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On March 17 and 18, 1936, the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, witnessed the worst flood in its history when flood levels peaked at 46 feet (14 m). This flood became known as The Great St. Patrick’s Day flood, and also affected other areas of the Mid-Atlantic on both sides of the Eastern Continental Divide. On St. Patrick’s Day, the rising rivers reached the North Side and washed into the streets of Downtown, wiping out historic businesses within hours. River levels reached a peak of 46 feet at the Point, more than 20 feet over flood stage, leaving more than half of Downtown businesses underwater. The Flood of March 17-19 1936. Some call it the “Record Flood of 1936.” Others refer to it as the “Great Potomac Flood.” Still others noted it as the “Saint Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.” No matter what you call it, one of the region’s worst natural disasters took shape 80 years ago. The St. Patrick's Day Flood of 1936. The worst flood in Pittsburgh history occurred in March 1936 when melting snow, combined with 48 hours of steady rain, sent the rivers and streams of the Allegheny Watershed overflowing their banks. River stages at the Point exceeded flood level (25 feet) between 8:00 and 9:00 AM on St. Patrick's Day. The St. Patrick’s Day flood of 1936 in Pennsylvania was devastating – more than 100 people died and damage was estimated at $300 million. A reporter who took an aerial tour of the damage said Reminders of the Great Flood of 1936 remain in Pittsburgh to this day. Markers still show the height of the flood waters on some downtown buildings. The St. Patrick's Day Flood in Pittsburgh in 1936 is only one of many unforgettable historical moments. Click here to read about 10 unusual historical facts about the Burgh you might not know. The St. Patrick's Day Flood of 1936 was the worst flood ever to hit the region. Within the Ohio Valley, 153 people died, 69 of them within the Pittsburgh region, 45 of them within the city. Muddy waters crested at 46 feet at the city's Point, flooding steel mills and putting 60,000 workers out of work for a week. The flood levels of The Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood surpassed both figures, the water levels in 1936 peaked at 46 feet. “Not within the memory of the oldest citizen, or in the records of the weather bureau has such a flood struck the Pittsburgh district,” The Pittsburgh Press wrote at the time. — Mila Sanina Meteorologists classify the 1936 event as a 500-year flood, one of the worst possible scenarios. Many surviving downtown buildings still have markers showing the height of the water during the Great St. Patrick's Day Flood of 1936. A plaque on the facade of the Post-Gazette building downtown shows the water level of the 1936 flood. Out of the flood. Flood-control measures for the Allegheny-Monongahela-Ohio watershed had lain dormant for decades prior to 1936. The St. Patrick's Day Flood changed that. Congress in 1936 finally approved funding for the construction of 16 flood-control dams in western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio. 1936 St. Patrick Day Flood The winter of 1935-36 was extremely cold and the ground was deeply frozen. Normally the snow covering all the watershed areas would melt slowly and seep into the ground. The flood levels of The Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood surpassed both figures, the water levels in 1936 peaked at 46 feet. “Not within the memory of the oldest citizen, or in the records of the weather bureau has such a flood struck the Pittsburgh district,” The Pittsburgh Press wrote at the time. Many people and businesses from this era have stories about the 1936 St. Patrick’s Day flood, Uhl said, which is one of the many reasons it’s so well-remembered. When the History Center did an A look at downtown Tarentum in the aftermath of the 1936 St. Patrick’s Day flood which helped spur passage of the federal Flood Control Act of 1936. Remembering The Great St. Patrick's Day Flood Of 1936 Published March 17, 2016 at 1:19 PM EDT Listen • 16:51 On St. Patrick’s Day, 1936, however, usually warm temperatures resulted in a in its history when water levels at the Point reached 46 feet. This flood became known as The Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood, affecting the entire Pittsburgh area including Montour Junction in Coraopolis. Previous floods had reached a mark of 38.7 feet at the Point in 1907 and 44.1 feet in 1783. The 1936 flood surpassed both those figures. Shirley King was in seventh grade in 1936, and she went to school that St. Patrick’s Day – but only for a short while. “We received a note at the door that day that said we were all supposed to go home,” she said. “I ran home, and I remember my mother giving me 50 cents to buy candles down at the 5 & 10 cent store. • Official release of "Remembering the St. Patrick's Day Flood of 1936 in the Allegheny-Kiski Valley," a 337-page collection of historical photos and text from newspaper stories compiled by museum manager Mickey Cendrowski in a three-year labor of love. The St. Patrick's Day floods affected all areas of Pennsylvania - Easton, Williamsport, Bloomsburg, Sunbury, Johnstown and Pittsburgh. More than 100 people i The floods of 1936 occurred throughout Pennsylvania March 17-20 and became known as the St. Patrick's Day Floods.
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