Driving through Wheeling these days, there may be a little traffic and construction to contend with, but 89 years ago on this St. Patrick’s Day, the only vehicles going anywhere along the streets were rafts and ramshackle rowboats. Certainly this city is no stranger to the perils of pouring rains and rising waters, but the Flood of 1936 didn’t become known as “The Big One” for nothing.
The Perfect Storm: How Heavy Snowfall Sealed Wheeling’s Fate
In mid-March of 1936, the whole of the Northeastern United States was about to be hit with historic flooding — flooding that would change federal legislation on disaster relief. Here in Wheeling, authorities were already preparing for high waters, but it was a late, and heavy snowfall that ultimately put miles of the Friendly City underwater. On Thursday, March 19th, an over 50 year old record was broken by more than 2 feet, and “The Big One” became the single largest flood in Wheeling’s history — a record still intact to this day. From the Island to Downtown, the raging waters crested at 54.5 feet. The damages totaled in the millions of dollars, and some 20,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes, with 17 lives being lost in the wake of the destruction.
The Voice of Hope: WWVA Radio’s Lifeline During the Crisis
It’s perhaps hard to imagine now, but, in the chaos of the flood, there was a severe communication shortage. House phones were not yet commonplace, and the News-Resigster’s offices were entirely submerged in the waters. It was up to the WWVA radio broadcast to provide some sense of order as the city drowned. Under the direction of production manager Paul J. Miller, the “Friendly Voice From Out of the Hills” stayed on the air for over 92 consecutive hours between the earliest onset of the waters, to their peak two days later. Without the WWVA team working around the clock, the city’s first responders would have been at the storm’s mercy, but, with their help, the affected areas were able to coordinate a relief effort and get supplies to those in need.
Pleas for aid were sent out over the airwaves over those two days, and Wheeling answered. Volunteers from around the area came together to help pick up the pieces and reunite families and friends separated by the flood. And through the radio appeal, the city’s Chapter of the Red Cross, headed by Rev. Fredrick W. Cropp, was able to raise $50,000 to put towards food and essentials for the thousands without a home to return to.
The Aftermath
And even as the waters began to recede, another heavy blizzard thwarted rescue efforts, coating the wreckage across the city in a sheet of snow. Wheeling would ultimately be placed under Martial Law as the search for bodies commenced and families did their best to rebuild what they had lost. But, Wheeling persevered, and in the months to come, the Friendly City celebrated not only its survival and reconstruction, but a momentous anniversary. 1936 marked 100 years since the town of Wheeling was incorporated, and became a city. The week’s long Centennial Celebration brought historical exhibits, tournaments, and pageants, and was a collective sigh of relief from a city that had just endured one of its greatest hardships.
