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Washed away : how the Great Flood of 1913, America's most widespread natural disaster, terrorized a nation and changed it forever / Geoff Williams.

by Williams, Geoffrey, 1970-

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Pegasus Books, c2013.

Floods -- Ohio River Valley.

Flood damage -- Ohio River Valley.

Natural disasters -- United States -- History.

9781605984049 (hc.)

1605984043 (hc.)

1st Pegasus Books cloth ed.

xi, 356 p., [16] p. of plates : ill. ; 24 cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 343-348) and index.

Sunday, March 23, 1913. Heading for the cellar. -- Monday, March 24, 1913. The first flood deaths. -- Tuesday, March 25, 1913. Some of the people in the way ; The long rain ; A time to run ; Everyone on their own ; That old college try ; From bad to worse ; Desperation ; Heartbreak. -- Wednesday, March 26, 1913. Fighting back ; Waterworld ; Greed ; Children in harm's way ; Jittery nerves. -- Thursday, March 27, 1913. Another long night ; Light at the end. -- Friday, March 28, 1913. Water retreating. -- Saturday, March 29, 1913. Cleaning up. -- The Days After the Flood. Remember the promises in the attic.

In this book the author tells the story of a flood of near biblical proportions; its destruction, its heroes and victims, and how it shaped America's natural disaster policies for the next century. Fourteen states in all were hit, along with every major and minor river east of the Mississippi. The storm began March 23, 1913, with a series of tornadoes that killed 150 people and injured 400. Then the freezing rains started and the flooding began. It continued for days. Some people drowned in their attics, others on the roads when the tried to flee. It was the nation's most widespread flood ever, more than 700 people died, hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed, and millions were left homeless. The destruction extended far beyond the Ohio valley to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Vermont. In the aftermath, flaws in America's natural disaster response systems were exposed, echoing today's outrage over Hurricane Katrina. People demanded change. Laws were passed, and dams were built. Teams of experts vowed to develop flood control techniques for the region and stop flooding for good. So far those efforts have succeeded. It is estimated that in the Miami (Ohio) Valley alone, nearly 2,000 floods have been prevented, and the same methods have been used as a model for flood control nationwide and around the world.

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