Valley Rewind: Remembering flooding devastation in Swannanoa Valley, 1916

This photograph from the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center’s extensive photograph collections shows locals wading through flood waters during the Great Flood of July, 1916. An estimated 22 inches of rain fell in a 24 hour period in parts of Western North Carolina, wiping out roads and railways and taking dozens of lives. In the Swannanoa Valley, farms and industries were devastated by waters that rose from Flat Creek and the Swannanoa River. This month, the Swannanoa Valley Museum is launching a new exhibit “Rising Waters: The Past and Future of Flooding in the Swannanoa Valley.” A reception and screening of the documentary "Come Hell Or High Water, Remembering The Flood Of 1916" will take place on Thursday, July 21. Call 828-669-9566 or visit www.swannanoavalleymuseum.org/highwater to learn more.