The Great Flood of 1916
Our swim follows one of the areas hardest hit by the worst natural disaster to ever hit western N.C. Learn more about the storm and how rebuilding the river transformed the region.
By William Campbell
In the summer of 1916 - a time before hurricanes had names - Western North Carolina received about ten days of consistent and torrential rainfall. Heavy rain from a Gulf of Mexico cyclone arrived in the region on July 5th, soaking the region for six days straight. A week in, rain began to taper, but sporadic rain kept the water table at a point like a glass completely full of water. Any additional rain would flood the area. Unfortunately for the region, on July 14th, a cyclone made landfall in Charleston. By the 15th, the hurricane had moved inland and reached Western North Carolina. In a 24 hour period, one weather station recorded over 22 inches of rainfall. At the time, it was the largest rainfall ever recorded in the United States.
Here, you can see the impacts of the constant rainfall on a city street in Asheville.
The Flood
This torrential rainfall led to unprecedented flooding in the area. Near Asheville, the French Broad River’s stage reached a peak of 23.1 feet high - a whopping 19.1 feet higher than the river’s normal flood stage of 4 feet. Entire towns were engulfed in water. The flood water eroded the region’s infrastructure, and as the water began to flow out of the area, it swept entire trees, cars, and buildings with it. The flood desecrated Western Carolina’s economy, causing millions of dollars worth of damage, and it took the lives of around 80 people.
Asheville on July 16th, 1916
The Catawba: Caught in the Crossfire
Though Western North Carolina received the heaviest rainfall, areas along the Catawba River, including Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, did not escape the flood. The Catawba experienced heavy rainfall, but most importantly, the Catawba River’s watershed covers many of the areas that were hit the hardest. Most of the water that flowed out of the mountains congregated in the Catawba River. Much of this water carried with it debris from buildings destroyed during the flood. This debris-laden water destroyed all of Mecklenburg's bridges on the Catawba River. Our course follows one of the areas hit the hardest by the Great Flood of 1916. You will pass by areas that were greatly damaged by the flood. We will encounter areas that formerly housed bridges that crumbled due to the ravaging water.
The Catawba during the flood
A Path Forward
Following the Great Flood of 1916, Duke Energy saw an opportunity to mitigate future flood risk while also providing electricity for the region. Engineers in the company devised a plan to dam the river. By 1940, the company constructed ten new dams that would provide electricity, recreation, and flood control to the Catawba. Most notably, Duke Energy’s initiative led to the creation of Lake Norman. Because of the dams, we no longer have to worry about future great floods, and we receive clean energy from the dams. Although the Great Flood of 1916 was a tragedy, the flood prompted the creation of dams that would protect and electrify the region, showing clear positives from the event.
