This Cincinnati Enquirer photo was taken in Hamilton during the Great Miami River flood of 1913, which killed 467 people. Enquirer file

On March 26, 1913, the Great Miami River reached a record crest of 44 feet, 1 inch, flooding much of the Miami Valley and causing 467 deaths. (The Muskingum and Scioto rivers also reached record crests.) The hardest hit were Piqua, Dayton and Hamilton. Rain began to fall on frozen ground on March 23, which was Easter Sunday. The river overran its banks on the 25th and the flood continued steadily for the next 24 hours. In Hamilton alone, 106 people perished and more than 500 homes were washed away, leaving 10,000 homeless and property damage estimated at $15 million. The people of Dayton believed that their levees would protect them. However, water topped the Riverdale Levee and, 10 minutes later, broke the Monument Avenue Levee, sending a 25 mph torrent into central Dayton. Main Street there was under 20 feet of water. People camped on their roofs for days before rescue boats could reach them. The residents of Dayton quickly raised $2 million to prevent another such disaster. This was the beginning of the Miami Conservancy District, the first comprehensive flood-control project in the country. It has since served as a national model.

Rebecca Goodman

E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com or call (513) 768-8361.