From the time settlers first pushed into the Ohio Valley, floods were an accepted fact of life. CINCINNATI —. Many cities that sit along the banks of the Ohio River, such as Huntington and Point Pleasant, have expansive flood walls. No city, town, or rural community on these great rivers, or their tributaries, escaped unscathed. Library of Congress / photogrammar.yale.edu. Talk:Ohio River flood of 1937. Seventy-five years ago today the Ohio River crested in the Great Flood of 1937. When measured by the loss of life and property, extent of damage, and general disruption of human activities, these floods constituted a major catastrophe. With damage stretching from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois, 385 people died, one million people were left homeless and property losses reached $500 million ($8.723 billion when adjusted for inflation as of January 2019). Media in category "1937 Ohio River flood". People labeled it the "granddaddy" of all floods. The people depicted were flood victims. In 1937, southern Ohio faced one of the worst floods in its history. The floods claimed nearly 400 lives and left roughly one million people homeless across five states in the winter of that terrible year. Over a million people were displaced from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois. Another feature of river life in the past was low water . “January of 1937 was exceptionally warm. 1937 Flood in Illinois. In Pomeroy and Point Pleasant, the 1937 flood was the second highest crests recorded. ''River on a Rampage: An Account of the Ohio River Flood of 1937" by GEORGE P. STIMSON* In January 1937 the Ohio River went on a rampage and climbed to its highest point in recorded history. Route 60 West is flooded near the Old Lock 1 barge tieoff on the Big Sandy River. When measured by the loss of life and property, extent of damage, and general disruption of human activities, these floods constituted a major catastrophe. In 2020 we acknowledge the 83rd anniversary of the famous and devastating 1937 flood. The Ohio River flood of 1937 is one of the greatest disasters in American history. Citation Information. Little did they know there was worse yet to come. 22, no. My Dad was 16 years old when it flooded and yet I feel like it is part of my DNA. Scenes from the flood. After each flood, people shoveled the mud from their doors and set about rebuilding their towns. Over seventy of these were built, and they made a huge difference to the future flood damages. The Ohio River reached a crest of 79.99 feet on Jan. 25, 1937, the all time high for the city of Cincinnati. The entire river was in flood, with record flooding from Point Pleasant, WV down to the Ohio's confluence with the Mississippi at Cairo, IL. This bridge was washed down the river by the flood of 1884. Bourke-White took the photo in Louisville, Kentucky during her assignment to over the Ohio River flood of 1937. In 1884, the Ohio River washed away 2,000 homes. In these states, already largely farming areas, folks who lived near the river were often caught unawares and had to scramble to get out. The following 200 files are in this category, out of 207 total. On January 27, the Ohio River crested at 74.23 feet, exceeding the flood stage by more than 12 feet. At the Time of the Louisville Flood- Bourke-White photo 1937 (colorized).png 2,000 × â€¦ The Flood of 1937 marked the worst natural disaster ever for much of the Ohio River Valley from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Cairo, Illinois. But the Ohio River and its tributaries also make Kentucky prone to frequent flooding - especially in the winter and early spring when heavy rainfall and snowmelt can overwhelm the Ohio Valley. That was the case in February 2018, when the worst flooding in more than two decades swamped several states along the Ohio River. Heavy rain began falling in the Louisville area on January 9 and continued with only brief interludes until January 23. On February 5, 1937 the river returned to a stage of 51.8’. The weather trouble began in December 1936 with January 24, 1937 being considered the worst day of the flood. While 1937 is the flood of record at Louisville, 1945 is in second place (albeit a distant 2nd), with a peak stage at Louisville of 42.10 feet. Low-lying roads near the river flood, with much of Anderson Township near the river affected. The Flood of 1937 caused the river to … In 1913, an even worse flood swept down the river. The river reached its peak on January 26, at 79.9 feet (24.4 m). CINCINNATI —. The Great Ohio River Flood of 1937 took place in late January and February 1937. Workers flocked from three states to … On the back of St. Rose Church in the East End, you can see just how monumental the Ohio River Flood of 1937 was. On January 26, 1937, the river crested at a record 80‘. In 1913, an even worse flood swept down the river. With damage stretching from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois, one million people were left … The proximity of the Ohio River to the railroads in the southeastern Illinois provided many benefits to the area. Seventy percent of Louisville was submerged, … The Flood of 1937 On January 21, 1937, the worst flood ever recorded in the Ohio Valley Region breached the Lawrenceburg Levee at the west end of the B&O Railroad. This paper relates the story of the "Great Flood of '37" as it affected the Cincinnati area. January 1937 was the wettest month Ohio had ever recorded, with twelve inches of rainfall between the 13th and the 25th. Given the import of this so-called prediction, we find this failure to mention the prophecy quite telling. In January and February 1937 the Ohio and mid-Mississippi Rivers experienced floods which, over reaches many hundreds of miles in length, exceeded all previously recorded stages. The Ohio River Flood of 1937: Connotative and Denotative Leave a reply During The Great Depression, many photos just like the one above were taking; however, this photo was not taken during the Depression, but rather in 1937 when the Ohio River flood took place. Over the coming years, storage reservoirs were built in the surrounding area to reduce high water levels on the Ohio River. These are postcards of the 1907 and 1913 floods. The flood was catastrophic for many cities along the riverbank. After 29 years of safety, the muddy waters of the Ohio again invaded Lawrenceburg on March 29, 1913, when the levee immediately west of Center street lifted at the base and went out. The flood left thirty-five thousand residents homeless and destroyed sixty percent of all of the homes in the community. Scenes from the flood. Flooding affects much of northern Kentucky, southwest Ohio and southeast Indiana, including backwater flooding along creeks emptying into the Ohio River. 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