California Extreme Precipitation Symposium Honors CW3E with Special Recognition Award

August 7, 2024

At the University of California, Davis on July 11, 2024, CW3E was presented with the Special Recognition Award during the 30th Annual California Extreme Precipitation Symposium (CEPSYM). CEPSYM is a day-long symposium consisting of scientific and technical presentations to broaden our understanding of extreme precipitation events to benefit flood management planning and increase warning time for large floods. The theme for this year’s conference was “Anticipating and Planning for California Floods – Past and Future.” This theme focused on looking back over the last 30 years and what we have learned about local extreme events while looking forward at what questions remain. CW3E’s research and mission are highly aligned with this theme. ARs have been identified as the source of all major flood events in California from 1861 through the present, beginning with the Great Flood of 1861-1862. Looking forward, climate change and its impacts are anticipated to amplify flood risk from ARs in California, and investigating this in more detail in order to provide more information for decision makers and resource managers is a major element of CW3E’s research. The symposium consisted of members from Federal, State, and local agency perspectives adding to the conversation about how society plans for anticipated future flood risk. Click here for the slides from all presentations given at this year’s event.

CW3E director Marty Ralph accepting the award on behalf of CW3E with (left) George Booth, Executive Director of Floodplain Management Association and (right) Gary Estes, Founder and Coordinator of California Extreme Precipitation Symposium.

CEPSYM awards the Special Recognition Award each year to “highlight and honor the outstanding contributions of individuals and institutions that have supported and advanced the professions of meteorology, flood hydrology, and flood risk management. These professions share the public safety goal of protecting life and property from the ravages of flooding. Together these professionals provide the tools, information, and knowledge essential for forecasting flood events before they occur, estimating potential flood magnitudes and impacts used in designing flood risk reduction projects, and responding to floods when they occur. Each honoree contributed to making the people of California safer from flood events over their many years of service.” This year, CEPSYM honored CW3E with this award. Click here to read more about this year’s special recognition award.