1961 — July 19, downpour and flash flood, Charleston, WV — 22

— 25 Gazette-Mail, Charleston, WV. “Flood Toll Hits 25.” 7-23-1961, p. 1.
— 22 Charleston Daily Mail, WV. “Officials Sit, Map Big Cleanup Task.” 7-24-1961, p. 1.
— 22 Fallon. “Garrison Avenue flood memories haunt survivors.” Charleston Gazette-Mail. 2011.
— 22 Gilly, Steve. Disaster. Flash Flood in Charleston, West Virginia, July 1961.” 7-20-2021.
— 18 Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV. “Death Toll in Flood Now 18; 4 Are Missing.” 7-22-1961, 1.
— >17 New York Times. “17 Dead In Flood in West Virginia…Charleston.” 7-21-1961, p. 47.
— >12 Morgantown Post, WV. “From The Post Files. Postmortems…Five Years Ago.” 7-20-1966, p. 4.

Narrative Information

Fallon: “….A total of nine people who lived along Garrison Avenue, then known as Magazine Hollow, lost their lives on July 19, 1961….Rain had fallen for several days, saturating the ground. On the evening of July 19, the rain continued and water began to wash down the road….In all, 22 people were killed in the city that night….” (Fallon, Paul. “Garrison Avenue flood memories haunt survivors.” Charleston Gazette-Mail, WV. 7-14-2011.)

Gilly: “Sixty years ago this week Charleston, West Virginia, was going through the wettest July on record. On July 19th, around sunset, yet another storm came over the city and let down a torrential downpour that literally washed parts of Charleston away. More than five inches of rain fell in less than four hours, sending more water than the mountain creeks and rivers could handle. The brunt of the flash flood fell on those living in hollows outside of town, with houses lifted off their foundations or, worse yet, turned into kindling. Cars were washed away as well.

“A widow, Pricilla Byers, was living on Garrison Avenue with her two boys, David, 10, and Richard, or Ricky, 9. When the flood struck Garrison Avenue a neighbor rushed into the house and grabbed David, then told Mrs. Byers to get Ricky and follow to safety. While the neighbor and David Byers survived, Priscilla and the other boy were drowned.

“In all 22 people were killed in the flood, with two dying in a landslide, and more than 200 were left homeless. $4,000,000 in damages were caused by the flooding, equivalent to more than $31,000,000 today. (Gilly, Steve. Disaster. Flash Flood in Charleston, West Virginia, July 1961.” Storiespodcast.net. 7-20-2021.)

Newspapers

July 20, 1961: “Charleston, W.Va., July 20 (AP) — A violent rainstorm deluged Charleston last night. The downpour transformed brooks into roaring rivers that spread death and destruction down the area’s narrow valleys. At least seventeen persons were killed, eight of them children.

“Five thousand homes and office buildings were without electricity. The United Fuel Gas Company, in cooperation with the city, cut off gas to a large segment of the city to reduce the threat of fires and explosions.

“In less than four hours, the storm dumped more than five inches of rain on the area. Small creeks that usually dry up in the summer became raging torrents that picked up buildings as if they were children’s blocks and dashed them against each other. Two hundred to 400 homes were reported seriously damaged or destroyed.

“Gov. W. W. Barron proclaimed a state of emergency in the south-central West Virginia area where the storm hit hardest and sent a telegram to President Kennedy and Frank B. Ellis, director of the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization, asking them to authorize disaster funds to help the state recover. Civil defense personnel from Washington were on hand surveying the heavy damage.

“Entire sections of outlying districts were destroyed. Houses were chewed into kindling wood. Others were lifted off foundations and shoved fifty feet. Some landed on the tops of neighbors’ houses. Cars bounced along like tumbleweed.

“The city, with a population of about 85,000, lies in a comparatively narrow valley where the Elk River meets the Kanawha. On all sides are sharply sloping hills that form scores of troughs. It was down these troughs that the water came. And it came with such suddenness that the streams were unable to carry off the accumulation. The water piled up and plunged down several feet high, sweeping everything in its path.

“The storm swept in from the west about sundown. Long streaks of lightning pierced straight down from low, churning clouds that seemed to skim just over the hilltops. The storm appeared to settle directly over the city.

“Emergency shelters were set up to care for the hundreds of homeless. Families were still separated. A list of missing persons shrunk through the day, although a hard core remained, giving increased weight to fears the casualty list would grow.

“After the turmoil came isolated reports that looters were cleaning out wrecked houses. Mayor John Shanklin ordered a 9 P.M. curfew in the demolished areas until the residents could return to protect their belongings.

“Highways and streets took a beating. Two lanes of a four-lane section of Highway 60 less than a mile from the state Capitol were washed out and dumped in the Kanawha River, which parallels it. Many roads were buried under several feet of mud…..

“Most of the dead were drowning victims. One man stepped from his stalled car, was swept underneath it and was drowned.

“A 10-year-old boy, crippled by polio, was left an orphan. David Byers lived with his widowed mother, Mrs. Priscilla Byers, 43, and his 9-year-old brother, Richard, on Garrison Avenue. When the mass of water rushed down Garrison, a neighbor, Herbert Waugh, rushed into the Byers home, grabbed David, told Mrs. Byers to take Richard and carried David to safety. The bodies of Mrs. Byers and Richard were recovered today….” (New York Times. “17 Dead In Flood in West Virginia; Rainstorm Leaves Hundreds Homeless in Charleston.” 7-21-1961, p. 47.)

July 20, 1966: “Charleston was hit with a flash cloudburst that dumped 5.4 inches of rain on the city in less than three hours and killed at least 12 persons. Damage was estimated in the millions of dollars and Gov. W. W. Barron declared the city an emergency area.” (Morgantown Post, WV. “From The Post Files. Postmortems…Five Years Ago.” 7-20-1966, p. 4.)

Incomplete List of Victims

1. Byers, Mrs. Priscilla, 48, 275 Garrison Ave.
2. Byers, Richard, 8, son of Mrs. Priscilla Byers.
3. Edelman, John W., 68, 5225 Walnut Valley Drive, Charleston.
4. Givens, Sherry Lynn, 3 (or 8; blurry number), 1436 Seventh Ave.
5. Jones, Charles Dexter, 84, of Akron, OH.
6. Null, Harry Jr., 6, Rutledge Rd., Elk Two-Mile.
7. Null, Larry Wayne, 4.
8. Null, Alice Marie, 5.
9. Null, Robert Allen, 11 months. (Body recovered July 23.)
10. Saddler, Mrs. Elma Day, 51, 65 Garrison Ave.
11. Saddler, Marcia Ann, 7, daughter of Mrs. Elma Day Saddler.
12. Sayre, Franklin Delano, 40, 801 Barton St.
13. Simonds, Nancy Lou.
14. Teel, William Jesse, 65, of Elk Two-Mile. (Body recovered July 23.)
15. Teel, Mrs., wife of William. (Body recovered near home July 20.)
16. Thompson, Caroline, wrenched from her father’s grasp; sister of Debra, age not noted.
17. Thompson, Deborah, 2. (Body found July 25 in Kanawha River.)
18. Voiers, Alex, 66, 145 Garrison Ave.
19. Wiseman, Louisa, 17, Elk Two-Mile. (Missing as of July 23.)
20. Wiseman, Willian, 73. Elk Two. Mile. (Missing as of July 23).
21. Wooten, Mrs. Donna Lee, of Elk Two-Mile, body recovered 120 miles downriver.

Sources

Bluefield Daily Telegraph, WV. “Death Toll in Flood Now 18; 4 Are Missing.” 7-22-1961, 1. Accessed 4-30-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/bluefield-daily-telegraph-jul-22-1961-p-1/

Charleston Gazette. “Flood Victims.” 7-22, 1961, p. 2. Accessed 4-30-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/charleston-gazette-jul-22-1961-p-2/

Charleston Daily Mail, WV. “Officials Sit, Map Big Cleanup Task.” 7-24-1961, p. 1. Accessed 4-30-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/charleston-daily-mail-jul-24-1961-p-1/

Daily Mail, Charleston, WV. Man’s Body Recovered From Creek.” 7-24-1971, p. 13. Accessed 4-30-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/charleston-daily-mail-jul-24-1961-p-13/

Fallon, Paul. “Garrison Avenue flood memories haunt survivors.” Charleston Gazette-Mail, WV. 7-14-2011. Accessed 4-30-2022 at: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/garrison-avenue-flood-memories-haunt-survivors/article_895b3bf5-4ee3-5c52-8705-e7cadecbb794.html

Gazette-Mail, Charleston, WV. “Flood Toll Hits 25.” 7-23-1961, p. 1. Accessed 4-30-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/gazette-mail-jul-23-1961-p-1/

Gilly, Steve. Disaster. Flash Flood in Charleston, West Virginia, July 1961.” Storiespodcast.net. 7-20-2021. Accessed 4-30-2022 at: https://storiespodcast.net/2021/07/20/flash-flood-in-charleston-west-virginia-july-1961/

Morgantown Post, WV. “From The Post Files. Postmortems…Five Years Ago.” 7-20-1966, p. 4. Accessed 4-30-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/morgantown-post-jul-20-1966-p-4/

Morgantown Post, WV. “Little Girl 22nd Victim of Charleston Flood.” 7-25-1961, p. 1. Accessed 4-30-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/morgantown-post-jul-25-1961-p-1/

New York Times. “17 Dead In Flood in West Virginia; Rainstorm Leaves Hundreds Homeless in Charleston.” 7-21-1961, p. 47. Accessed 4-30-2022 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1961/07/21/archives/17-dead-in-flood-in-west-virginia-rainstorm-leaves-hundreds.html