THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY

1889: Flooding of the Potomac River

Episode Details

June 2, 1889: On June 2, 1889, the same heavy rains caused that had helped cause massive flooding in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and overwhelmed the South Fork Dam several days before hit the Washington, DC, area. Most of the roads in DC at the time where unpaved and unlike some other major cities of the time not even covered in cobblestones, their surface consisted mainly of dirt. As a result, when the Potomac River flooded and areas around Pennsylvania Avenue and the White House the whole region was under several feet of water the flooding was made worse by sewers that became clogged with dirt from unpaved roads and began overflowing, causing the water to rise faster than expected. The water on city streets because so deep that the only access between the east and west of the city was by boat.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

MORE PODCASTS

00:00 / 01:14

Episodes

Ashburn, VA

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

PODCAST HOME

THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY

1889: Flooding of the Potomac River

This Date in Weather History

This Date in Weather History Update

2014: Hail storm causes $400 million in damage in Abilene, TX

2008: F3 tornado strikes Scout camp near Little Sioux, IA

1752: Benjamin Franklin famously flies kite in thunderstorm

1984: Violent tornado outbreak in Russia

The 1953 Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak

1984: F5 tornado destroys 90% of Barneveld, WI

1944: How weather forecasting impacted D-Day

1925: Temperature reaches 100 degrees in Washington DC

1976: Strong tropical cyclone and 40' storm surge hits India

1921: Cloudburst causes 10' of flooding in Pueblo, CO

1889: Flooding of the Potomac River

1965: Tropical system causes 30k fatalities in Bangladesh

1889: The Johnstown Flood

1879: The Real-life inspiration for "The Wizard of Oz"

1914: Empress of Ireland and Storstad ships collide

1880: 1' of rain falls in less than 2 hours in Brackettville, ...

1896: The third most deadly tornado in U.S. history strikes St...

2008: "Pneumonia Front" causes big temperature drops in Chicag...

1987: A fisherman is struck and killed by lightning

1986: Severe and destructive storm strikes Texas

1908: Record flooding impacts north and central Texas

1933: 600-yd wide tornado destroys town of Liberal, KS

The May 1957 Tornado Outbreak

1918: Tornadoes strike Kansas town for 3 consecutive years

2007: Temperature reaches 115°F in Sibi, Pakistan

1894: Severe storms and wind sinks 9 ships on Lake Michigan

1814: Logs in swollen Maine rivers cause destruction

1874: The Mill River Flood

1968: Five tornadoes strike Iowa

1834: Late-season storm brings snow from Ohio to New England

1930: One of the few hail deaths in the US occurs

1934: Massive dust storm strikes Eastern US cities

2003: Record tornado outbreak impacts 25 US states

1889: Destructive tornado touches down in Reading, PA

1977: Powerful snowstorm strikes Northeast US

1360: Massive storms impact outcome of Hundred Years War

1840: Deadly Tornado strikes Natchez, MS

1937: The Hindenburg Disaster

1761: 5" of snow falls in Ashford, CT

1774: 4" of snow falls in Germantown, Philadelphia

1978: 11" of rain falls on "Sun Day" in New Orleans

2009: Storm collapses roof of Dallas Cowboys' practice facilit...

1854: 90 consecutive hours of rain falls in New England

1887: Massive Flooding at China's "Yellow River"

1991: Tropical storm surge floods Bangladesh

1992: "Grapefruit-sized" hail devastates parts of Texas

2004: High temperatures smash records across Southern Californ...

1986: The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

1982: Lightning strike damages Alabama town's water supply

1993: Large tornado hits Interstate 44 in Tulsa

2013: Latest measurable snowfall on record in Wichita, Kansas

1980: Temperature reaches 100°F in Waterloo, Iowa

1963: Rare "Dust Devil" strikes Reading, PA

1982: Violent thunderstorms produce baseball-sized hail

1775: Paul Revere's Ride - Part II

1775: Paul Revere's Ride - Part I

1821: 12" of snow blankets Boston, MA

1851: The Lighthouse Storm

1912: The Sinking of the RMS Titanic