DARK HISTORY: THE ELMIRA FLOOD

Ninetoes discusses a catastrophic event that hit really close to his home, over 50 years ago in the southern tier of NY, the Elmira Flood of 1972.

Hey there, history lovers! It is your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes HQ. Today, I am looking at the Elmira Flood of 1972. I have coffee in my system and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

The cause of the flood was Hurricane Agnes, which started in the Yucatan Peninsula as a tropical disturbance on June 14, 1972. Agnes strengthened into a tropical storm and then a Category One hurricane.

Agnes landed in the panhandle of Florida, then went to the southeast corner of Alabama, through central Georgia into South Carolina, and then clipped the southeastern corner of North Carolina before going out to sea. It tracked up the eastern seaboard and then entered lower New York state on June 23.

You know how it is said that slow and steady wins the race? Well, slow and steady also floods an area, and meteorologists refer to that as “training”. When this happened over Elmira, NY, it dumped 6.85 inches of rain between June 22 and 23. The Chemung River crested at 25 feet, which set a record that is still upheld to this day.

The flood waters ravaged downtown Elmira, especially along Water St. (I’m not joking, irony, huh?) Many businesses were greatly damaged and eventually destroyed. Bridges were destroyed by debris and fast-moving water. This pretty much cut the city in half! Looting became a problem, so the National Guard was called in. Approximately 15,000 citizens were displaced, and property damage reached $291.2 million.

Over 1,000 Red Cross employees were involved in the recovery effort, as were volunteers from Operation Rebuild. Surrounding communities sent clean drinking water. On June 30, 1972, Vice-President Spiro Agnew visited Elmira to survey the devastation. He promised federal assistance, but Elmira’s local economy was dealt a heavy blow, and some businesses never came back.

The flood showed the city’s vulnerability to rising water from the Chemung River and other waterways in the area. Improvements were made in flood management and public awareness. The community participated in FEMA’s Community Rating System, and educational materials were developed for the city residents.

It Sprinkled, It Rained, and It Poured

The Elmira Flood of 1972 served as a reminder of the destructive power of an inland tropical storm. It is something that was felt in the Binghamton area in 2006 and again in 2011. The term “Training” is used sparingly in that area by meteorologists because the memories of the damage done are still on everyone’s mind.

Until the next time, I bid you successful research!

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

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