The Ohio River's fury unleashed in January 1996, leaving indelible scars on Wheeling, West Virginia. A potent cocktail of heavy rain and rapid snowmelt, combined with saturated ground and ice jams, sent the river surging to a devastating 46.1 feet - a chilling 10.1 feet above flood stage. This level, unseen since 1936, unleashed chaos, particularly on Wheeling Island. Nearly 1,100 homes, some submerged under six feet of water, forced over 3,000 residents to scramble for higher ground. The flood wasn't selective, inundating businesses and disrupting transportation across the city.
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Photo Credits: Photographs by James Janos on the website of the Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling WV