Today in Wheeling History: April 19 - Devastating flood strikes Wheeling, reaching 48 feet on the river gauge (1852).
The flood of April 19, 1852, was one of the most significant flooding events in Wheeling's history, with water levels reaching 48 feet on the river gauge. This devastating flood is documented in what is believed to be the oldest existing photograph of Wheeling—a daguerreotype showing the flooded intersection of 10th and Main Streets. According to historical accounts, the 1852 flood followed three days and nights of extraordinary rainfall. Colonel Henry Hubbard, an eyewitness who shared his memories with an Intelligencer reporter years later, described it as "such rains as only could have been equaled when Noah had completed his flatboat." Unlike the earlier devastating flood of 1832, which was caused primarily by melting snow and ice breakup, the 1852 flood resulted almost entirely from heavy rainfall.
The floodwaters caused significant damage to lumber yards, outbuildings, and fences throughout the city. While it was less destructive to homes than the 1832 flood and caused less suffering due to occurring in spring rather than winter, the impact was nevertheless extensive. Historical accounts indicate that water filled cellars in the downtown area, with skiffs being rowed up to the Exchange bank steps and along Water Street. The flood completely covered Wheeling Island except for a small elevated area in the yard of the Berger place.
The 1852 flood wasn't limited to Wheeling; it affected much of the Northeast. On the Potomac River, it surged with higher waters than a previous 1847 flood, causing an estimated $80,000 in damage (in 1852 dollars) to dams and infrastructure between Georgetown and Seneca. In Pittsburgh, the river reached 35.1 feet on the same day, making it one of the most significant floods recorded there at that time.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/bdeuezh2) (https://tinyurl.com/5937vt9j) (https://tinyurl.com/4wezhsj3) (https://tinyurl.com/5cb3k2hd) (https://tinyurl.com/2jcdw7hh); Long Term Forecasts of Ohio River Floods (https://tinyurl.com/3f5dn3xr), National Weather Service (https://tinyurl.com/wcaw6nm8), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/bdhfv2hz), Brookline Connection (https://tinyurl.com/hyjnscty
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV
The flood of April 19, 1852, was one of the most significant flooding events in Wheeling's history, with water levels reaching 48 feet on the river gauge. This devastating flood is documented in what is believed to be the oldest existing photograph of Wheeling—a daguerreotype showing the flooded intersection of 10th and Main Streets. According to historical accounts, the 1852 flood followed three days and nights of extraordinary rainfall. Colonel Henry Hubbard, an eyewitness who shared his memories with an Intelligencer reporter years later, described it as "such rains as only could have been equaled when Noah had completed his flatboat." Unlike the earlier devastating flood of 1832, which was caused primarily by melting snow and ice breakup, the 1852 flood resulted almost entirely from heavy rainfall.
The floodwaters caused significant damage to lumber yards, outbuildings, and fences throughout the city. While it was less destructive to homes than the 1832 flood and caused less suffering due to occurring in spring rather than winter, the impact was nevertheless extensive. Historical accounts indicate that water filled cellars in the downtown area, with skiffs being rowed up to the Exchange bank steps and along Water Street. The flood completely covered Wheeling Island except for a small elevated area in the yard of the Berger place.
The 1852 flood wasn't limited to Wheeling; it affected much of the Northeast. On the Potomac River, it surged with higher waters than a previous 1847 flood, causing an estimated $80,000 in damage (in 1852 dollars) to dams and infrastructure between Georgetown and Seneca. In Pittsburgh, the river reached 35.1 feet on the same day, making it one of the most significant floods recorded there at that time.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV (https://tinyurl.com/bdeuezh2) (https://tinyurl.com/5937vt9j) (https://tinyurl.com/4wezhsj3) (https://tinyurl.com/5cb3k2hd) (https://tinyurl.com/2jcdw7hh); Long Term Forecasts of Ohio River Floods (https://tinyurl.com/3f5dn3xr), National Weather Service (https://tinyurl.com/wcaw6nm8), Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/bdhfv2hz), Brookline Connection (https://tinyurl.com/hyjnscty
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV
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