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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>From the PRR book “History of the
Floods of March 1936 and January 1937” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>“Unexpectedly, with very little
warning, the flood which followed the rainfall of March 17<sup>th</sup>, 18<sup>th</sup>
and 19th, 1936, overwhelmed the cities and towns and country-side in the river
valleys of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Pennsylvania</st1:place></st1:State>
and parts of adjoining states. In many of them, the water was higher,
swifter, more destructive, than had ever been experienced in all their history.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>In short, three storms hit the northeast
with one rolling up the Ohio River valley and two coming up from the <st1:place
w:st="on">Caribbean</st1:place> along the eastern coast line. The
rainfall concentrated over western <st1:State w:st="on">Pennsylvania</st1:State>
and the lower western <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">New York</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. Rainfall
along a line from <st1:City w:st="on">Pittsburgh</st1:City> to <st1:City w:st="on">Harrisburg</st1:City>
totaled about 5 inches and this heavy rainfall extended down into <st1:State
w:st="on">West Virginia</st1:State> along a line from Elkins to <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Winchester</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">VA.</st1:State></st1:place>
Flash floods were common and everything drained into the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Susquehanna</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River Basin</st1:PlaceType>, the Potomac or westward
into the Monongahela Conemaugh and <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Yoghioheny</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Rivers</st1:PlaceType> flooding <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Pittsburgh</st1:City></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>For the N&W territory, the PRR book
notes that the Potomac crested at the junction of the Potomac and the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Shenandoah</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Rivers</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> at 18.5 feet OVER FLOOD STAGE on
the 19<sup>th</sup> of March. Which is a lot of water. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Any time winter storms/low pressure areas
dip down low into the US or originate in the Caribbean, they drag up huge
amounts of moisture form the ocean and dump it along the west side of the
Alleghenies as the storms blow north-eastwardly across the eastern US.
This has happened in 1883, 1884, 1907, 1913, 1933, 1936 and 1937 and
others. The 1937 flood was the largest and drowned the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Ohio</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River
basin</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> with the highest crest ever recorded.
The 1913 flood was perhaps the most destructive, dropping 10-12 inches of rain
on <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Ohio</st1:State></st1:place> and
causing such flash flooding to virtually wipe out all of the railroad tracks in
the state. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Gary Rolih<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
nw-mailing-list-bounces@nwhs.org [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces@nwhs.org] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>NW Mailing List<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, May 27, 2009 2:41
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> nw-<st1:PersonName w:st="on">mailing-list@nwhs.org</st1:PersonName><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: 1936 floods</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: NW Mailing List <nw-<st1:PersonName w:st="on">mailing-list@nwhs.org</st1:PersonName>><br>
To: NW Mailing List <nw-<st1:PersonName w:st="on">mailing-list@nwhs.org</st1:PersonName>><br>
Sent: Tue, 26 May 2009 10:15 pm<br>
Subject: Re: 1936 floods<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div id="AOLMsgPart_0_89463515-8c6a-4ae2-84e2-1948334cff87">
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=1 color=black
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>The
flood of March 1936 was indeed caused by a severe winter followed by unusual
warm temperatures and heavy rain in March. Ice floes as much as a foot thick
and the high water caused severe damage along the <st1:place w:st="on">Potomac</st1:place>.
Water was 42 feet above normal at Shepherdstown, where the highway bridge was
destroyed. B&O was badly damaged, but their <st1:place w:st="on">Harpers
Ferry</st1:place> bridges survived. N&W was on high ground north of Front
Royal, but it looks like it suffered where the tracks ran close to the
Shenandoah south of there. Until a temporary ferry was placed in operation at
Shepherdstown, N&W was the only way other than boat to cross there. The
nearest highway bridge to survive was upstream at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Williamsport</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">MD.</st1:State></st1:place>
That stretched the 4 mile trip to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Sharpsburg</st1:City>,
<st1:State w:st="on">MD</st1:State></st1:place> to 36 miles. <br>
<br>
--Rick Morrison <br>
Shenandoah Div. track charts show <u>some</u> high water marks. On
3/18/38 the water was over the main<br>
line at MP H-185 (<st1:place w:st="on">Buena Vista</st1:place>) cresting
at 828.93 ft. above sea level. Entries for the 1942 flood<br>
start just north of <st1:City w:st="on">Lyndhurst</st1:City>(
10/15/42) and continues north to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Carson</st1:place></st1:City>
(where I-66 crosses the river<br>
and the railroad) (10/18/42). Harry Bundy<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div id=MAILCIAMA047-5c554a1d89531a4>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-top:7.5pt;text-align:center'><font
size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:7.5pt'><font size=2 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Wanna
slim down for summer? Go to <a
href="http://www.aolhealth.com/diet/weight-loss-program/?ncid=emlcntusheal00000001">America
Takes it Off</a> to learn how.</span></font> <o:p></o:p></p>
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