(SOUND OF RUSHING WATER) >> AUGUST OF 2021, WE HAD BACK-TO-BACK STORMS, OR TWO SEPARATE FLOODING EVENTS.

I WAS OUT OF TOWN.

I WAS IF CHICAGO.

AS WE ARRIVED, I WAS GETTING PICTURES AND PHONE CALLS FROM MY NEIGHBORS ABOUT A FLOOD.

SO I WASN'T ACTUALLY HERE FOR THE EVENT, BUT I WAS CERTAINLY HERE FOR THE AFTERMATH.

AS HAPPENED IN 2017, SO MUCH WATER CAME DOWN, THAT THE WATER BROUGHT DOWN TREE TRUNKS AND LIMBS AND ROCKS AND ALL SORTS OF DEBRIS WHICH AGAIN JAMMED UP THE BRIDGE OVER THE ROAD AND AS SOON AS THE BRIDGE JAMMED UP, WATER WENT EVERYWHERE.

A LOT OF YARDS WERE RIPPED OUT AND DESTROYED.

A LOT OF THAT STILL HASN'T BEEN REPAIRED YET.

(SOUNDS OF WATER FALLING) OUR REAL TRAUMA FROM THE 2017 FLOOD WAS IN THE FLOOD CONTROL MEASURES THAT WE PUT IN.

WE HAVE A FLOOD WALL AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF OUR HOUSE TO, AGAIN, HOPEFULLY CATCH THE WATER IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR FLOOD.

THAT WAS PRETTY PRICEY.

AND FLOOD INSURANCE DOESN'T COVER THAT KIND OF A LOSS, SO IT WAS BASICALLY ON OUR DIME THAT WE DID ALL THAT.

>> HOW MUCH ARE WE TALK TALKING?

>> HONESTLY ABOUT 80,000 BUCKS.

>> THE FINGER LAKES IS A SMALL REGION COMPARED TO THE FLOW BUT THE FINGER LAKES REALLY MIRROR THE TYPES OF IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, THE CHANGES IN CLIMATE THAT MOST PLACE AS ROUND THE EARTH HAVE SEEN.

I WOULD PUT THE FIRST THING ON THERE IS JUST THE WARNING-- THE WARMING OF AVERAGE TEMPERATURES, PARTICULARLY THE WARMING OF AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN THE WINTER.

I THINK THE OTHER THING IS ON THE PRECIPITATION SIDE OF THINGS.

REALLY BEEN AN INCREASE IN EXTREME RAINFALL.

IF WE LOOK AT OUR AVERAGE RAINFALL ACROSS THE YEAR, IT'S GONE UP.

IT'S GONE UP BY GIVE OR TAKE A FEW PERCENTAGES.

WHAT HAS CHANGED IS THE CHARACTER IN WHICH THAT RAINFALL COMES.

BUT WE ARE ALSO SEEING HIGHER RAINFALL INTENSITIES.

SO IT'S THE FACT THAT WHEN IT RAINS ON A PARTICULAR DAY, IT RAINS MORE ON THOSE DAYS THAN IT DID IF WE SPREAD THAT OUT OVER A LOT OF DAYS UP.

STORMS ABSOLUTELY HAVE GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE COURSE OF CERTAINLY MY LIFETIME.

WE SEEM NOT TO HAVE QUITE AS MANY HUGE SNOWSTORMS THAN WHAT I REMEMBER AS A KID.

WE ALSO NEVER USED TO GET FOUR INCHES OF RAIN IN AN HOUR OR TWO.

LIKE HURRICANE AGNES IN 1972 I THINK IT WAS, THERE WAS FLOODING IN THIS AREA BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD THINGS LIKE WE'VE HAD THE LAST FEW YEARS.

LAST RAIN BOMB WE HAD, IT MADE A PIER GOING OUT INTO THE WATER THAT WAS PROBABLY 40 OR 50 FEET LONGER.

THE DOCK HAD WASHED INTO THE LAKE.

>> BACK IN 2021, AS WE LOOK AT THE WATER GAUGE OF OWASCO LAKE, IT ROSE MORE THAN TWO FEET.

IT WAS ALMOST UP TO 715 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

I APPROACHED OUR HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FIXING THE MESS AFTER A FLOOD.

WITH ONE SITE, IT WAS $32,000 JUST TO FIX ONE AREA THAT GOT WASHED OUT FROM THE RAIN BOMB EVENT THAT WE HAD IN 2021.

>> IF WE LOOK AT THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE ON THE FINGER LAKES ON THE BACTERIA, THE INCREASE IN RUNOFF IS ONE MECHANISM WHERE THE NUTRIENTS OR CONTAMINANTS CAN MAKE IT INTO THE OTHER WATER BODIES.

THE WATER CAN'T SOAK INTO THE GROUND AND RUNS ACROSS THE SURFACE AND CARRIES THE BACTERIA WITH IT.

AS WE WARM THE LAKES, THERE IS MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO DEVELOP AND GO THROUGH THE LIFE CYCLES AND BLOOM.

ANOTHER ASPECT IS THE OVERTURNING OF LAKES, LAKES IN THE FINGER LAKES WILL OVERTURN TWICE A YEAR IN THE SPRING AND THE FALL.

AND THAT KIND OF MIXES UP THE LAKES AND THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.

STRATIFIES THE SURFACE AND KEEPS THE NUTRIENTS CONCENTRATED WHERE THE SIGHT OWE BACK TOOERIA WOULD BE.

>> THE FACT THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE MORE FLOODING EVENTS AS THE FUTURE UNFOLDS, WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT BAILING OUT, LITERALLY BAILING OUT AND GOING ELSEWHERE.

BUT THIS PLACE IS TOO CLOSE TO MY HEART.