The Flood Of 1961

On July 19, 1961, 6 inches of rain fell in four hours starting at about 8:30, following six straight rain days. I was a kid on Smith Street.  It actually flooded to the point that I could swim ( and did ) in the street. I had no idea of what was about to happen all around me....

Garrison Ave Flood




Garrison Ave Flood
As it poured through narrow Magazine Hollow, the runoff carried away anything that wasn't tied down -- and some things that were. Cars, even homes, were no match for the raging waters. Survivors recall watching houses float past under the glare of lightning bolts and hearing the screams of their neighbors.




Garrison Ave Flood



Garrison Ave Flood



Garrison Ave Flood
By daylight, rescuers began to tally the grim aftermath of the storm. Twenty-two people died in the Kanawha Valley, including nine on Garrison Avenue. An estimated 1,500 people were left homeless as 138 houses were destroyed and 1,374 heavily damaged.




Garrison Ave Flood

The National Guard closed off Garrison the next morning and imposed a curfew for weeks afterward to prevent looting.



Garrison Ave Flood

Mayor John Shanklin and John L. Sullivan of the Civil Defense agreed it was the worst disaster they had ever seen. "I've never seen so much devastation," Sullivan said, "and I've seen a lot of disaster areas."





Garrison Ave Flood



Garrison Ave Flood





Garrison Ave Flood



While Garrison Avenue was hard hit, other areas suffered as well -- Sugar Creek, Wertz Avenue, Campbells Creek, Chappell and Mission hollows. Elk Two-Mile might have taken the hardest blow, but creeks flooded from Cedar Grove to Nitro.




Garrison Ave Flood



Garrison Ave Flood




Garrison Ave Flood





Just a few years earlier...

Flood of 1958 WV

Many people forget about the flood of 1958, due to the vast damage and death toll of the 1961
flood.  The Kanawha Two Mile flood of 58 was none-the-less devastating.  This flood also affected many surrounding areas, all the way to Mill Creek.



Magazine hollow flood


All photos and articles from the Charleston Gazette and Daily Mail




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