Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Flood thoughts

Curiosity got me to looking at historic flood heights here in Huntington WV, and I found that the river's crest of 52.25 feet on March 13 of this year was the 24th highest on record, although I wonder why crest heights on two consecutive days are included on the list.

The highest I can remember was 1997, which was 10th on this list. I remember several others, but some that were recorded in recent years I have no memory of. I guess after my first introduction high water after college -- Number 21 in 1978 -- made me judge high water differently.

Looking down the river at, say, Golconda, Ill., the forecast puts this week's flood in the Top 5 all-time along with 1997.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Cairo, Ill., is calling for people to leave town.

1 comment:

tanstaafl said...

I can only go you three better on the list.

I was in the eighth grade and living out in central Cabell County in 1955.

My dad was working at the Nickel Plant and had to take a boat across the backwater, where a friend who also worked at the plant kept his car.

They would drive on in on Sixteenth Street Road and park on Washington Boulevard. The they would walk along the base of the hill to the old blue bridge and walk across the elevated walkway the plant built over that bridge into the plant, over the floodwall.

We missed about a week of school with that one.

I can barely remember the 1948 flood, being only six at the time and in the first grade.