EES was established as a result of the 1972 Hurricane Agnes flood, for which there was inadequate warning time to protect lives and property. However, that was far from the first flood to devastate the region—and in places, it was not the worst. The historic record includes dozens of earlier floods, including several called “Pumpkin Floods” because fall flooding washed pumpkins downstream. The “Finger Lakes Flood in 1935 led to construction of many of the region’s flood control levees.
| 1972 | Hurricane Agnes – 21 deaths, $600 Million |
| 1976 | Hurricane Eloise – $12 Million
Legislative Hearings – Address the need for improved flood warning Father’s Day Flooding- Extensive highway damage |
| 1978 | Major U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) dams – Reduce flood risks on the Tioga and Chemung Rivers
High water and flood warning evaluation by Susquehanna River Basin Commission – Need faster rainfall detection, faster flood forecast predictions, and more rapid forecast dissemination NYS Disaster Preparedness Commission formed |
| 1979 | Inter-agency Task Force Report on Flood Warning
National Weather Service (NWS) policy – Encourage self-help flood warning |
| 1980 | Consensus on need for self-help flood warning organization in Chemung County
Steering Committee formed MOU (memorandum of understanding) executed Goals adopted |
| 1981 | Corporation formed |
| 1982 | Forecast models provided by NWS and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) |
| 1984 | Hornell/Canisteo flood disaster |
| 1985 | Computer equipment and gauge system online
Flood Stage Mapping by SRBC and USACE |
| 1986 | Intensified training
Benefit/cost analysis by DEC using NWS Models -$4 in benefits fro every $1 spent |
| 1987 | Development of Chemical Hazard Information Team (C.H.I.T.) |
| 1988 | Reorganization of Corporation
Dedicated Hydrologist position at Binghamton NWS Completion of DEC Radio Network |
| 1989 | C.H.I.T. operational
Hurricane Hugo Liability Issue – Insurance unavailable because of C.H.I.T. function |
| 1990 | Community Rating System (CRS) – Reduced flood insurance costs in participating communities |
| 1991 | Re-emphasis on public education and wider adoption of CRS
Summer drought- Need for support services identified Ice Storm |
| 1992 | Hazard Mitigation Grant sought for climate stations
Liability issue resolved (Intergovernmental Agency) Multi-agency flood exercise – USACE Lead Agency |
| 1993 | Blizzard of 1993 Spring Flooding
Radar software acquired for counties Self development of data acquisition software |
| 1994 | Hurricane Beryl – $7-10 Million in New York State |
| 1996 | Mild January temperatures brought rain and snowmelt causing many closed roadways and flooding of low areas
Heavy rains cause flash flooding in November |
| 1998 | Heavy rains and severe thunderstorms damage many roadways in northern Steuben County, prompting Presidential Disaster Declaration |