Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 6-12-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–42 Charleston Gazette, WV. “Flood’s Toll Raised to 42,” May 25, 1942, p. 1.

–34 Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.[1]

–33 Com. of PA. The Floods of May 1942 in the Delaware and Lackawanna River Basins. P. 5.

–33 Gelber, Ben. The Pennsylvania Weather Book. 2002, p. 201.

–32 Billings Gazette, MT. “Pennsylvania Flood Toll Mounts to 32,” May 26, 1942, p. 1.

–32 Edwardsville Intelligencer (IL). “Chronology of the Year 1942,” Dec 31, 1942, p. 8.

— 1 Allentown, Lehigh County. Mrs. Gertrude Blaeser, 55.[2]

— 1 Bridgeport, Montgomery County. Dr. Howard M. Hassell, 72.[3]

— 1 East Norriton Township, Montgomery County, SE PA. George W. Gleason, 45; drowned.[4]

— 1 Oxford, Chester County, SE PA. William Turner, 23,[5] fell into flooded Hopewell creek.[6]

— 1 Philadelphia. John Woodard, 7. (Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12.)

— 1 Pottstown, Montgomery County, southeast PA. Mrs. Ella Haldeman, 63, heart attack.[7]

— 1 Reading, Berks County. Ralph H. Cole, 49. Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, 12.

— 1 Scranton, Lackawanna County, NE PA. Carl Jaffeny. Overcome by sewer fumes.[8]

–25 Wayne County, NE PA. Gelber, Ben. The Pennsylvania Weather Book. 2002, p. 201.

— 8 Hawley. (Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12.)

–1 Mrs. Gussie Keyes, 45. (Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12.)

–1 Mrs. Carline Lehman, 75. “

–1 James McDonough, 67. “

–1 Mrs. Emaline McKean, 76. “

–1 Mrs. Lydia Peters, 90. “

–1 Mrs. Dora Stephenson, 65. “

–1 Mr. Carl Walters, 55. ” (Husband of Mrs. Carl Walters.)

–1 Mrs. Carl Walters, 50 “

–14 Honesdale. (Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12.)

–1 Mrs. Lizzie Appel, 72. (Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12.)

–1 Grace Blain “

–1 Sadie Blain “

–1 George Goess, 65 “

–1 Mrs. Lucy Murray Kelleher, 55 “

–1 James Marshall, 70 “

–1 Miss Marjorie Marshall, 27 “

–1 James Muray, 50 ” (Brother of Luch Kelleher)

–1 Miss Louise Roos “

–1 Michael Tenbus, 60. “

–1 Mrs. Mary Tinsman, 67. “

–1 Mr. Joseph Westbrook, 45. “

–1 Mrs. Joseph Westbrook, 40. “

–1 Unidentified woman “

— 3 White Mills. (Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12.)

–1 Mrs. Mamie Elmore, 70. ” (Sister of Emma Partridge.)

–1 John Richter, 60. “

–1 Mrs. Emma Partridge, 89. “

— 1 Williamsport, north central PA. Mrs. Ida Doney,[9] 77; shock, Loyalsock creek flooding.[10]

Narrative Information

Commw. of PA. The Floods of May 1942 in the Delaware and Lackawanna River Basins.

“During the first three weeks of May 1942, frequent heavy rains were general over the Delaware and Lackawanna River Basins. Particularly heavy storms occurred during the period May 20-23, which culminated in crest stages on most streams approximating or exceeding those of recent history.

“On the Schuylkill River at Reading, the flood crest was the third highest recorded since 1757; it was the second highest in 156 years of record on the Lehi^ River; and by far the highest known to present generations along the Lackawaxen River. Serious flooding also occurred along the Lackawanna and Upper Delaware tributaries.

“The preliminary estimate of the direct losses attributed to the floods of May 1942 in Pennsylvania has been placed at $15,000,000. Thirty- three persons lost their lives, 35 bridges were washed out and 22 state highway routes were damaged; 10 small dams failed; there was serious damage to railroads and some municipal water systems were temporarily placed out of commission.

“While many sections were seriously inundated by the flood, the greatest devastation occurred in the Lackawaxen River Basin, particularly Honesdale, where the central section of the town was inundated to a depth of 5 or 6 feet. In the Lackawaxen Basin alone, 24 persons were drowned and the damage has been estimated at $6,000,000….” [p. 5.]

Gelber: “Heavy rain drenched northeastern Pennsylvania on May 20-23, 1942, sending rivers and creeks out of their banks beginning late on the twenty-second….

“Tragedy struck in Wayne County, where twenty-four people drowned along a fifteen-mile stretch of the Lackawaxen River between Prompton and Hawley. The disaster occurred after water spilled over a dam around 9:30 p.m. on the twenty-second. The only alarm was a fire gong that sounded at 11:30 p.m. Darkness and loss of communications prevented a reasonable transmission of high water warning.

“The death toll in eastern Pennsylvania mounted to thirty-three persons as high waters continued to sweep along the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers.” (Gelber 2002, 201.)

Newspapers

May 23: “PHILADELPHIA, May 23 UP)— Flood waters from mountains struck eastern Pennsylvania Friday night and Saturday, killing five persons, with 11 others reported missing, and causing millions of dollars damage to homes and industrial plants along the Susquehanna, Lehigh and Schuylkill rivers. By nightfall many of the smaller streams had receded somewhat, but the larger rivers still were swollen greatly. Forecasters predicted the crests would not be reached until sometime Sunday.

“The levels were in some cases above those of the devastating 1936 floods. This was a series of “flash” floods—sudden, shocking walls of water pouring from the smaller streams because of recent rains…

“Hit hardest was Honesdale, Wayne county, in the northeastern section of the state. Houses collapsed and were washed away in eight feet of water. Six persons in Honesdale and five women in near-by Hawley were reported missing….

“Along the eastern edge the Lehigh ran rampant in Easton, Allentown and Bethlehem. Flood waters disabled the power plant and halted operations at the sprawling four-mile-long Bethlehem Steel corporation in Bethlehem. Some units will resume work within 24 hours….

“Mrs. Ida Doney, 77, of Philadelphia, died of shock while visiting in Williamsport, where the Loyalsock creek lapped on doorsteps of many dwellings.

“William Turner, 23, of Oxford, Chester county, fell into Hopewell creek, while watching the flood, and drowned.

“Mrs. Ella Haldeman, 63, of Pottstown, collapsed while trying to remove articles from her flooded cellar and died of a heart attack.

“George W. Gleason, 45, of East Norriton township, drowned when he fell into a flooded saw mill run in Norristown.

“Escaping fumes from a sewer clogged by high water killed Carl Jaffeny in Scranton….” (Salt Lake Tribune. “Five Dead, 11 Missing in Flash Flood,” May 24, 1942, p. 10)

May 24: “PHILADELPHIA, May 24.—(INS) — Recovery of 15 bodies tonight raised the indicated death toll from eastern and central Pennsylvania’s devastating floods to 42, with hundreds of other persons injured and at least 4,000 left homeless. In addition to the 15 known dead, 27 other persons were missing.

“Hardest hit of the flooded regions was Honesdale, where 2,000 of the 5,800 population were homeless! Five bodies -were recovered this morning from the swollen Lackawanna river, where all bridges were down…

“Property damage throughout the eastern portion of the state was estimated at $10,000,000, with damage in the Honesdale area alone placed at $3,000,000. Hunger and the threat of disease added to the burden of rescue workers, but state police motor vans rushed in food supplies and distributed food by small boats which traveled from house to house. The Red Cross set up temporary hospitals, shelters and canteens. Farmers around Honesdale, unable to market their milk, brought it into the town for free distribution.

“As rescue efforts were speeded the worst of the floods appeared to have passed as the rampaging Lackawanna. Susquehanna, Lehigh and Schuylkill rivers and their tributaries all began receding….” (Charleston Gazette (WV). “Flood’s Toll Raised to 42,” May 25, 1942, 1.)

May 25: “Honesdale, Pa,, May 25.—(U.P)— Authorities counted 32 known dead and expected the toll to rise as floodwaters receded Monday from low-lying areas of seven eastern Pennsylvania counties devastated by the sudden overflow of a half-dozen rain-swollen rivers.

“The falling rivers were expected to disclose the bodies of additional victims, many of them swept far from their homes by the river currents. At Honesdale there were at least 12 dead and at

Hawley nine, while other communities reported from one to three or four dead and several missing.” (Billings Gazette, MT. “Pennsylvania Flood Toll Mounts to 32,” May 26, 1942, p. 1.)

May 31: “Honesdale, Pa., June 1 (AP) – A searching party combing the Lackawaxen river banks found the body of James Marshall, 70, who died in the eastern Pennsylvania’s flash floods. Three persons from Honesdale and one from nearby Hawley are still missing.” (Gettysburg Times, PA. “Body Found,” May 31, 1942, p. 6.)

Dec 31: “`Flash floods’ in eastern and central Pennsylvania kill or drown 32 persons. Honesdale -Hawley region, with 24 dead, hit hardest.” (Edwardsville Intelligencer, IL. “Chronology of the Year 1942,” Dec 31, 1942, p. 8.)

Sources

Becker. “Floods helped mark our history.” Tri-County Independent, 10-14-2010. Accessed 6-11-2024 at: https://www.tricountyindependent.com/story/entertainment/local/2010/10/14/floods-helped-mark-our-history/63642316007/

Billings Gazette, MT. “Pennsylvania Flood Toll Mounts to 32,” May 26, 1942, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=77823503

Charleston Gazette, WV. “Flood’s Toll Raised to 42,” 5-25-1942, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=40390718

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Forests and Waters. The Floods of May 1942 in the Delaware and Lackawanna River Basins. Harrisburg, PA: 1942. Accessed 6-11-2024 at: https://ia601308.us.archive.org/3/items/floodsofmay1942i00penn/floodsofmay1942i00penn.pdf

Edwardsville Intelligencer, IL. “Chronology of the Year 1942,” Dec 31, 1942, p. 8. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=1665978

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

Gettysburg Times, PA. “Body Found,” May 31, 1942, p. 6. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=2987870

Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12. Accessed 6-12-2024 at: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indiana-gazette-1942-05-25-deaths-du/18481745/

Salt Lake Tribune. “Five Dead, 11 Missing in Flash Flood,” May 24, 1942, p. 10. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com

[1] We assume the Commonwealth of PA report did not include one of the indirect flood deaths noted by sources cited herein – such as the heart attack while removing items from a flooded home basement.

[2] Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12.

[3] State Health Director for Bucks and Montgomery Counties. (Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12.)

[4] Fell into flooded saw mill run.

[5] Age noted as 63 in Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12.

[6] Salt Lake Tribune. “Five Dead, 11 Missing in Flash Flood,” May 24, 1942, p. 10.

[7] Was removing goods from her flooded basement at the time. Salt Lake Tribune. “Five Dead, 11 Missing in Flash Flood,” May 24, 1942, p. 10.

[8] “Escaping fumes from a sewer clogged by high water killed Carl Jaffney in Scranton.” Salt Lake Tribune. “Five Dead, 11 Missing in Flash Flood,” May 24, 1942, p. 10.

[9] Name put as Ida Dowey in: Indiana Gazette, PA. “The Dead Personnel.” 5-25-1942, p. 12.

[10] Salt Lake Tribune. “Five Dead, 11 Missing in Flash Flood,” May 24, 1942, p. 10.

1942 — May 22/23, heavy rain, flooding, NE, east and central PA, esp. Wayne County– 34