By Mike Prescott
It was Easter weekend in March 1913, when without warning upstate New York was struck with a massive storm. The Hudson River rose above all previous recorded levels. The flooding was a result of a huge violent storm system that had developed in the Midwest and lasted for five days.
On Good Friday, March 21, 1913 a strong high-pressure system brought hurricane winds and heavy rain into western New York with gusts of ninety miles an hour in Buffalo. Wind, rain, and sleet downed telephone and telegraph lines across the eastern seaboard. Information about the severity of the storm was unable to be communicated thought the eastern portions of the Nation much less New York State.
The Albany 1913 Flood: The Possible Consequences for the Adirondacks ( Part II )
As a reminder, in Part l, I discussed the record-breaking flooding in the cites of Albany, Troy, and Schenectady on Easter weekend in March of 1913. The heavy rains began on Good Friday and lasted for five days. The excessive rain combined with the spring snow melts from the Adirondacks created massive flooding. The floodwaters destroyed bridges, railroad tracks, power stations, and sewage treatment plants. In Troy, the floods burst gas lines and fires were ignited thought. In addition to the massive flood damage, there was a water pollution problem. Pumping stations were turned into standing reservoirs and water treatment facilities were contaminated with raw sewage and there were several deaths from typhoid fever.
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