The Worst Flood during World War II - Era

During the war denounce overseas, soldiers and civilians sweated blood to protect the capital against rising waters. When the U.S. civilian sphere was Washington, D.C. from the worst flood it’d ever experienced. Allied troops were fighting World War II in the Pacific.

According to a Washington Post article, President Franklin D. Roosevelt told officials during the flood of October 1942 that “Spare no effort or expense to protect the Capital,” In D.C.’s tidal zone was nearly a half-foot higher than the crest during D.C.’s second-worst flood in March 1936. Civilian defence workers did a very great job in helping soldiers and firemen to move people from their homes that were affected by flood water. The flood also caused many deaths and evacuations.

After the war, Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1946 to prevent flooding on the Mall, improve the levee and prevent future floods like the one in 1942. According to the 2008 report, Congress never funded them and there is no such improvement. In 2014, the corps was finally able to update the levee. In spite of that it doesn’t mean D.C. is completely prepared for future storms.

By: Lubhawani Sharma

Content: https://www.history.com/news/worst-flood-washington-dc-world-war-ii-fdr