Sixty years ago this week Charleston, West Virginia, was going through the wettest July on record. On July 19th, around sunset, yet another storm came over the city and let down a torrential downpour that literally washed parts of Charleston away.
More than five inches of rain fell in less than four hours, sending more water than the mountain creeks and rivers could handle. The brunt of the flash flood fell on those living in hollows outside of town, with houses lifted off their foundations or, worse yet, turned into kindling. Cars were washed away as well.
A widow, Pricilla Byers, was living on Garrison Avenue with her two boys, David, 10, and Richard, or Ricky, 9. When the flood struck Garrison Avenue a neighbor rushed into the house and grabbed David, then told Mrs. Byers to get Ricky and follow to safety. While the neighbor and David Byers survived, Priscilla and the other boy were drowned.
In all 22 people were killed in the flood, with two dying in a landslide, and more than 200 were left homeless. $4,000,000 in damages were caused by the flooding, equivalent to more than $31,000,000 today.
