- Title
- Our State
-
-
- Date
- September 2002
-
-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
-
Our State
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tor heel history
The Flood of 1916
A
"КЮ
storm " dumped more than lialfa year's normal
rainfall on our state's western region in a 24-hour period,
causing a massive flood responsible for 80 deaths and enormous
property damage.
in Ken Biackweii
On July
К*.
1916, the remnants
of two hurricanes collided over
the Fastcrn Continental Divide
and poured torrential rains on the
North ( Carolina mountains for 24
hours. Twenty two inches of rain fell
during a 24-hour period, setting a
record for rainfall in the United States.
Before there were weather satellites
or radio and television, weather was
viewed as something that just happened
without cause or reason. The few who
did understand the dynamics of weather
lacked the communication tools to
spread warnings in advance of the event.
Tile cause of the flood was not under¬
stood. hut its effect was inescapable.
The first storm left the Cull of
Mexico on June 29, 1916. By July 10,
heavy rain from that system began
tailing on western North Carolina.
After six days of a torrential downpour,
the ground was saturated. People-
reported sinking up to their ankles on
normally solid ground. Farm crops,
representing the year’s income and the
winter’s food supply, were being lost.
But the worst was yet to come.
Pouring disaster
The second storm, the one that caused
most of the river flooding, came out of
the Atlantic Ocean north of Charleston,
South Carolina, on July 1 1. In five days
it traveled across South Carolina and
slammed into the cool air left over the
mountains by the first storm. A
Above: Chief Otis V
Powers spent an entire
night astride his horse to
warn Hendersonville
z residents of the flood.
Left: The French Broad
River at flood stage
approached Asheville.
shuddering thunderstorm erupted over
the mountains where Buncombe and
I lender-son counties meet.
More than half a year's normal
rainfall was dumped on the region in a
24-hour period. It is estimated that 90
percent of the water from the second
storm immediately ran into the
streams and rivers that drain the
mountains. The rise of the water was
rapid, reaching record flood stages in
just a few hours. Eighty people were
killed in the flood /one, and estimates
of property damage ran as high as
S22.5 million.
Rain that fell on the eastern slopes of
the mountains ran out of the area on
the Broad (not to be confused with the
French Broad River, which flows
westward) and the Catawba rivers.
The Broad River pushed through
Rutherford and Cleveland counties,
uprooted crops, took down bridges,
and washed away homes.
Charlotte escaped the heavy rainfall;
only five inches were recorded there.
The damage and deaths in Charlotte
were caused by water from the
mountain downpour, which was
funnclcd in Mecklenburg County by
the Catawba River two days later. The
Catawba crested at an amazing 47 feet
above flood level in the Queen City,
and 13 people were killed in that area.
Officials of Southern Railway
thought that loaded boxcars on a
bridge that spanned the Catawba
between Charlotte and Gastonia would
hold it against the rising water. When
the river reached 20 feet above flood
stage, the bridge began shaking. It was
apparent that the string of cars would
not hold. A decision was made to
retrieve them, but the bridge broke
before the cars could
1ч-
removed.
Boxcars, bridge, and 13 people fell into
the rage and were lost. The water kept
rising until the record 47 feet above
flood level was reached.
Further upstream at Marion, washed
out rail lines stranded 225 passengers
in the city for several days. Those in
24 ( Hi i Male Scpwnitiei
Ш2
