Valley Girl Views: The April 1940 Flood on The Susquehanna

Looking North on 5th, from Market St, Sunbury, April 1 1940

In April of 1940, a flood on the North Branch of the Susquehanna River killed 9 people, and left 15,000 homeless. (The flood was much less severe on the West Branch.)

"Four cities along the raging Susquehanna River were threatened with complete evacuation today as rising flood waters inundated a 200-mile-long area extending from New York to the southern Pennsylvania border. Hardest hit were Wilkes-Barre, Kingston, Plymouth and Sunbury." April 1940

Sunbury

Looking North along 15 at Blue Hill. Flood at old Reading Railroad overpass.

The 4th Street Overpass, April 1940

10th & Chestnut Streets, Sunbury

The river crested 3 feet lower than predicted at Sunbury.

"Water began seeping through the railroad embankment along the North Branch this morning. Wherever a cascade appeared it was blocked off with sand bags. In some placed it resembled fountains shooting jets into the air. It was believed the water broke thru holes dug by ground hogs under the railroad embankment."

The Sunbury Daily Item, April 2 1940

The A & P - Arch Street, between 4th & 5th Street

8th Street, Sunbury

The 1940 flood effected only 25 percent as many as the 1936 flood, allowing the city of Sunbury to be better able to cope with the flood.

Schindlers Photography Studio

Gas House Alley, Sunbury

Gas House Tanks, Sunbury

Police officers patrolled the city, stopping sightseers from entering the town.

The April 1st Flood At Sunbury was the 6fh highest river level to date (in 1940)

The Sunbury Overall Company, Queens Company, Uquahart Mill, and the Sunbury Burial Case Company were all closed for weeks after the flood.

Selinsgrove

Market street near the 522 intersection. (the flooded area today is a Ford Dealership)

The Blue-White Tourist cabins in the flood of April 1940.
Looking south on Market St, near Sand Hill Road.

Danville

Water levels at Danville

Lewisburg

"Because of the work of the Veterans from Weikart who came here Sunday [March 31] to move furninshings to dry places, Lewisburg residents suffered no flood damage." - Chief Burgess [Mayor] S.B. Wolfe, Lewisburg

Near Death In West Branch Waters
Raymond Kline, Lewisburg, Rescues Two Bucknellians From Ice Waters
CANOE CAPSIZED

Two Bucknell students who thought it would be fun to take a boat ride on the flood waters of the Susquehanna River at Lewisburg at eleven o'clock Sunday morning were saved from a watery grave only through the bravery of Raymond Kline, 19, son of Justice of the Peace and Mrs. A. Paul Kline of Front street, Lewisburg.

Young Kline not only rescued the pair from the swift and swirling waters of the river, but saved their boat. John Davis, son of Judge Warren J. Davis, of Trenton, N. J., after whom Bucknell named its new gymnasium, and William Woods of Union City, were the students who secured a canoe fastened a motor to it and then started sight seeing on the Susquehanna. Judge Davis, who retired during the past year as a member of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, is a Bucknell trustee.

All went well while they remained near shore but just south of the river bridge they essayed to run out into the stream and as their frail craft struck the main current it immediately capsized. Both boys are good swimmers but could do little against the current and were rapidly being swept down stream. Squire Kline and his son Raymond were in their boat helping Abner Scholl move furnishings from his immersed home on Front street, and when they heard the motor on the boat suddenly stop, looked out and saw the boys struggling in the water. Young Kline, who had a well built row boat, immediately started to their rescue and succeeded in getting them into his boat and back to shore, although in doing so he was carried south of the gas house, a good quarter of a mile from where he set out from shore. He again braved the waters to pull the canoe to safety and the only loss sustained was two oars and a pair of shoes. ' At the point the boat capsized the water was fully 25 feet deep at the time, but the students escaped with only a wetting due to the heroism of young Kline [Story ran in several local papers, including the Danville Morning News]

Milton

Carl Fuehrer, borough manager at Milton, said the damage at Milton was minimal. He doubted the total would "approach $10,000.". Most of the flooding at Milton was caused by the flash flooding of Limestone Run, on Saturday March 30th.