Newfield Historical Society - 'Newfield Storms, Floods, and Other Local Natural Disasters' Exhibit

The Newfield Historical Society’s current (as of 2022) exhibit features Newfield Storms, floods and other local natural disasters from the region. They are open the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month from 10-2 at 192 Main Street.

Hurricane Agnes (1972) was one of the largest June hurricanes on record, according to the National Weather Service. As it moved north from the Gulf of Mexico up to the Carolinas it combined with another weather system to bring very heavy rain for an extended period. Parts of the Southern Tier, such as Corning and Elmira were inundated, and while Tompkins County didn't suffer quite as badly, flooding was still severe. Newfield Depot Road had to be closed due to high water.

Due to flood warnings community crews placed sandbags around the Newfield Meadowbrook Trailer Park and Jim Ray's Trailer Park near Route 96. A bridge to the back entrance of Jim Ray's Trailer Park was torn down in the days following the floods because of the excess of trees and debris caught on the bridge. Residents of the 66-home park never had to evacuate due to the '72 floods (an improvement from more extensive flooding that had happened at this site in 1970!).

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**The History Center archives do not currently (as of 2022) include any photographs of the 1972 Hurricane Agnes flood in Tompkis County. Potential donors are encouraged to contact archives@thehistorycenter.net.

IMAGE 2: 2022 - Newfield Exhibit

IMAGE 2: Photo of Painted Post NY late in the day on June 23, 1972 featuring a rescue boat gathering stranded residents. Chemung Historical Society

IMAGE 3: Ithaca Journal Clipping, June 26th 1972.

Images courtesy of The History Center in Tompkins County, 2022.

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