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Although the Chemung River Valley has a history of floods as long as men have been here to write of them, the flood of 1972 was a shock. Several years of particularly dry weather had lulled the area into complacency about the surprising power and destruction of flooding. The flood of 1946 had been cited as a hundred-year flood, a flood so great it was likely to happen only once in a hundred years. In spite of this the dikes had been raised and strengthened, a reassuring precaution. No one in Steuben County was concerned when the first hurricane of the 1972 season hit the Florida coast June 18, although hurricane Agnes was responsible for eighteen tornadoes, nine lost lives, and thirty-five million dollars worth of damage before she left Florida. By the time the storm reached South Carolina it seemed to have lost some of its strength, then predictably became worse, turned out to sea, and finally swung back across the Southern Tier of New York State and the upper half of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, a low-pressure system had developed over Ohio and the two storms joined, dropping an unbelievable amount of rain. Six to eight inches of rain dumped onto the Chemung drainage basin. The Elmira weather observer reported 6.3 inches by June 22, when the gauge went under water. Hornell is reported to have received a total of 11.1 inches. Some residents evacuated in the early hours of the morning as word spread through neighborhoods of possible danger. But still people could not accept the reality of the impending flood. Departing residents sometimes stopped to place an item up high, on the refrigerator or on the top of a bureau, not dreaming how futile the act was. To their regret many people walked out of their homes empty handed or with unimportant items when they could easily have taken along important business papers. They went to the homes of friends or relatives, to schools, or just parked on a high street. At daylight residents on the hills were surprised to see extra cars on their streets. In some cases it was their first indication that something was wrong in the city. The dikes broke in several places. The first break occurred in Painted Post about 4 a.m.; Friday, June 23, flooding the Post, Riverside and the Northside. The New York Central railroad bridge, which had been loaded with coal cars to weigh it down, collapsed about and hour later and by 6 a.m. the water was over the Southside dikes. The river crested in Corning about 9 a.m. The water trapped many people. Some were forced to take refuge in attics or the crawl spaces of their homes, where they could only pray that the water would not come higher than their shelter and that the house would not be washed from its foundation. Others were rescued from porch roofs or second story windows by strangers in boats. At the Lodge-on-the-Green, 135 people were taken off upper story porches. One hundred people waited out the flood on the roof of St. Vincent's School. But not everyone escaped. In the Corning area eighteen lives were lost, an amazingly small number considering the complacency and the inadequacy of warning. For days rumors circulated through the city about large numbers of dead. In the absence of normal radio and newspaper coverage to dispel the rumors, the stories persisted and caused unnecessary worry and horror. The water receded within a few hours, leaving thick mud with a characteristic odor. The mud dried, cracked, and powdered into a fine dust which permeated everywhere. The job of cleaning up began. Immediate help came from many sources. The National Guard began arriving in Corning on Saturday. Their reassuring presence, guarding in the flooded areas and directing traffic, was a conspicuous, comforting sign that something was being done. The Salvation Army moved to setup feeding stations, which ultimately served thousands of meals. Two federal agencies were soon on the scene and became household words. HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) and SBA (Small Business Administration) set up offices. SBA loans for rebuilding were granted at 1% interest, with $5,000 forgiven, up to $10,000 for personal property replacement and $50,000 for buildings. Lack of water was another immediate concern. Safe drinking water was promptly trucked in, packed in paper milk cartons and beer bottles, which provided and element of much need humor. Later, New York City tank Trucks were stationed around the city to fill containers with drinking water to be carried home. Most lucky city residents who escaped flooding, lacked not only water, but gas, electricity and telephone service for many days. Only two of the large supermarkets were still in business, so after the initial glut of freezer stock was eaten to keep it from spoiling, shopping required more traveling than in normal times. The cleanup was strenuous, filthy work. Groups of young people, sometimes sponsored by a church, appeared from great distances to offer help. They paid their own way, brought their own food and sleeping bags so they were self-sufficient. The Mennonites brought skill and manpower in unexpected number. The Youth Emergency Service, sponsored by the Corning-Painted Post Area School District and financed by the Corning Glass Works Foundation, cleaned and repaired appliances, as well as engaging in general cleanup work. The huge piles of muddy, soaked possessions piled along the curbs for removal to the dumps was a sign of progress, but also heartbreaking, as families discarded ruined, irreplaceable books, photo albums and heirlooms, as well as once prized items like pianos, rugs, and furniture. Corning Glass Works had flood problems too, millions of dollars worth, but they did not forget the community. Numbers of employees were assigned to community projects where their expertise was needed. Amory Houghton's radio address of June 27 brought welcome reassurance to the area. Speaking from his position as Chairman of the Board, he put an end to the rumors that the company was abandoning Corning and announced interest-free loans for employees and retired employees. The Glass Center suffered great damage from floodwater. The Steuben factory was under twenty-five feet of water and the Hall of Science and Industry, five feet. The Center, with cleaned and repaired exhibits, was reopened August 1, but many valuable damaged items from the museum collection waited for years for expert restoration. Immediately after the flood the water logged library books, a world-famous collection of information about glass, were placed in a deep freeze to halt bacteria and fungi growth and to prevent drying. A program of carefully controlled experimentation was inaugurated to scientifically test various restoration techniques. Vacuum freeze-drying was found to be the most effective and a surprising eighty-percent of the books were salvaged. The experiments not only made it possible for the Corning Museum of Glass to save many irreplaceable books, but results of the study were publicized in academic circles to aid other preservationist who might face similar problems. Ingersoll-Rand in Painted Post had a massive ten million dollar cleanup job. On a rainy Sunday, May 20, 1973, the company held an open house, which was attended by 12,000 visitors, many of who came from great distances. The two-mile-long tour through the Engine Process Compressor Division, and Foundry gave the community new appreciation for the operations of the Painted Post plant.      Photos provided by The Benjamin Patterson Inn & Corning Painted Post Historical Society History text provided by Tom Dimitroff
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- Corning New York Chamber of Commerce, 1 West Market Street, Suite 302, Corning 14830