1946 Flood!
A Pocket of Peace, History of Bradford 1879-1979
by: Mary Ann Johnston, 1979
We did have a warning when Tuna Creek started flowing over Mechanic Street Bridge at a depth of twelve inches. It was the first time since 1895 that the span had been under water. A series of torrential cloudbursts, unprecedented in years, unleashed their fury and destruction over a six county area. They tore the community of Bradford, one of the largest centers of population, apart and put much of the town under water.
In 1946 The Bradford Era headlines were and inch high. "Flood Waters Cause Half Million Dollars Damage to Business, Residential Areas" and the terrible story went on to recount how the angry waters of Tuna Creek, swollen by five days of steady rain, burst their banks and forced nearly one hundred families out of their homes. The principal streets were a boiling, seething mess, but there were no casualties.
Industries planned shut downs, and merchants in the downtown business district, caught by the suddenness of the flood, counted hundreds of dollars worth of loss in merchandise
The force exerted by the sweeping waters hit the vital rail transportation lines as the tracks of the Erie Railroad were washed out north of Mill Street and at Limestone the Baltimore and Ohio officials reported disaster.
Water carrying dark brown silt coursed its way through the lobbies of both the Holley and the Emery, forcing them to suspend operations. Water swept into cellars, first floors and seeped beneath the doors of the newspaper office, as newsmen worked on floors covered with papers to sop up the water. Pressmen labored to keep press and motors dry.
Off duty firemen and police were pressed into service, and boats were brought into play to effect rescues. Several army-type trucks were donated and pressed into service to evacuate families from the low-lying areas.
Sections of Barbour Streets were under five and one half feet of water. At the intersection of Water and Barbour Streets, only six inches of the top of one automobile showed, and water flowed through an abandoned truck at seat level. Some of the parking meters were bent by the force of water and debris.
In 1948 the Flood Authority was formed, and by 1956 more than one million dollars had been spent in its only eight year history. The city felt that not only had it lost money in damages caused by floods but also that industries, like Corning, were hesitant to build here as long as floods threatened the better locations.
In 1956 the Allegheny River went on a rampage and Bradford survived a flirtation with a flood more serious than the one of Easter Eve. The Tuna crested twice in a day, and roads and schools were closed as Bradford awaited its fate, and gradually shrugged off more water than it had nine years before.
"Due to a temperature drop of nine degrees and , of course, our flood control projects", said Mr. Billy McVay, chairman of the Bradford District Flood Control Authority. He went on, however, to warn Bradford about being complacent because of the narrow escape of the last week. Bradford should not cease to be vigilant in the matter of keeping the work going to prevent floods.
More than one person as he crosses one of the bridges in Bradford looks gratefully at the flood control work and commends the authority on its planning and foresight. HOPEFULLY BRADFORD WILL NOT SEE AGAIN DISASTERS LIKE THOSE OF 1942 AND 1946.
contributed by Tom Newton