VibeBlog

Remembering Hurricane Agnes, 50 years later...

by Caitlin Westerholm

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Half a century ago, in June of 1972, Hurricane Agnes caused significant and widespread damage throughout the Mid-Atlantic, including here in our area.

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50 years ago this week, Hurricane Agnes moved onshore over the Florida panhandle before slowing down over Pennsylvania bringing record setting rainfall totals and destructive flooding.

On the afternoon of June 19, 1972, Hurricane Agnes made landfall along the Florida Panhandle. The storm then weakened to a tropical depression over the Carolinas, then re-intensified to a tropical storm by June 22nd.

As Agnes moved across New York and Pennsylvania, it weakened to extra-tropical strength.

The slow moving remnants of the storm dropped around 7 to 10 inches of rain across Pennsylvania with the highest amounts of 12 to 18 inches falling in a corridor between Williamsport and the York/Harrisburg area.

Now, here's a look at what Agnes brought to our area. Looking back at our film archives, from the Dunlo/Beaverdale area in Cambria County where water was rushing through the town, covering the streets as many watched what was happening to the area surrounding their homes.

By June 24, the rain began to subside, but now rivers continued to rise, breaking some records that were last established in 1936. The Juniata River at Huntingdon crested just over 20 feet which was around 8 feet over flood stage.

In Williamsburg, in Blair County, the river crested to just over 18 feet, well above the flood stage of 12 feet. The Frankstown Branch of the river, Canoe Creek, and other small creeks and streams continued to rise in Blair county bringing devastating flooding and damage to the area. Film from our archives shows Canoe Creek flowing rapidly and the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River rising over its banks, flooding the areas along the river.

Route 22 throughout Blair was also hit hard from flooding. This film shows crews working to clean up the debris left along the road as the flood waters began to subside.

Flooding continued all across our coverage area including in Bedford County where rivers, creeks, and streams overflowed, and left towns covered in debris from the rushing waters and damaged many homes and businesses.

And another film, a compilation of scenes from Bedford and Blair counties show many homes surrounded by water, streets covered in dirt, mud, and debris, and also streets underwater as people stood outside to observe the damage.

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Agnes was one of the costliest natural disasters in Pennsylvania history, damaging thousands of homes and businesses, and causing over $1 billion in damages at the time.

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