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

Resource Information

The work Washed away : how the Great Flood of 1913, America's most widespread natural disaster, terrorized a nation and changed it forever represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Indiana State Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

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Label

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

Title remainder

how the Great Flood of 1913, America's most widespread natural disaster, terrorized a nation and changed it forever

Statement of responsibility

Geoff Williams

Title variation

Washed away

Title variation remainder

how the Great Flood of 1913, Americas most widespread natural disaster, terrorized a nation and changed it forever

Creator

• trueWilliams, Geoffrey, 1970-
• Williams, Geoffrey, 1970-

Subject

• Flood damage -- United States -- History
• trueFloods -- Ohio
• Floods -- Ohio River Valley -- History
• Floods -- United States -- History
• trueHistory Writing -- Natural Disasters and Tragedies
• trueHistory writing -- United States -- Early 20th century
• trueDayton, Ohio -- Flood, 1913
• Natural disasters -- United States
• trueSurvival (after floods)
• trueTornadoes
• trueNatural disasters
• Flood damage -- Ohio River Valley -- History

Genre

• trueHistory writing
• trueHistory Writing

Language

eng

Summary

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

Cataloging source

BTCTA

Dewey number

363.34/93/0973

Illustrations

• illustrations
• plates

Index

index present

LC call number

• HV610 1913
• GB1399.3

LC item number

• .W55 2013
• .W55 2013

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

bibliography

Target audience

adult