3 — 18

lornajarrettblanchard July 17, 1942

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 6-9-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–18 Blanchard compilation based on state breakouts below.

–16 Gelber, Ben. The Pennsylvania Weather Book. 2002, p. 201. (PA and NY, citing the press.)

Pennsylvania (15)

— 15 AP. “Cleaning Up Flood Debris In North Tier.” Somerset Daily American, PA. 7-23-1942, p. 2.

— 15 nynjpaweather.com. “An Incredible World Record [PA] Rainfall And Flooding in July of 1942.”

— 15 USGS (Eisenlohr). Floods of July 18, 1942 in north-central Pennsylvania. 1943, p. 64.

–~13 Wellsboro Agitator (PA). “Record Flood on Three Watersheds…,” July 22, 1942, 1.

— 9 Titusville Herald. “Nine Die in Floods In McKean, Potter and Elk Co.” July 20, 1942, p. 2

Breakout of PA flood and flood-related deaths by locality where specifically noted.

–2 Cameron Co., Emporium.

–1 Lynn Middaugh; carried down Portage creek trying to rescue Mrs. Emma Doll.[1]

–1 Mrs. Emma Doll, 72.

–1 Elk County, Johnsonburg. Cyrul Haberger, 28.[2]

–6 McKean County. Port Allegany. Gelber, Ben. The Pennsylvania Weather Book. 2002,

— 5 Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, July 20, 1942, p. 1.

–1 Rev. Edna Barkas

–1 Mrs. Margaret (Maurice) O’Connor (or O’Conner), heart attack.

–1 Three-month old baby girl named Babola, drowned.

–1 Mrs. Della Mitchell

–1 John O. Scott

–2 Potter County

–1 Coudersport. Emil Ketchell, 81, hit by lightning [3]

–1 Roulette. John Ross, Game Protector, of Williamsport.[4]

New York (3)

–3 Cattaraugus County, Olean. Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, July 20, 1942, 1.

–3 Olean Times Herald, NY. “State & Union: Turning back the clock on Olean.” 7-17-2017.

–1 Donald Larabee, six, drowned. Car plunged into Haskell Creek.

–1 Arthur Nash, 27. Drowned when boat capsized in War Veterans Park.

–1 Wesley Demming, 30. Drowned with Nash when their boat capsized in War Vet Park

Narrative Information

Gelber: “The summer of 1942 was unusually stormy. A series of cloudbursts associated with a slow-moving thunderstorm complex drenched central Pennsylvania on July 17-18. Excessive rainfall turned quiet mountain streams into raging torrents that were channeled through narrow mountain passes. Rainfall estimates ran as high as 15.00 inches in less than twenty-four hours in Cameron, Potter, McKean, and Elk Counties.

“Communications were cut off from Emporium, a town of 4,500 that was especially hard hit. Flooding at Port Allegany in McKean County claimed six lives….

“The death toll in northern Pennsylvania and southern New York rose to sixteen, according to the press….” (Gelber 2002, 2001.)

Olean Times Herald, NY. “State & Union: Turning back the clock on Olean.” 7-17-2017:

“1942

“July 18 — The worst cloudburst in Olean’s history swept over the area, causing more than $1 million in damage to property throughout the area. The rain gauge on the roof of the Times Herald building, set for only five inches, was of no use as more than eight inches pelted the region, setting a record river crest that would stand unbroken until the Flood of 1972. A boy was reported drowned in an automobile that plunged into Haskell Creek, a woman was rescued by firefighters, having escaped the car.

“July 20 — More reports of fatalities pour in from the Flood of 1942, including two men, aRthur Nash, 27, and Wesley Demming, 30, who were killed when a boat they were riding in capsized in War Veterans Park, which was under some seven feet of water. Nash’s wife was rescued from the floodwaters. Adding insult to injury, one of the major water mains running under the Allegheny River broke, leaving the city without potable water. The boy killed the day before was identified as Donald Larabee, six.

“July 23 — As floodwaters recede and the city begins to clean up after the Flood of 1942, it’s discovered that the dykes along Olean did not break during the storm, they were just overwhelmed. Frantic efforts to sandbag the dykes to greater heights were ineffective, failing to hold back the overflow of the raging torrent. The Red Cross, which locals had been supporting for the war effort, returned to the city to offer assistance, asking residents to register with the 15 workers on the job.”

USGS (William S. Eisenlohr Jr.). “Floods of July 18, 1942 in North-Central Pennsylvania:

Abstract

“The floods of July 1942 in north-central Pennsylvania and adjacent areas in New York were record-breaking on most of the smaller streams. They followed unprecedented rains that amounted to as much as 35 inches at some points during a storm that for the most part lasted less than 12 hours at any point. In the area of heavy rainfall, peak flood discharges were much greater than for the floods of March 1936. The storm was centered over the headwaters of three major drainage basins Susquehanna, Allegheny, and Genessee with the result that flood flows in the lower reaches of those streams were not outstanding. The estimated property damage exceeded $10,000,000 and 15 persons lost their lives. Description of previous storms and floods show that quite similar conditions have occurred in other areas in the past. The isohyetal map in the report is based on more than 400 miscellaneous observations of rainfall. Gage heights and discharges during the flood period are given for 14 gaging stations, and peak discharges are given for 47 other points on streams in the flood area. The maximum discharge was 117,000 second-feet in West Branch Susquehanna River at Renovo, and the maximum in relation to drainage area was 2,100 second-feet per square mile from 11.4 square miles in Annin Creek near Turtle Point.

Introduction

“On July 18, 1942, north-central Pennsylvania and adjacent areas in New York were visited by destructive floods of unprecedented magnitude. The principal areas affected were in Elk, Cameron, McKean, and Potter Counties in Pennsylvania, and Cattaraugus, Allegany, and Stueben Counties in New York… Rainfalls of more than 30 inches were reported in several localities, and on about 200 square miles the rainfall was as much as 20 inches. The rainfall was greater than 10 inches on more than 2,000 square miles.

“The resulting floods produced the highest crest stages ever recorded on First Fork and Driftwood Branch of Sinnemahoning Creek and on upper Allegheny and Clarion Rivers. Flood discharges on small drainage areas less than 100 square miles were as great in relation to drainage area…as any ever recorded on streams in Pennsylvania and adjacent areas in New York. Allegheny River at Red House, N. Y., was nearly a foot higher than the previous maximum in 40 years of record, and at Eldred, Pa., it was more than 9 feet higher than the previous maximum in 27 years of record, with more than four times the discharge. Driftwood Branch Sinnemahoning Creek was nearly 3 feet higher than in March 1936 with more than one and one-half times the maximum discharge.

“Practically all the towns along the streams were inundated to a damaging extent. The dikes at Emporium, Pa., were overtopped and about 60 percent of the town was flooded; the water was 5 feet deep in the middle of Broad Street Square. At Austin, Pa., events were reminiscent of the historic flood disaster of September 30, 1911, when the dam broke and 80 people were killed. The dam of the Williamson Pulp & Paper Co.’s reservoir with a capacity 65,000,000 gallons at spillway crest was breached…pouring floodwaters upon the town of Austin; buildings were knocked off their foundations…and water was 4 to 5 feet deep on the main street. Post Allegany probably suffered the greatest damage per capita of any town in the area. Virtually every business building was flooded 3 to 20 feet. More than 150 people attending a conference in the Free Methodist Church were rescued from treetops, roofs, and floating wreckage. The church was washed against a nearby silk mill; it caught fire, and both buildings as well as others adjacent were destroyed.

“Many other towns were inundated to a considerable extent: Coudersport, Smethport, Eldred, Bradford, and Ridgway, Pa., and Portville, Olean, and Salamanca, N. Y. Above Johnsonburg, Pa., a dam broke, and a wall of water 8 feet high was reported as having swept through the town; 18 families had to be rescued with makeshift rafts, and many houses were moved off their foundations and pushed together… All these communities supported industries that suffered heavily, at a time when capacity production was needed for the war effort.

“Public utilities and transportation systems were badly damaged. Water, gas, and electric services were disrupted in many communities. Railroads, highways, and bridges were washed out. A passenger train was marooned by the collapse of a bridge near Ridgway. It was estimated that 75 miles of Pennsylvania Railroad track was damaged. The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad between Roulette and Port Allegany, and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad between Sinnemahoning and Austin were so badly damaged that they were abandoned… Over all the 27 miles of this stretch of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad it is doubtful if a section as long as a tenth of a mile anywhere was left undamaged; at one place the track was left in the middle of the stream.

“Fifteen persons lost their lives in this storm, and many others were made homeless. The damages sustained were extremely large for the size and population of the area….

Newspapers

July 19, Associated Press: “Ridgway, July 19. – (AP) – At least nine persons lost their lives in a ‘flash’ flood which devastated towns and villages, mane hundreds of person homeless and caused untold property damage over a wide area in north central Pennsylvania today.

“Homes, business buildings and bridges were wrecked. Some war-rushed factories were heavily damaged. Communities were isolated, and the Red Cross and other relief agencies went into action to fight disease hazards and take care of the homeless….

“List of Dead

“RIDGWAY, July 19.—(AP)—Names of the known dead in the Saturday “flash” flood in Potter. McKean and Elk counties, as compiled from various sources:

At Port Allegany

Rev. Edna Barkas of Duke Center.

Irene Croll

Mrs. Margaret (Maurice) O’Connor, 70.

A three-months-old baby girl named Babola (first name unavailable).

Mrs. Delia Mitchell.

John O. Scott.

At Coudersport

Emil Ketchell, 81.

At Johnsonburg

Cyrul Habergerger, 28.

At Roulette

Game Protector John Ross of Williamsport…” (Titusville Herald. “Nine Die ” July 20, 1942, 2)

July 21, AP: “Ridgway, Pa. — (AP) — Violent flash floods rolling through north central Pennsylvania and New York today took at least 11 lives and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes, business establishments and industrial plants. Railroad roadways and highway bridges were washed out. Traffic was paralyzed. Power and telephone service was disrupted. There were fires, landslides and disease threats.

“The flood waters swirled from the upper tributaries of the Susquehanna, Clarion and Allegheny rivers in Pennsylvania. The Allegheny winds northward through southern New York before turning southwest to its junction with the Ohio at Pittsburgh.

“Hardest hit were Port Allegany, Austin, Wharton, Ridgway, Emporium and Johnsonburg in Pennsylvania and Olean, Portville and Salamanaca in New York.

“At Port Allegany, where six persons were reported drowned, the Allegheny smashed into the Free Methodist church while 150 persons were attending a conference. They clung to trees, roof-tops and floating wreckage until rescued. Fire broke out later and destroyed the church and a nearby parish hall, a garage and an old silk mill.

“An earthen dam broke at Austin, sweeping away several homes and knocking others from their foundations.

“A wall of water eight feet high swept through Johnsonburg, damaging the Canastea Paper company factory. Eighteen families stranded in low-lying homes were rescued by crews using makeshift rafts. Three persons were reported drowned at Olean, N. Y. The Allegheny rolled over a third of the city and a thousand persons were driven from their homes.” (Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. “Flash Floods in East Destroy…,” July 20, 1942, 1.)

July 21 at Port Allegany: “The chief of the fire department…[said] that the river there rose seven and a half feet in less than five minutes, which took people completely unaware. Three hundred families in Port Allegany are homeless.” (Titusville Herald (PA). “Port Allegany Damage Great, Official Says,” July 21, 1942, 2)

July 22: “Names of the known dead in the flood in Potter, McKean and Elk counties [PA] are:

at Allegany [McKean County], Edna Barkas;

of Duke Center [McKean County], Irene Croll; Mis….Maurice O’Connor, 70; a three month old baby girl named Babola (first name unavailable); Mrs. Della Mitchell; John O. Scott.

At Emporium [Cameron County] — Unidentified boy, At Johnsonburg [Elk County] —Cvrui Habergerget, 28.

At Roulette [Potter County] —Game Protector John B. Ross, of Williamsport…

“Virtually every business building in Port Allegany was flooded. Coast Guardsmen sent to do rescue work, reported it was 40 feet deep in the bottom lands…..

“The bodies of two Port Allegany women were recovered from a cellar to which they had gone to rescue a dog. An infant was torn from its mother’s arms by flood waters as mother and child waded through the current….

“Coroner Clark reported that two persons were missing at Port Allegany, in addition to the death toll there…

“Olean, N.Y. – Two men were reported drowned in the Allegany River which flooded one-third of Olean and practically isolated the city. Upwards of 5,000 were homeless. Olean police identified the victims as Parker N. Nash, a taxi driver, and Wesley A. Deming, a foundry worker. They were in a rowboat which capsized….

“At Salamanca, the river reached an all-time high, three feet above flood stage. Considerable damage was done to the business section.

“Three hundred families were evacuated in the East Olean and Bordenville sections and emergency facilities were set up in the Glean YMCA and churches.” (Wellsboro Agitator, PA. “Record Flood on Three Watersheds…,” July 22, 1942, p. 1.)

July 22, AP: “Port Allegany, July 22 – (AP) – Hundreds of men plied shovels or drove trucks today as the federal and state governments lent them assistance to a dozen river communities struggling to dig out from the debris left by last weekend’s flash floods. Everybody’s working, Said L. H. Lukehart, national Red Cross field representative in describing conditions here and elsewhere in flood-swept McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter counties. Mud and filth is being dug out of homes and hauled away in trucks. It’s a big job, but the people are bearing up well. They are coming out in admirable fashion. Shovel crews of 70 WPA [Work Progress Administration] men were assigned to Port Allegany today for an indefinite period. With them and the local volunteers this job will be handled all right.

“Some families were living on the upper floors of their homes while the first floors and cellars were being cleaned up. The cellars were disinfected with 22 tons of lime sent here by the state. The lime was also used to cover bodies of dead animals not immediately buried.

“Tonight’s state-wide blackout was no deterrent to the round-the-clock rehabilitation work, as the state defense council exempted the four-county flood area from the air raid test.

“Meanwhile, the WPA allotted $15,000 to aid the four counties. Richard L. Irvin, state administrator, said at Harrisburg, $12,500 would be spent for labor in clearing up debris and $2,500 for other purposes. Most of the work will be done in the Port Allegheny region….

“The bodies of two flood victims were found today, one identified as John O. Scott, 73, of Port Allegany who had previously been reported drowned. The other was of Cyrul Haberger, 21, drowned after he had made certain his wife and child were safe. It was found on a small island in the Clarion river at Johnsburg, Ellis county.

“Franklin D. Davis, Buffalo general superintendent of northern division of the Pennsylvania railroad reported seven railroad bridges and many miles of track were washed out. Hundreds of men already are working day and night on the damaged sections, stretching from Driftwood, almost to Franklinville in New York and from Emporium to beyond Johnsonburg.

“The floods’ probable death toll mounted to 15 as Lynn Middaugh of Emporium was given up for lost. He was carried down Portage creek in attempting to rescue Mr. Emma Doll, 72, who drowned….

“Haberberger, the victim found near Johnsonburg, was one of 15 persons on Vennard’s island when the flood waters swept over it Saturday. During the rescue, he declined to get into a boat, saying: Women and children firs. After seeing his wife and baby get safely on the boat, Haberberger jumped into the water only to be struck by a log.

“Lukehart said Red Cross case workers were helping residents obtain new homes and furniture. It may be a couple of months before they all are taken care of, he said. The homeless were being sheltered at neighbors’ houses and some were being fed along with relief crews at the Red Cross canteen set up in Masonic hall at Port Allegany. Women volunteers did the cooking for about 500 persons.

“State health department workers inspected the stocks of food stores. Damaged stocks were destroyed.

“Some roads were being opened up….” (AP. “Cleaning Up Flood Debris In North Tier.” Somerset Daily American, PA. 7-23-1942, p. 2.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Cleaning Up Flood Debris In North Tier…Death Roll At 14.” Somerset Daily American, PA. 7-23-1942, p. 2. Accessed 6-8-2024 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/somerset-daily-american-jul-23-1942-p-2/

Gelber, Ben. The Pennsylvania Weather Book. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2002. Google preview accessed 1-4-2018 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=34RKv9fMFo4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

nynjpaweather.com. “An Incredible World Record Pennsylvania Rainfall And Flooding in July of 1942.” Accessed 6-9-2024 at: https://nynjpaweather.com/public/2023/07/07/an-incredible-world-record-pennsylvania-rainfall-and-flooding-in-july-of-1942/

Olean Times Herald, NY. “State & Union: Turning back the clock on Olean.” 7-17-2017. Accessed 6-9-2024 at: https://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/state-union-turning-back-the-clock-on-olean/article_22408dc8-6a9e-11e7-b16d-177625f4a995.html

Titusville Herald, PA. “Nine Die in Floods In McKean, Potter and Elk Counties.” July 20, 1942, p. 2. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=102940544

Titusville Herald, PA. “Port Allegany Damage Great, Official Says,” July 21, 1942, 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=102940548

USGS. Notable Local Floods of 1942-43 (Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1134). Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1952. Accessed 6-9-2024 at: https://pubs.usgs.gov/wsp/1134b/report.pdf

Wellsboro Agitator, PA. “Record Flood on Three Watersheds…,” July 22, 1942, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=12178320

Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, WI. “Flash Floods in East Destroy…,” July 20, 1942, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=10368302

[1] Associated Press. “Cleaning Up Flood Debris In North Tier.” Somerset Daily American, PA. 7-23-1942, p. 2.

[2] Wellsboro Agitator, PA. “Record Flood on Three Watersheds…,” July 22, 1942, p. 1.

[3] Titusville Herald. “Nine Die in Floods…,” July 20, 1942, p. 2

[4] Wellsboro Agitator, PA. “Record Flood on Three Watersheds…,” July 22, 1942, p. 1.