Angela Sadlowski

Paideia Research Paper

Molloy
12/22/16

The Worst Disaster in Connecticut History

Introduction

Suddenly it (the river) came back and in such a torrent that we were swept right along

with it. One family of five and their house all went, the children were screaming--oh, Ill never

get the sound out of my mind (Martinelli 48). On August 18, 1955, for the first time in recent

Connecticut history, a devastating flood caused by two back-to-back hurricanes hit the

Farmington Valley Region and surrounding areas causing devastation. Despite the tragedy,

Connecticut responded by uniting together to help rebuild the lives and communities affected

by the calamity. In addition,with the Federal Government's help, measures were put in place to

prevent another such tragedy. Although the Flood of 1955 caused devastation, it also caused

some positive action.

Devastation

The Flood of 1955 is called the worst disaster in Connecticut history because of the

amount of devastation it caused. The flood caused significant property damage for thousands

of families, which led to severe financial difficulty. The flood washed away 50 houses in the

River Glen area of Farmington along with 250 other houses in Farmington being damaged

beyond repair which had to be raised. Shelter is a basic need which these people lost along

with other necessities such as furniture, clothing, food in these homes. A home is very
important because it protects people and gives them a sense of well-being - all of which was

destroyed by this horrendous storm.

Additionally, approximately 170 of the 200 businesses along the Farmington River were

destroyed in areas hit by the flood. Not only is this devastating for the business owner with the

loss of business income and cost to repair, its also devastating for the employees. With their

work place closed, they were without gainful employment. To make matters worse,Most of

the victims didnt have flood insurance and house insurance didnt give enough compensation,

so many people had to fix their homes using money out of their pockets(Hanrahan 87) . Many

of the people that were left jobless did not have the funds to rebuild their lives as a result of

their workplace being destroyed. In conclusion, the Flood of 1955 caused significant property

damage and the loss of many jobs - both led to severe financial difficulties for those involved.

Even though the damage to property and the resulting financial problems were

devastating, buildings can be rebuilt and loans paid off. However, the 87 fatalities it caused can

never be replaced. Two of these victims were Officer Yudkin and Assistant Officer Joseph

Morrin who died while on a heroic rescue mission. These two deaths were particularly hard on

the community, as they died trying to rescue others. Of the 87 deaths that were blamed on

the flood, 20 were children under the age of 15(Hartford Courant). The loss of a child is the

most devastating thing a parent can face, and many parents had to do just this. From heroic

rescuers to common citizens, this flood took away lives which can never be replaced, along with

all their contributions to our society.

Outpouring of Concern

The suffering and devastation caused an outpouring of concern from both Connecticut

citizens and from others all across our country. The Red Cross (TRC), Salvation Army and many

local businesses helped aid the victims of the flood. The Red Cross and Salvation Army set up

shelters at Farmington High School and Sarah Porter Memorial Hall. Through monetary

donations from around the country, they were also able to provide desperately needed food

and clothing to the victims of the flood. Many of these victims lost everything they owned and

the Red Cross and Salvation Army generously helped these victims get back on their own two

feet. The Red Cross alone donated 25,000 dollars worth of goods, a clothing store donated

loads of clothing and the Salvation Army helped fundraise for other needed supplies. After the

flood, many families were in need of money to help rebuild their lives so the monetary

donations were most appreciated. Winding Trails even offered free day camp for children ages

4-12 years old, giving parents the time they desperately needed to concentrate on cleaning

and rebuilding their homes so they could be safely occupied. In fact, the flood caused an

outpouring of support from the overall community. People helped each other, including

businesses and other groups who were not set up to be charities.

The federal government responded by giving 25 million dollars to rebuild roads, bridges

and other infrastructure (Martinelli 31). Infrastructure is very important in a society and the

government giving millions of dollars to Connecticut shows that the government also wanted to

help Connecticut recover. This money helped rebuild roads, bridges and other vital pieces of
infrastructure that the residents rely on every day to go about their lives. With this help, and

the incredible sense of community shown by the businesses and residents, this region was able

to slowly start recovering from this disaster so that people could get on with their lives.

Change After the Flood

After the flood, the Federal Government wanted to prevent another devastating flood in

Connecticut, so they assigned the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to come up with a solution.

The ACOE decided on building a series of flood control dams across Connecticut over the

preceding decades. Two of these dams are the Mad River Dam and Sucker Brooke Dams.

During the flood of 1955, the Mad River wasnt equipped to handle two feet of rain and

was over it banks as it flowed into the city of Winsted. In addition, Highland Lake, also in

Winsted, was being fed an incredible quantity of water from Sucker Brook and was overflowing

its entire dam, not just the spillway, by several feet. In the City, these two flows combined to

create a torrent of water that flowed through the City, completely destroying most buildings on

the south side of Main Street, including a number of businesses including a Buick dealer,

including a lot of brand new cars. This water then flowed down and combined with the already

flooded Farmington, helping to cause the severe flooding in Farmington previously discussed.

To prevent this from ever happening again, the ACOE built the Mad River Dam above

Winsted to protect the river from these excessive flows. It has a huge storage capacity behind

the dam, like a big bath tub, and slowly meters out the water, like a drain, in a quantity that will
not do any damage to the City. The Sucker Brook Dam similarly slows flows into Highland Lake

so the flows over the dam are manageable as they combine with the Mad River down in the

City. These two dams work together to limit flows in the Mad River, which subsequently feed

the West brand of the Farmington River.

The Dam at Colebrook River Lake, additionally reduce the flows in the East Branch of the

Farmington River, which combines with the West Branch in New Hartford. In 1955, The

Metropolitan District (MDC) started planning this dam on the West Branch of the Farmington

River, and the ACOE took over the project, eventually finishing the dam. The total cost of the

dam was 14.4 million dollars and the dam was built to hold a maximum of 16 billion gallons of

water (ACOE). These three dams have saved countless dollars in damage from flooding since

the great flood and continue to protect these communities today.

Conclusion

Many living victims of the Flood of 1955 tell a story of devastation and suffering, but

they also tell a story of hope, empathy and generosity. The flood caused devastation in both

loss of property and loss of life. Positively, the community stuck together and helped each other

in the face of tragedy to rebuild their community. Nationally, the government sent the Army

Corps of Engineers to create flood control structures. Currently, if Connecticut was to have a

downpour of rain, the dams built as a result of the Flood of 1955, would prevent the flooding

that could again cause the devastation that Connecticut citizens faced in 1955. Even though
the Flood of 1955 happened nearly 61 years ago, it is still remembered and will always be

remembered.