Devastation on the Delaware: Stories And Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955 - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0977132900 ISBN 13: 9780977132904

Publisher: Word Forge Books, 2010

Synopsis

The first definitive documentary of this tragic event along one of the country's most beautiful rivers.

August 18-20, 1955: Three terrifying days and nights still remembered with awe in the Delaware River valley. Record-breaking rainfall from hurricanes Connie and Diane abruptly ended a withering drought, but the relief was short-lived. It was soon overshadowed by terror and destruction that tore away bridges and ripped houses from their foundations.

From the river's headwaters in the Catskills and through the Poconos, excessive runoff surged down steep slopes and through valleys on both sides of the river. Tributaries swelled unbelievably, some rising thirty feet in fifteen minutes. Eventually, they all poured into the Delaware, transforming the usually placid waters into a raging, uncontrollable beast.

Mountain resorts were inundated, leaving cars upended in swimming pools. Entire summer camps were washed away. More than 400 children were evacuated by helicopter from island camps in a tense, unprecedented operation.

In the end, nearly a hundred people were dead and hundreds more homeless. Dozens were missing, some ripped--still sleeping--from their beds in the middle of the night. Victims'’ bodies were still being recovered thirty years later -- some were never found.

Devastation on the Delaware follows the true stories of survivors and eyewitnesses to bring these events to chilling life. More than 100 historical photos and a dozen maps illustrate this narrative nonfiction account of a tragic event that changed life in the Delaware Valley forever.

About this title

From the Publisher

Devastation on the Delaware is our flagship title. We feel it's a strong first book to serve as the foundation of our publishing house, Word Forge Books. This title sets the tone of our publishing philosophy: It's all about giving back.

Winston Churchill, a man whose life made a tremendous impact on his homeland and the rest of the world, said, "You make a living by what you get, and a life by what you give."

At Word Forge Books, we try to find meaningful ways to give something back to the world from which we make our living. Part of that means producing quality reading material worth spending time with. While our books may not always be light or breezy, they still manage to be uplifting, whether through a positive new take on old problems, fresh ideas for constructive living, or a welcome light shining on previously misunderstood or little known facts.

Our mission is to provide a platform for some of today's most forward-thinking, constructive voices in ideas and literature. We seek out authors and artists whose sincere wish is to help make a better world for us all. Many of our products carry a literal give-back, meaning that a portion of the sale of each item is donated to a related charity or independent project.

Fifty cents from the sale of each copy of Devastation on the Delaware is donated to the Delaware RiverKeeper Network, the official voice of advocacy for this majestic, wild and scenic waterway.

From the Author

I'm very pleased to have been able to talk with many of those who witnessed the awesome power of the river and its many tributaries during those awful days of August, 1955. Some of their stories have never been told until now, and it's long past time for these important stories to be heard.

A great deal of the personality and character of life in the Delaware River Valley was honed during the trying hours and days during and after the flood. For those who have ever lived near, played in and loved this river, understanding the events of August 1955 is essential to truly knowing the valley and its inhabitants.

I was surprised to find, when beginning my research, that no one had written much about the way the Delaware River Valley was affected by the flood in book form. By default, that makes my book the definitive history of this event.

I sincerely hope that my work will play some part in dispelling some of the widely held myths of this important and history-making natural disaster, and in helping those who are learning about the event for the first time to develop a healthy respect for the latent power of the deceptively placid Delaware River.

Edition details

• Publisher: Word Forge Books
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0977132900
• ISBN 13: 9780977132904
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 496