Floods
are an unfortunate fact of life when it comes to living alongside rivers. While the Great Flood of 1913 maintains the
dubious distinction of "worst flood in modern Ohio history", it has
not been the only flood to stem from the Ohio River in the past century. Mercifully, the most recent of these
devastating natural disasters happened over twenty years ago, in 1997. However, it is still imperative to recognize that
while the damage and death toll of the latter flood pales in comparison to the
one that wreaked havoc on the Ohio River Valley a century ago, there was still
a human toll in this.
One
of the first major stories covered by the Cincinnati
Enquirer during this period focused on Virgil Rarrieck Sr.'s return home
after the waters receded and the struggles that he and his neighbors faced in
reclaiming what they had lost. No matter
what these men and women had managed to secure before they were forced out of
their homes, "inches of mud and the stench of a sewer"[1]
awaited those who managed to return to their homes in the immediate days after
the waters receded. This incredibly
pervasive stench is palpable in many of the dispatches covering the early days
of the flood due to the contents of the floodwaters often containing the sewage
of the area in addition to the normal detritus of a riverbed. Despite the harrowing circumstances though,
many Ohioans and Kentuckians banded together, as the situation
necessitated. Furthermore, the
superhuman efforts of the emergency services, some of whom traveled from "as
far away as Franklin County (Columbus)"[2]
did an outstanding job in maintaining order and helping the region recover.
McLaughlin, Sheila and Wolff, Christine. "Everyday
Life Stays on Course." Cincinnati Enquirer (1923-2009), Mar
05, 1997. 8. https://search-proquest-com.research.cincinnatilibrary.org/docview/1896966471?accountid=39387.
Tortora, Andrea. "Residents Return to Devastation." Cincinnati
Enquirer (1923-2009), Mar 05, 1997. 8. https://search-proquest-com.research.cincinnatilibrary.org/docview/1896966471?accountid=39387.
[1] Tortora,
Andrea. "Residents Return to Devastation." Cincinnati
Enquirer (1923-2009), Mar 05, 1997. 8.
[2] McLaughlin,
Sheila and Wolff, Christine. "Everyday Life Stays on Course." Cincinnati
Enquirer (1923-2009), Mar 05, 1997. 8.
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