By Paul Tuthill
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-984611.mp3
Amherst, MA – A combination of factors produced this week's devastating floods in the region, according to a scientist who has spent years studying the Deerfield River watershed in New England. David Boutt, a hydrologist at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst says extreme precipitation from Tropical Storm Irene, pre-soaked ground, and topography resulted in what he called a several hundred year flood event. WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Boutt.