Great Flood of 1913 - Maumee, Ohio
Posted by: Mr. 0
N 41° 32.866 W 083° 40.873
17T E 276372 N 4603039
An historical high water mark mounted on the gate of Riverside Cemetery along the Maumee River outside of Maumee, Ohio
Waymark Code: WM72H7
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 08/23/2009
Views: 12
It is a common occurrence for rivers and streams in Ohio to flood in the spring. In March of 1913 though, much of Ohio was flooded due to unusually high rainfall combined with melting snow. It is considered the greatest natural disaster in Ohio's history.
Some areas blew-up dams and locks to try to alleviate the flooding, but little could help with so much water. In all, at least 467 people died, and more than 40,000 homes were destroyed. This is also the primary reason that many of the historic bridges in Ohio were built in 1913. The previous bridges were swept away. The flooding prompted areas to take action to prevent future flooding. Dams were built, and conservancy districts were setup.
The mark here shows the level of the Maumee River. It's hard to tell from the photos, but at the gate the water would have been over 7 feet deep (I stood next to it for a pic. I'm about 6'-6'1" tall), and the river is across the road and approximately 15 feet further down.