1939 Flood

We’ve told you stories of turbulence in our community. Now we’ll tell you a story of bravery in the face of tragedy.

It was Independence Day, 1939. A sudden, violent rainstorm in the Haldeman area caused water levels to rise so quickly, residents had little warning and little time to leave their homes. As the night sky illuminated with rapid flashes of lightning, residents took to the hills, and the railroad, to save their lives.

Flood survivors still share their experiences. Maxey Mauk tells of carrying her little brother, Joe, out of the deep water on her back.

Just before the flood, Uncle Dave Trumbo went door to door on Raine Street and the area across the tracks to warn residents. Many people climbed into boxcars parked on railroad sidings, the rising water eventually forcing them to climb to the top. The water current was so strong, the boxcars soon began rolling down the tracks.

Resident Hobart Williams and some of his friends were traveling east on Main Street in a Model A pickup truck when they were met by a wall of water near the current IGA Store. Before they could get out of the truck, the water had risen to its front fenders. They caught a boat floating down the street and used it to help rescue people from Hargis Avenue and Railroad Street.

The carnival visiting town on the lot beside the current Citizens Bank was destroyed, animals and rides scattered by the flood water. Erected in 2014 on the 75th anniversary of the event, a brass marker in the west corner of the C&O Passenger Depot, indicates how high water levels reached there — nearly 4 feet.

All told, 25 lives were lost in the 1939 Flood.