Flood of 1942 Picture and Info

~*~*~ Flood of 1942 ~*~*~

October 1942:

Torrential rains fell from October 12-16 in Northern Virginia causing the worst river flood in the history of the state. The hardest it was the mid portion of the Rappahannock River and the Shenandoah River. On the Rappahannock, damages came to $2.5 million (inflation was less in 1942 than today) and most of that was in Fredericksburg, where the river rose to 41 feet (27 feet above flood stage).

Ten to 12 inches of rain fell from Fredericksburg to Warrenton. Over 1,300 people were left homeless in Albemarle, Spotsylvania, Stafford and Warren Counties. Miraculously, only one person died. Transportation was interrupted for three days. Severe damage occurred to Virginia crops: peanuts, cotton, sweet potatoes, soybeans, shocked corn and late hay. The heavy rains caused a million bushels of apples to drop before they were picked.