1964 Flood

1964-03-11

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1964 Flood
  • Title
  • 1964 Flood
  • Creator
  • James McClain
  • Identifier
  • MSP285.B013.F23.I07
  • Description
  • Fort Duquesne is in the foreground underwater, only the top of the Fort is still visible. The Manchester Bridge (1913-1970) is pictured on the right, and the Point Bridge (1927-1970) is pictured on the left. Both were demolished to make way for the fountain at the Point. The waters of the Allegheny River crested at 31.64 feet in the Pittsburgh region during the 1964 flood. This was the worst flood to hit the Pittsburgh area since Hurricane Hazel caused the rivers to crest at 32.4 feet in 1954. The waters of the Ohio River, which crested at 47 feet, continued to rise as the waters of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers began to dissipate. Areas hit hard in the Pittsburgh region included the Point and the lower North Side along River Avenue to Federal Street. Several businesses were forced to move merchandise to higher levels. There were reports of sunken boats below the West End Bridge, and the main channel of Brunot Island was blocked. Approximately 300 people statewide were forced to evacuate their homes as a result of the flood. The severity of the flood prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to conducted aerial surveys of the damage from his private jet. The Governor of Pennsylvania, William Warren Scranton, declared a period of extreme emergency and Pittsburgh was designated a disaster area by the Small Business Administration. The heavy rains also caused widespread flooding in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri. Floods remained an annual threat until the completion of the Kinzua flood control reservoirs on the upper Allegheny River in 1965.
  • Subject
  • Pittsburgh (Pa.).-Flood, 1964.
    Point State Park (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    Manchester Bridge (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    Point Bridge (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    Floods--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh.
  • Contributor
  • Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center
  • Collection
  • Allegheny Conference on Community Development Photographs
  • Rights Information
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