scientists shows that the frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation events are on the rise. Multiple factors influence when heavy rainfall will become a severe weather event. In Yates County, heavy rain is often welcomed because it provides water necessary for agriculture and replenishes the streams and lakes, but when does it become too much of a good thing? It’s more than just the amount of rain that falls.
A combination of components — topography, vegetative cover, and land use among them — influence if flooding results from a given amount of rain. Yates County boasts diverse and distinctive topographical features, including drumlins, valleys, lakes, streams, ravines, and waterfalls. This natural grandeur not only adds to the county's beauty but also influences the course of heavy rainfall, creating variable and localized impacts.
However, heavy and prolonged rainfall can lead to streams overflowing,.