The Kentucky Geological Survey is researching how to predict floods and landslides amid more extreme weather statewide.
That includes how and why the state’s rivers flood, where flood waters go and how that could affect people and communities. Much of the work is through its CLIMBS project, which works with Kentucky universities.
Michael McGlue is the survey’s director. He says much of its work involves creating models and predictions based on past weather events.
“Knowing what we know about land use patterns and the distribution of people and things like topography and soils and hill slopes, we can actually come up with some fairly strong predictive models to understand the nature of flooding,” McGlue said.
The KGS is based out of the University of Kentucky. McGlue says creating a future workforce is an important part of its mission.
“I think a really important aspect of the work that we do here is presenting geology as an interesting and important subject to students, and one where jobs are available,” he said.
McGlue says the survey plans to use its mapping info to work with local communities and implement ways to protect them.
