This seminar will be held in room 1005 Forbes Natural History Building, 1816 S Oak Street, Champaign or you may join virtually on Zoom | | Meeting ID: 825 1761 8634 | Password: 818710
Abstract: Just like many other parts of the United States, Illinois has seen a consistent rise in the intensity and occurrence of heavy rainfall events since the 1900s. Statistics of heavy rainfall are used by engineers and planners to design infrastructure such as stormwater management systems, bridges, and culverts to ensure they can handle heavy rainfall and prevent flooding; floodplain managers to develop floodplain maps and manage flood risks; insurance companies to assess risk and set premiums for flood insurance; and government agencies to support public safety and infrastructure planning. This talk will discuss increasing trends in heavy precipitation events; review the sources of precipitation frequency data used in flood studies in Illinois, and review various methods for estimating frequency, from those that rely on historical records to those that use climate models.