Remember When: St. Patrick's Day Flood wreaked havoc on the A-K Valley in 1936
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Rescuers transport people through the floodwaters at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Lock Street in Tarentum after the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936 wreaked havoc across the Alle-Kiski Valley.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
A boat cuts through the floodwaters in Tarentum during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
A newspaper clipping depicts a rescue in Tarentum during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
A photo taken from Corbet Street shows how high the water rose against the Fifth Avenue buildings (left) during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
The floodwaters in Tarentum are seen at the corner of Corbet Street and Fifth Avenue during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Chestnut Street (left) and Garfield Street (right) are under water during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
The floodwaters rose high on Pond Street in Natrona during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
People row a boat through the floodwaters on Pine Street in Natrona during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
A man rows a boat through the streets of Brackenridge to help move residents to safety during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Floodwaters decimate Brackenridge during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
The St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936 was felt throughout Creighton.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Homes along Bouquet Road in Creighton were destroyed by the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
A freight engine is trapped by floodwaters in Creighton during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
The Wear-Ever plant in New Kensington was under water during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
The Wear-Ever plant in New Kensington was under water during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
New Kensington’s Spring Works plant was impacted by the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
The Allegheny River poured into Braeburn during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Houses in Braeburn were destroyed by the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
A train is partially under water in Creighton during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Homes along Fourth Street in Parnassus took on heavy water during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Homes in the area of Bridge and Freeport streets were heavily flooded during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Linden Avenue in Parnassus was flooded during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Parnassus High School is partially under water during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Homes carried away by floodwaters smashed against the Vandergrift Bridge during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Homes along First Street and Lincoln Avenue were destroyed by the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
The North Vandergrift School was heavily damaged during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
The entire area near the Vandergrift Bridge was destroyed by the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Downtown Leechburg took on heavy water during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Homes in the Georgetown area of Leechburg were deep under water during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
Many homes in North Vandergrift were destroyed by the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
Courtesy of Alle-Kiski Valley Historical Society
The Springdale Railroad Station sits under water during the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936.
In the winter of 1936, the Alle-Kiski Valley saw 63 inches of snowfall through February.
Then March came in like a lion.
During the first weeks of March, warm weather coupled with melting snow and two days of torrential rain resulted in one of the region’s worst natural disasters: the Great Flood of 1936, commonly known as the St. Patrick’s Day Flood.
The Allegheny River crested at 41 feet at the Natrona Dam, 21 feet above flood stage. It was the highest reading ever recorded.
The Valley Daily News reported that the flood claimed three lives and left 4,000 people homeless in the Alle-Kiski Valley.
Two hundred homes were swept away by the raging floodwaters, and many of those that remained were badly damaged.
Here is a collection of photographs depicting the destruction that occurred in the A-K Valley.
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