On the river itself, men wielding pikes, axes and peavey sticks walk out on the accumulating debris attempting to loosen it. Raw sewage becomes a concern in Hartford, along with the stability of large oil and gasoline tanks.
Trolley service to Unionville is halted at Farmington. One East Hartford man shoots 100 muskrats for some reason.Īt Brainard Airport, 2 feet of water fills the hangars, and engines and planes have been jacked up. Hundreds of heads of livestock are left on their own. Not everyone wants to leave, and one woman has to be carried from her home after her husband and seven children have already been evacuated.Īnother man evacuates, leaving 50 chickens behind to fend for themselves. In East Hartford, the spreading water creates islands of houses, and police have to rescue many homeowners. In the downtown, South, Front and State streets resembled canals.
WHEN THE RIVER RUNS DRY ARMOURY SHOW TORRENT
Widespread flooding occurs all along the Connecticut River as the debris-choked torrent flows toward the sea. The Farmington, Mad, Still and Naugatuck rivers burst. In Connecticut, the flooding of rivers and streams in the north is significant, with rainfall in excess of 7 inches recorded. And it is all flowing downstream, threatening cities and towns along the banks of the Connecticut River.
Rushing waters claim bridges, retaining walls, dams, trees, road embankments, houses, buildings and farmland. Vermont suffers 83 fatalities, including 55 in the Winooski Valley where the entire Montpelier business district is under 8 to 10 feet of water. The storm and rising water has come without warning, trapping many surprised residents in their homes during the night. It also provided a flavor of the times.ġ770, January, Farmington River at Simsbury: "The biddings at the iron works of Richard Smith was entirely destroyed."ġ828, September, Salmon Brook near Granby: "There was a freshet which did much damage all along the line, particularly at Granby, where for a second time the great Salmon Brook arch bridge was carried away."ġ854, May, Still River near Danbury: "We hardly get our bridges on their feet, before they are off again." Seven years later, a detailed report called "Historical Floods in New England" was produced.Īlthough the report may have lacked hard flood data, it was useful in helping to establish patterns. Department of the Interior launched an ambitious project to gather information on flooding before 1904. Official government records of flooding on major rivers were not kept until 1904. The thing this flood is most noted for, however, is that it created what is now known as the Wethersfield Cove.įlood data from the 17s was largely dependent on the recollections, diaries and journals of local residents, along with newspaper accounts.
Not only did the swift-moving water sweep away five of the six warehouses, it also opened up a deep-water shipping channel all the way into Hartford.
Business was so good that by 1692, six warehouses lined the banks of the river. Wethersfield was founded in 1634, and slowly grew into an important shipping port owing to the fact that it was as far inland as large ships could navigate before the Connecticut River became too shallow. The Wethersfield flood of 1692 is an early example. In an average year, Connecticut experiences measurable precipitation on 130 days, which averages out to 45.9 inches (15th among the contiguous 48 states).Īlthough flooding is common in Connecticut, there have been in our history floods that have stood out. And owing to our geographical location on the ocean, and subject to the whims of the jet stream, we get a lot of weather here.
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