Hurricane expert lectures at SUNY Orange on Sept. 26

Middletown - With the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina just past and clean-up and reconstruction still going on in Louisiana and Mississippi, the realization of the power of hurricanes is still in the forefront of our memories. News media have reported that some scientists feel that the New York Metropolitan area could be a likely site for “the big hit.” What would a category 4 or 5 hurricane do to this densely populated region? Come to Harriman Hall 111 Film Theatre at Orange County Community College on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 7:30 p.m., for a lecture by hurricane expert, Dr. Nicholas K. Coch. The multimedia program, which is entitled “The Unique Vulnerability of New York City to Hurricane Destruction,” includes a lecture with Powerpoint presentation plus a section of the Discovery Channel’s show, “Hurricane X.” Coch received his doctorate from Yale University. He is presently a professor of geology in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Queens College and has been featured in programs on the Weather Channel, the History Channel and ABC-TV. He also is the author of several books, including “GeoHazards.” He is an expert on northern hurricanes and is a consultant to the New York City and State Emergency Management organizations as well as the insurance and risk management industry. His “Forensic Hurricanology” studies utilize present research as well as historical records to reconstruct the wind fields of the 17th, 18th, and 19th century hurricanes. His last study produced a dynamic computer model of the great “colonial” hurricane that nearly wiped out early English settlements in New England. This Lyceum event is presented by Cultural Affairs and is free and open to the public. Harriman Hall 111 Film Theatre is located at the corner of Wawayanda and East Conkling Avenues, Middletown. For information, call 845-341-4891 or e-mail cultural@sunyorange.edu.