Marietta, Ohio, USA
1937 - MARIETTA BADLY HIT - Water 20 Feet Deep Swirls In Parts Of Business Area; 500 Homes Affected.

At Martins Ferry the Ohio [River] was at a 46 foot stage after it had dropped to 44 feet Sunday afternoon. The crest was stationary at 51 feet at Marietta but the Muskingum was rising again due to heavy rains.

Every business house in Marietta was surrounded by water one to 20 feet deep today. Rescuers waded through to remove 18 patients from the Marietta clinic when water covered the first floor.

Five hundred homes in Marietta were partly or totally under water that ran from one to 20 feet deep. There was no gas service in 75 homes.

55 Feet at Marietta.

Both at Parkersburg, W.Va., and Marietta the river was at the 55 foot mark, compared with flood levels of 36 feet. An emergency fund of $2000 was raised at Parkersburg where 500 families were evacuated.

Points down river from Marietta placed a strict ban on smoking and the use of power boats after a 50,000 gallon storage tank burst and covered the Ohio with gasoline.

Repository
Canton, Ohio
January 25, 1937

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