On June 23, 1972, the East Coast experienced its most catastrophic flooding when Hurricane Agnes tore through the region. The disaster claimed 119 lives and left a staggering $3 billion in property damage in its wake.
It all started around mid-June 1972, when a tropical depression took shape over the northwestern Caribbean Sea before drifting toward the western Caribbean Sea. That system intensified into Tropical Storm Agnes by June 16, and it wasn't done growing. Agnes strengthened into a full-blown hurricane by June 18 while churning through the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, packing maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h. The following day, June 19, the storm made landfall near Cape San Blas, Florida, then tracked its way to eastern North Carolina by June 21.
As Agnes pushed into the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, it only grew more powerful. Meteorological authorities scrambled to issue evacuation orders, pleading with residents in surrounding communities to leave their homes without delay. Tragically, most people underestimated the danger and chose to stay put. Then, on June 22, the Susquehanna River surged to eight feet above its normal levels, pushing floodwaters inland all the way to Long Beach, New York.
By Friday, June 23, the situation turned truly dire as water levels crested at a terrifying 38.5 feet. The downstream overflow proved too much for the infrastructure to handle — a dike gave way, unleashing 14 trillion gallons of water that came roaring through Wyoming Valley and Wilkes-Barre. Floodwaters swallowed homes whole, nearly wiping out entire communities. Farmhouses, businesses, and railway roads all sustained severe damage in the devastation.