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Let's Learn From the Past: St. Patrick's Day Flood of 1936
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As the Northeast recovers from Hurricane Sandy, Pittsburgh history buffs are reminded of the worst natural disaster in Western Pennsylvania history -- the St. Patrick's Day flood of 1936.
Nearly two inches of rain fell on March 16, which added to the 63 inches of snow that came throughout the winter. Warm temperatures melted the snow, swelling creek beds along the upper Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. On St. Patrick's Day, the rising rivers reached the North Side and washed into the streets of Downtown, wiping out historic businesses within hours.
River levels reached a peak of 46 feet at the Point, more than 20 feet over flood stage, leaving more than half of Downtown businesses under water.
By the time the waters receded a week later, the destruction and devastation was almost unfathomable -- 62 dead in the region, more than 500 injured, 135,000 homeless and millions of dollars in property damage to homes, businesses and industries.
Perhaps best known are the pictures of a flooded Downtown Pittsburgh, but the damage was felt far and wide -- from Western Pennsylvania towns such as Johnstown, Sharpsburg and Etna, all the way to the District of Columbia and 11 states across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions.
The human and economic toll of the 1936 flood demonstrated the power of nature and made clear the necessity of change. The passage of the Flood Control Act in June of 1936 authorized the construction of a system of dams and reservoir projects by both the Army Corps of Engineers and affected communities.
Levels of the 1936 flood lines can still be seen on some buildings Downtown.
Visitors to the Heinz History Center can learn more about the great flood of 1936 as part of the "Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation" exhibit.
For more information: www.heinzhistorycenter.org.
First Published November 1, 2012 12:00 am
