Hurricane Diane hit the Lehigh Valley in August of 1955. Living in Little Lehigh Manor, I remember huddling in the house, while the metal garbage cans of the era flew around the neighborhood. My father, whose meat market was on Union Street by the Lehigh River, worked throughout the night. Fortunately for him, his market had an second floor backup cooler, and a small freight elevator. While the retail business district on Hamilton Street is elevated enough to be unaffected from flooding, center city Easton was devastated by the Delaware. The next morning was rather surreal for a nine year old boy. A large willow tree on the corner of Lehigh Parkway South and Catalina Ave. was lying on it's side. Although the Little Lehigh receded quickly, the park road and basin had been flooded. Diane remains a record in flooding and damage. Let us hope it remains that way.
photo from August 1955. Lehigh River rising by former A&B Meats. The row of houses shown were demolished to make way for a new bridge approach several years later.
reprinted from previous years
Was that the same storm that came up to Carlisle St. On the city's Eastside? My grandmother had a photo I had seen years ago
ReplyDeleteThere was also major flooding in the late 1930's, but even 1955 was 65 years ago. I haven't seen photos from the east side of the river.
ReplyDeleteMy Father had alot of photos of Bethlehem, but my Mother threw them out. I can't find any evidence of the big flood that year.
ReplyDelete