Albert Kachic, Who Helped Build The Flash Flood Alert, Dies

Albert Kachic, a Huntington Station native who spearheaded the development of the flash flood warning system for the National Weather Service, died on Feb. 5 after a brief battle with an illnesses. He was 87.

The beloved husband of the late Sheila; father of Leslie (Paul), Valerie Sawyer (Fritz) and Alan (Georgina); and grandfather of Owen Sawyer. Beloved brother of Jean Paynter, of Goleta, California.

As longtime Eastern Regional hydrologist for the National Weather Service, he spearheaded the development of comprehensive flash-flood warning systems for the benefit of many. After his retirement, he traveled to Bangladesh under United Nations auspices to help craft flash-flood programs designed to save thousands of lives during monsoons.

He was a passionate member of the Huntington Historical Society, and helped organize the Huntington Militia for the U.S. Bicentennial Celebration in 1976, as well as Huntington's 350th anniversary festivities in 2003.

A labor of love for he and Sheila was the decades they spent as volunteer docents giving demonstrations of 18th Century life for visitors to the historically restored Huntington Arsenal. As a young father, Al enjoyed taking his family on memorable camping trips to Yellowstone and Williamsburg, Virginia, and every Revolutionary War battlefield between Lundy's Lane and Kitty Hawk.

As a loyal Penn State grad, he was also a rabid Nittany Lions football fan. The family asks that donations be sent in Al's name to the Penn State University Libraries (libraries.psu.edu-making-gift-libraries). Funeral arrange- ments entrusted to A. L. Jacobsen Funeral Home, Huntington Station, NY.