Since the 1950s, Tompkins County and New York State have experienced heavier rainfall and more extreme weather events. Storms that were previously thought to occur "once in 100 years" are now happening twice as often. These events are expected to happen more frequently, especially if larger tropical storms and hurricanes continue to make their way up the coast.
Flooding and heavy rain can disrupt our food systems, roads, power supply, communication networks, ecosystems, and communities. In addition to these effects, flooding causes stress, damages our homes, and disrupts our daily lives. Unfortunately, these impacts are often not formally documented, making it difficult for policymakers and planners to effectively prevent these hazards.
To help policymakers understand how we are all affected by water issues—whether it’s flooding, heavy rain, or drought—we invite community members to share their stories through the Hard Rain's Gonna Fall storytelling project. We will be hosting three events in July and August to hear about our communities' experiences with water.
You can share your story in multiple ways.
- At one of our events on stage or anonymously via our audio station.
- Anonymously online (written or via an audio recording)
- Share your flood photos via the MyCoast App
- Send us an email (health_impacts@cornell.edu)
Upcoming Events
July 21 at the Downstairs 7pm
July 23 at Danby Food & Drink 6 pm
August 27, on the MV Teal Discover Cayuga Community Cruise at sunset, in partnership with Storyhouse Ithaca.
Feeling stuck on how to start? Follow our storytelling guide below to get started.
Why stories?
- Stories forge connections between people, as well as between people and ideas.
- Stories convey the culture, history, and goals that unite people.
- Stories can turn failure into victories.
- Stories create a culture of compassion.
- Stories are human.
Data tells us a lot about what is happening on a larger scale, but we are not data; we are part of a community with lived experience, who have faced floods many times. Perhaps your basement is wet all year round, or you have a small pond forming in your yard every time it rains. Rain may disrupt your commute, or you may be caught without an umbrella. Or perhaps you have the opposite challenge, not enough rain. We want to hear those experiences, challenges, frustrations, wins, hopes, and more.
Constructing a story
There are three main elements to consider when constructing a story.
- The conflict
- The 'A-ha' moment
- The resolution
That's it, those three little elements are the core structure for crafting your story.
Image to the left, Cayuga East Side on Route 38
Two women stand under an umbrella in the center of the image, surrounded by shredded tree branches and rocks strewn around a railroad track in a neighborhood. Several men are behind them and to the left, in the debris. There are utilty poles around, a house on the right and a house on the left, a car on the left side, and a street going up a hill in the center. One of the men is wearing a button up shirt, tie, and hat. One man is wearing overalls. One man is wearing a button up shirt with his sleeves rolled up.
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted http://rightsstatements.org/vocabInC-EDU/1.0/
Weave in the human elements
Once you have that core structure, or three main points, start to weave in some detail. Add in aspects that will help other people connect to you.
- How did you get there?
- How did it feel?
- What did you learn?
- Help us walk in your shoes.
- Show don't tell.
This is not a paper, an article, or an essay; this is you sharing a moment of your life. Give us that moment and let us live it with you. What might be the most embarrassing or heartbreaking moment to you might become a unifying moment for your group... compassion = “I’ve also been there” and “I have also felt that.”
Another great tip is to apply the ABT (And, but, therefore) framework. A classic approach to storytelling. Stories are built on cause and effect. If the words 'and then' could go between points in your story, it's boring.
But...if you can put but, and therefore between your three core points, you have that classic cause and effect approach in your story. The makers of South Park break it down for you here:
- Introduction
- Conflict (but)
- A-ha moment (and therefore)
- Resolution
Of course, you could also apply a more traditional fairytale story structure.
- Once Upon a Time… [the background, where you outline the setting and who you are]
- Every Day… [where you outline the problem]
- But One Day… [where you outline the idea/solution]
- Because of That...[the plan for implementing the solution]
- But Then! [what can/will/has gone wrong and why]
- Because of That...[what has changed based on what you learned]
- Until, finally...[success, resolution]
- And, Ever Since Then...[wider changes, lessons learned, etc.]
Background image: Aerial view of a flooded valley with farm buildings and bare trees visible above the water. There appears to be snow on the surrounding hills. In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted http://rightsstatements.org/vocabInC-EDU/1.0/
Give us some flair!
You want to have a strong opening statement, something to grab our attention. Be sure to elaborate on the key moments. Be descriptive, include us in your inner monologue? What were the emotions running through you in those moments, was it embarrassing, emotional, exposing, hopeful, confusing, funny. Take us there!
For example, which of the two options below is more interesting, engaging?
I was confused as I suddenly found myself soaking wet. “What is this indoor deluge?” I wondered as I parted my drenched hair from my face and looked up to the ceiling to see the underside of my clawfoot bathtub dangling above me.
As opposed to:
My full bathtub caused the floor to collapse and flood the kitchen below.
Hopefully you found the first one more engaging. Did it draw you in? Did you feel as though you were there, shockingly viewing a bathtub dangling above you? Could you envision the writer soaked to the bone?
Point of view
Remember, this is your story and your point of view. The best way to tell a story is to be yourself! Be in each moment. Those personal moments are universal and help us connect. And in this case, the truth can be embellished or hyperbolized a bit.
For example:
“My heart was beating louder than the blaring of the fire alarm.”
Although your heart cannot beat louder than a fire alarm, that description both reveals a truth (the fire alarm going off) and captures your feeling in the moment (your heart was beating hard).
Get right down to it!
We don’t need backstory, we just need THE story. Get right into it, strip away extraneous details. Preamble is boring and unnecessary.
Ask yourself if each shared detail directly affects the story and if the story would be the same without it. This is a scene in an episode of your life, not the whole story arc. And as always: Edit. Edit. Edit.
Personal storytelling has the flexibility of switching from telling a story in the past tense to sharing as if you were in the moment. And stories let us understand the world from different perspectives.
Writing and editing your story
We do not write like we speak. As you practice your story out loud with each edit, notice which words and phrases trip you up. Try saying the same thing differently - the spoken word is not always going to be grammatically correct. No one can hear a semicolon.
- Get the story out, write out all the details.
- Make a bullet list of the story.
- Say it out loud.
- Rewrite it how you would speak it.
- Say it out loud a few times and edit, edit, edit.
Practice makes perfect. Just like telling jokes or recapping fun stories, you polish them each time you tell them. Spew it out and see how it feels. See what moments get reactions. Feel the moments when you get tripped up. Editing a live telling rather than on paper is powerful. The spoken word is received much differently than on paper.
As you practice, tell your story as though you are at a party and sharing it with friends. Even better, gather some friends and tell them the story. Gage their reactions and adjust as needed. No notes...this is your story after all.
Structure is not important AT FIRST, jog your memory and flood your paper with details, conflict, discovery, resolution, and major points understanding how words roll off the tongue: think HUMAN SPEAK. Record yourself or tell the story to your friends/family. Then practice without notes, or just use bullet points as your guide, until you are comfortable telling the story.
Criteria for a good story
As you practice with friends and family, ask them to consider the following questions:
- Was I engaged?
- Did I get to see the world through their eyes?
- What lingering questions do I have?
- What details did I not care about or seemed extraneous?
- Did they jump right in or was there a preamble?
- What details or moments would I like to have expanded upon?
Use their responses to help adjust your story prior to recording.
Share your story!
If you would like to share your story with us, please do so here. You can record the audio directly via the audio option, write your story, or upload an existing file.
If you have questions, or are stuck on an idea, please get in touch with Danielle Eiseman, dle58@cornell.edu.
*Storytelling workshop guidelines created by Mickie Quinn
Credits:
Created with images by lovelyday12 - "rain drop falling onto blackboard with green nature background" • 220 AI Studio - "Rainy road under dark stormy sky with heavy downpour." • Alexander - "Stockholm, Sweden A large tractor with a scoop flattens out a parking lot in the rain to make room for the storage of pleasure boats in the winter." • Александр Поташев - "Storm, heavy rain in the city.People in the rain with an umbrella." • knelson20 - "Heavy rain caused flooding over sidewalk, grass strip, and road" • CreativeSuburb - "Drops of warm summer rain, falling on the asphalt" • Emanuel - "Extreme weather event with heavy rain and strong winds" • Pexels - "golf golf ball hole" • HN Works - "A professional microphone with a background and space to copy"