Water floods city Water floods city
THE MILLCREEK FLOOD: Disaster struck the city of Erie on Aug. 3, 1915, as an unfortunate set of circumstances turned the otherwise innocuous Mill Creek into a raging wall of water. Within a few short hours, nearly 6 inches of rain fell on the city, overwhelming the stream and raising the water level quickly. Debris blocked the flow of water at several strategic bridges and culverts around town. A small lake formed at 26th and State streets behind the obstructed culvert near what is now Veterans Stadium, and extended south beyond 29th Street. According to estimates, in some places the lake was 30 feet deep.
At around 8:30 p.m., the culvert broke and the waters rushed through downtown Erie, tearing toward the bay. All told, the estimated death toll ranged from 25 to 37, with more than $3 million in damage, marking the Mill Creek flood as the worst natural disaster in Erie's history. Forty-five buildings were condemned and ordered to be torn down, 168 were damaged and repaired, and 100 were completely destroyed.