New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Interim President Richard McCormick inspect the residence hall flood damage after a severe storm in late August 2024. Photo by Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul. Stony Brook University’s response to an unnamed, once-in-a-century storm last August was a masterclass in climate resilience. Suffolk County, New York recorded more than nine inches of rain in 24 hours, a rare event that exceeded prior records. This particular storm caused major damage due to heavy rains, storm surge and aging infrastructure. The Stony Brook community saw devastation to nearby Mill Pond, causing millions of dollars in damage to roads, homes and businesses that were washed away, and even damages to a few residence halls on campus. In two weeks, students were expected to start classes; they were still unboxing from moving in during the prior weekend. For Interim President Richard L. McCormick, the intensity of extreme weather called for around-the-clock cleanup efforts just weeks into his tenure, emergency contingency plans and forcing new students, including those from overseas, to alter their expectations for the new year. Like no other storm in the university’s history, the timing of this event placed climate change center stage. Bringing It Home “Stony Brook University seeks to advance conversations on climate change and its implications for our state, nation and the world,” McCormick said. As he reflected on this critical moment, he told the campus community he remained “ impressed, but not surprised , with the campus’s optimism, determination and ability to bounce back from this untimely challenge.” By September, McCormick took his campus’s key learnings from this recent struggle to Climate Week NYC , the largest annual climate event of its kind, held in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly and the City of New York. “Nowhere is […]