the 1913 great dayton flood {march 21, 2023}

Day 1: The Great Dayton Flood

Today marks the 110th anniversary of the Great Dayton Flood of 1913. It was a regional event and still ranks as Ohio's worst natural disaster, with 467 deaths statewide.

The storm began with 58 mph wind gusts on March 21, 1913. Then on March 23, Easter Sunday, the rain began dumping 8 to 11 inches over a five-day period. Two days later on March 25, with the Great Miami River rising nearly two feet an hour, the levees failed.

The levees couldn't withstand the sheer volume of water from the Great Miami and its tributaries — 250,000 cubic feet of water per second through a channel with a capacity for 25,000 cubic feet. The amount of water that passed through the river channel in Dayton equaled the amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls in a four-day period.

The storm displaced 65,000 from their homes. Property damage reached $100 million in 1913 dollars ($2 billion in today’s economy), and more than 1,000 homes were destroyed.

In the wake of the devastating flood, the citizens of the Miami Valley rallied to initiate plans for the prevention of future flooding. Citizens raised more than $2 million using the slogan “Remember the Promises Made in the Attic!” to begin a comprehensive flood protection program for the Miami Valley.

A couple weeks ago after a lot of rain fell, T and I went downtown to see how high the water had risen on the Great Miami River. It was high, running fast, and had covered the walking and biking trails along the river. We took a walk along the upper trail and ended up in Old North Dayton where we found a park that was dedicated to the flood.

The design of the gate is based on a weather map of March 25, 1913. It represents the dramatic weather systems present during the 1913 flood. 

During the 1913 flood many Dayton residents were forced to the attics of their homes in order to survive. The Dayton community was determined to prevent such a disaster from happening again. Funds were quickly raised for the Miami Valley Conservancy District’s flood control program, under the slogan, “Remember the Promises Made in the Attic.”

The great 1913 devastated the entire Dayton community. The monuments in this park are dedicated to the memory of those who died in the flood and the courage of the survivors. The spirit and determination of the Dayton citizens is a treasured part of the city's heritage.

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An FYI for today:

Today's date is 3-21-23. It's the same forward and backward, a palindrome.