Copied from: http://www.historyofredding.com/HRfloodof1955.htm The Flood of 1955 Hits Redding & Georgetown, Connecticut The Flood of October, 1955 was devastating to the local communities along the Norwalk and Saugatuck River. Millions of dollars and several lives were lost as a result of the estimated 12.58 to 13.88 inches of rain (reports on the amount of rain varied greatly) that fell between Friday Oct. 14 and Sunday Oct. 16th, 1955. Below are articles and facts relating to the flood that raged 50 years ago this October. Enjoy the History of Georgetown and please return for future updates of Georgetown and it's history. Please let me know if there are more areas you'd like me to explore or if you have further information. Contact bcolley@colleyweb.com or phone me at 860-364-7475. The Flood of October, 1955 by Brent M. Colley In 1955, the worst natural disasters to strike Connecticut since the hurricane of 1938 occurred within a 2-month span. Two hurricanes, one tropical storm and a pair of floods ravaged homes and businesses throughout the state in the months of August and October. The August disaster was a result of back-to-back hurricanes in mid-August 1955. Hurricanes Connie and Diane arrived toward the end of a wetter-than-usual summer, combining to drop over 24 inches of rain on the Northern regions of Connecticut between August 13th and August 20th , leaving record levels of flooding and widespread havoc in their wake. Many Connecticut rivers, particularly the Housatonic, Naugatuck, Still, Quinebaug, Mad, and Farmington, overflowed their banks as never before; towns and cities in Litchfield and Hartford counties were particularly hard hit. The downtowns of many cities were devastated, including Winsted where the downtown was completely washed away. Property damage mounted into the tens of millions of dollars. Almost 100 people were killed, an estimated 4,700 were injured, and countless others were left homeless. Surprisingly, towns and residents of the Norwalk and Saugatuck Watershed in the Southwestern section of Connecticut did not sustain rainfall accumulations as high as those to the north and were spared of flood conditions in August. Their time was yet to come. In October, a four day tropical storm dumped an additional 12-14 inches of rain on southwest New England. This event was not as widespread as the August storms; however, the Flood of October, 1955 was devastating to the local communities along the Norwalk and Saugatuck Rivers. Millions of dollars and several lives were lost as a result of the rains that fell between Friday Oct. 14 and Monday Oct. 17th, 1955. *Newspaper reports from several local publications varied greatly on the amount of rain and the amount of time it fell in. These numbers varied from the 12.58 inches reported by Georgetown Weatherman's George Howes to as much as 13.88 inches reported in Ridgefield. The timeframe also varied from 36 hours to 48 hours depending on source of information. Regardless of the exact amount and timeframe, a great deal of rain fell upon an already saturated watershed on the weekend of October 14th, 1955. All of Fairfield County was hit, but Branchville, Georgetown, Norwalk, Wilton and sections of Ridgefield were hit worse, because of the Norwalk River. According to Charles Howes, Georgetown's weather observer, and his assistant Conrad Borgensen. Starting at 7am on Friday morning, Mr. Howes recorded .62 inches by 5:30pm, and another 2 inches by midnight. By noon Saturday another 2.23 inches had fallen; and during the next 24 hours 7.82 inches of rain was dumped upon this area. By mid-afternoon Saturday, the Georgetown Fire Department and all available men were stationed at the bridges into town and at Branchville. The danger: fire and/or explosions from the washed-out gasoline tanks of the Branchville Motors garage, their contents riding the crest of the flood, causing alarm for several hours. By 6pm the Norwalk River had flooded Route 7 from Branchville Station to just south of the Georgetown Motors garage. The Branchville train station, businesses and homes in the area were swamped, the bridge near Branchville cemetary completely washed away. Shortly after 6pm residents were evacuated from Branchville and Georgetown, some by boat, others by heavy-duty trucks. Residents that did not have relatives or friends they could not reach in the area were taken the Georgetown Firehouse where they remained overnight. The Press reported the Peatt family on Mamanasco Lake brought in boats and "went to Branchville to rescue some people whose houses were surrounded by still rising waters of the Norwalk River." Nazzareno Ancona reported seeing the gas station on Route 7 flooded with water half-way up the garage door, water coming in the back door and coming out the front door "bringing everything with it," he said. The dam at Perry's Pond, on Route 53, above Georgetown (now Route 107) gave way a little before 9pm Saturday night sending a rush of water into the heart of Georgetown. In addition, there was a landslide about a half mile up Route 53 (now Route 107), but cars were able to get through. At 9pm a northbound train out of Norwalk came to a halt in the "wilds" between Honey Hill and Seeley Roads in Cannondale. The stalled train and its 83 passengers would remain stranded for the next 14 hours until three U.S. Army helicopters were able to airlift them to safety in a rescue mission that spanned 3 hours. They were all transported to Danbury via buses. By 10:30pm water was 4 feet deep in the center of Georgetown. Factory pond was so high that residents later reported water up to their porches on Portland Avenue. The nearly 8 inches of rain that fell between Saturday and Sunday taxed the dams along the Norwalk River, in all likelyhood already fatigued by the storms of August, to such an extent that at approximately 10:30pm the dam at Great Pond gave way, sending a surge of water through the Norwalk River Valley with such force that all dams and most of the bridges in its path crumbled in its wrath. The concrete bridge on Route 7 which is parallel to the railroad trestle (between DeLuca's Hardware and Bob Sharp), crashed into the river just before 11pm Saturday night, and shortly after that the trestle, undermined by the flood waters, collapsed as well leaving the tracks still spanning the river, but with no visable means of support. At approximately 11pm, there was an audible "pop" as the embankment surrounding the the dam that had served the Gilbert & Bennett factory for over 100 years gave way sending water levels in Georgetown and through the factory to heights estimated from 8 to 12 feet deep. Connery's Lumber Yard was washed away when the dam broke at the factory, and evidences of it could be found as far down the Norwalk River as Cannondale. The dam at the "old mill" (Old Mill Road) went shorty after the dam at the factory gave way, sending more tons of water down the valley. As dams to the north succumbed to the avalanche of water surging down the valley, Cannondale and Wilton were next in the river's path of destruction. Flood waters inflicted heavy damage on the New Haven Railroad tracks at several points in Wilton. The trestle in Cannondale, just below what was left of the Cannon Grange Hall, collapsed. At the northern approach to the Cannondale trestle, the tracks twisted crazily off their embankment; and were seriously undermined at several other points throughout Wilton. Four Wilton bridges spanning the Norwalk River - at Honey Hill, Seeley, Old Ridgefield, and Kent Roads - were wiped out, as were bridges at Silver Spring and Cedar Roads. Washouts made other bridges at Old Mill Road, Wolfpit Road, Arrowhead Road and Cannondale impassable; but these washouts and others in Silvermine were patched up with gravel on Monday and Tuesday by town road crews and contractors. In houses along Cottage Row in the center of Wilton which frequently experienced cellar floods but nothing worse, the water rose above the main floors- almost to the ceilings in the Grover Bradley and George Barringer homes. The home of Mrs. Millie Beers in South Wilton was twisted off its foundation. Mrs. Beers was rescued by two firemen. The Silvermine River in the southwest corner of Wilton also went on a rampage. Several families along the river fled their homes as the raging waters threatened to wash them away. Many evacuees spent the night with neighbors; several families slept in the Wilton Congregational Church and parsonage, the firehouse and town hall. Over in Redding the damage was primarily roadway and bridge wash-outs along the Saugatuck and its tributaries. The small brook that courses down Route 53 (now 107), at the top of the Glen Hill, became a raging torrent undermining the road there. The road was passable until late Monday afternoon when, S. Harold Samuelson, first selectman of Redding, ordered the road closed. Halfway down the Glen Hill, a landslide blocked the highway until Sunday afternoon, when a bulldozer pushed a one-way lane through it. At the foot of Glen Hill, the road was impassable over the bridge at the junction of Routes 53 and 107; the bridge withstood the raging Saugatuck, but the roadway was completely washed away on either side. On Monday afternoon, a car was still standing in a deep hole that had been the approach to the bridge, leaning crazily against a telephone pole. Further downstream was another car in the river. Its occupants had abandoned it on the road Saturday night. Upstream was the site of the tragedy which saddened the whole town. At the Diamond Hill Road bridge, Edward Arthur Phoenix, 53, and his wife, Veronica, 47, of Fox Run Road lost their lives on Saturday night when the Phoenix's car was swept into the river below the bridge. Mr. and Mrs. Phoenix were coming home from dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Blair of Great Pasture Road. A three and one-half hour frantic and near successful attempt to rescue Mrs. Phoenix from a tree, after her husband had been swept to his death, made the tradegy even more horrifying. While volunteer firemen and neighbors tried vainly to reach her in the darkness she clung doggedly to the tree, aware of the efforts to save her. But at length her strength failed and she fell into the river and drowned. At one time the rescuers were within 20 feet of the tree but were turned aside by the tremendous force of the torrent. An Army helicopter spotted the women's body Monday Morning, 1,500 feet from the Diamond Hill Bridge. Mr. Phoenix's body was recovered early Tuesday about 50 feet further downstream. Mr. Phoenix, manager of market surveys for John-Manville sales corparation, was 56 years old. A native of Chicago, he had been with John-Manville companies since 1915. Mrs. Phoenix was the former Veronica Shannon also of Chicago. ------------------- From NY Times archives search: REDDING COUPLE DIE ON WAY HOME; Flood Kills Johns Manville Official and Wife After Son Phones Lights Are Out Special to The New York Times.. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Oct 17, 1955. pg. 3, 1 pgs Document types: article ISSN: 03624331 Text Word Count 521 Document URL: Also Obituary 1 -- No Title New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Oct 25, 1955. pg. 33, 1 pgs Abstract (Document Summary) REDDING, Conn., Oct. 16 -- When the lights went off in the home of 13-year-old Teddy Phoenix on Diamond Hill Road last night, he telephoned his parents to let them know, and to ask when they would be home. VERONICA PHOENIX BRIDE; Wed to Lt.-Arthur Peterson Jr. in Fleetwood Ceremony Special to Taz Ngw Yo Tiszs.'. New York Times (1857-Current File). New York, N.Y.: Jun 13, 1944. pg. 15, 1 pgs Document types: marriage ISSN: 03624331 Text Word Count 191 Document URL: --------------------------------------- Chicago Tribune (IL) - October 20, 1955, also in Oct. 21. PHOENIX Deceased Name: Veronica Shannon Phoenix Veronica Shannon Phoenix, suddenly, in Georgetown, Conn., and of Redding, Conn.; beloved wife of the late Edward A.; loving mother of Veronica Peterson and Edward A. Phoenix Jr.; daughter of the late William and Theresa; dear sister of Beatrice Mooney. Remains will arrive Friday, 4 p.m., at chapel, 4817 Madison street. Funeral Saturday, 9:15 a.m., to St. Thomas Aquinas church. Mass 10 a.m. Burial Mount Carmel. AUstin 7-1137. Chicago Tribune (IL) - October 20, 1955, also in Oct. 21. PHOENIX Deceased Name: Edward A. Phoenix Edward A. Phoenix, suddenly, in Georgetown, Conn., and of Redding, Conn., beloved husband of the late Veronica, nee Shannon; loving father of Veronica Peterson and Edward A. Phoenix Jr., son of the late Harry and Bridget; dear brother of George E. and the Rev. Joseph G. Phoenix, C. M., Sr. Mary Josetta, B. V. M., Sr. Mary Antonita B. V. M., and the late Henry L. Phoenix. Remains will arrive Friday, 4 p.m., at chapel, 4817 Madison street. Funeral Saturday, 9:15 a.m., to St. Thomas Aquinas church. Mass 10 a.m. Burial Mount Carmel. AUstin 7-1137. Chicago Tribune (IL) - October 20, 1955 COUPLE DROWN IN EAST; RITES HERE SATURDAY Deceased Name: Edward A. Phoenix Requiem high mass for Edward A. Phoenix, 47, and his wife, Veronica, 42, of Redding, Conn., former Chicagoans who were victims of flood waters near Georgetown, Conn., will be said at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Thomas Aquinas church. The mass will be celebrated by the Rev. Joseph G. Phoenix, C. M., of Dallas, a brother of Mr. Phoenix. Phoenix's body was found yesterday downstream from where his car had plunged into the raging Saugatuck river on Saturday. Thirty rescuers, led by two state troopers, tried vainly to save Mrs. Phoenix as she clung to a tree 500 feet from shore. During her six hour ordeal, a boat overturned, dumping rescuers into the water, and a fireman tired to wade out to her but failed. By using a network of ladders, tied to trees and shore by ropes, men got to within 20 feet of her when she lost her grasp and plunged into the water. Mrs. Beatrice Mooney, 5000 Washington blvd., a sister, is among Mrs. Phoenix's survivors.