History
The Susquehanna river has a long history of flooding. Spanning Cooperstown, New York to the Chesapeake Bay, the river has seen flooding in every area, but especially where the Susquehanna River meets the Wyoming Valley.
Recorded floods date back to the late 1800s here and have resulted in the construction of levees, floodwalls, and other mitigation strategies. A significant flood in the valley in March 1936 initiated the Flood Control Act of 1936, which led to the construction of numerous 13-15 foot levee systems along the Susquehanna river. The United States Engineer Corps also constructed a dike system in the 1940s to prevent major flooding.
The Impact of Agnes
When Hurricane Agnes arrived in the valley in June 1972, it became clear that the water levels would surpass the 37-foot limit. Volunteers were called to join in the sandbagging efforts to raise the flood protection levels but to no avail.
The Susquehanna river levee was topped at 11 a.m. at 38.5 feet on Friday June 23, 1972. Wilkes-Barre was evacuated of its inhabitants for four days while the flood ravaged the streets. Buildings and residences were destroyed and even uplifted, the water carried mud onto the streets, and roadways were torn. The Wyoming Valley had experienced “one of the worst natural disasters in American history.”
View More Photos of the Hurricane Agnes Flood external website