Tuesday, February 22 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. in the Woodside Building at the Taylor Community, 435 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH
(Snow Date February 23)
Dr. Lourdes Avilés, associate professor of meteorology in PSU’s department of Atmospheric Sciences and Chemistry since 2004, will lead a fascinating discussion of the disastrous hurricane that raced through New England almost undetected and unannounced more than 70 years ago.
This infamous storm, which provided the stage for new scientific knowledge, extreme devastation, incredible survival stories, and behind-the-scenes scandal, is the subject of Dr. Avilés’ current research. She will combine all of these aspects to tell the compelling story of the Great New England Hurricane of 1938, concluding with a perspective on how likely it is for this to happen again in our region.
Dr. Avilés received her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude and her master’s degree, both in Physics, from the University of Puerto Rico and her doctoral degree in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Illinois, where she studied the formation of Atlantic hurricanes. Her areas of expertise include tropical meteorology, air quality, atmospheric dynamics and earth science education. Dr. Avilés currently teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in meteorology, including a very popular Severe and Hazardous Weather course. She is also a member of the American Meteorological Society’s Board on Higher Education and the Board on Women and Minorities.
Mostly Cloudy. Temperature: 69; Wind: WNW at 8; Conditions as of Sat May 18 at 01:00 PM EDT