Ninety years ago, in March of 1936, the Connecticut River overtopped the Holyoke Dam by seventeen feet, reaching a record discharge of 244,000 cfs.  The B&M Railroad tracks became impassable, and the city—then home to about 55,000 residents—sustained serious damage.  Author and emergency management professional Josh Shanley will speak about this disaster at the Holyoke Public Library on March 14 at 1:00 PM.   This historical lecture will describe the causes of, impact of, and recovery from the flood of ’36, with particular focus on Holyoke and South Hadley.  As floods know no boundaries, his talk will place the event in both historical and regional context.  Shanley’s emergency management background also allows him to share his insights into the potential impact of future floods in this area.

Free and open to the public. Hosted by the Holyoke History Room