Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955
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Product Description
The first definitive documentary of this tragic event along one of the country's most beautiful rivers. August 18-20, 1955: Three terrifying days and nights still remembered with awe in the Delaware River valley. Record-breaking rainfall from hurricanes Connie and Diane abruptly ended a withering drought, but the relief was short-lived. It was soon overshadowed by terror and destruction that tore away bridges and ripped houses from their foundations. From the river’s headwaters in the Catskills and through the Poconos, excessive runoff surged down steep slopes and through valleys on both sides of the river. Tributaries swelled unbelievably, some rising thirty feet in fifteen minutes. Eventually, they all poured into the Delaware, transforming the usually placid waters into a raging, uncontrollable beast. Mountain resorts were inundated, leaving cars upended in swimming pools. Entire summer camps were washed away. More than 400 children were evacuated by helicopter from island camps in a tense, unprecedented operation. In the end, nearly a hundred people were dead and hundreds more homeless. Dozens were missing, some ripped--still sleeping--from their beds in the middle of the night. Victims’ bodies were still being recovered thirty years later—some were never found. Devastation on the Delaware follows the true stories of survivors and eyewitnesses to bring these events to chilling life. More than 100 historical photos and a dozen maps illustrate this narrative nonfiction account of a tragic event that changed life in the Delaware Valley forever.
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
An Amazing Account of the '55 Flood
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Comment:
Mary Shafer's book Devastation on the Delaware is the amazing result of years of research and emotional commitment. Written to commemorate the August, 1955, Delaware River Valley Flood, the book takes the reader on a "roller-coaster ride" through those days of death and "devastation." Ms. Shafer describes in detail the Flood as experienced in all the areas of the Delaware Valley during August 18-20.
Her professional commitment to her "craft" and her personal commitment to the survivors and victims of the Flood are extraordinary. The survivors' stories (remembered in minute detail 50 years later) are heart-wrenching. The graphic details are horrifying.
The author is an exceptional writer, one who weaves historical and scientific facts into a compelling "story." The fascinating history of the Delaware River and its tributaries, general information about hurricanes (and Hurricanes Connie and Diane in particular) and the status of weather reporting in the mid-1950's and the abandoned plans to dam the River after the Flood all become part of the drama of one of our country's worst natural disasters. This book will hold everyone's interest. It is a great "read."
For those of us who lived through the Flood, it is also a priceless gift. Many people waited over 50 years for the kind of closure only Ms. Shafer's book has given them.
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Summary:
An engrossing account of a tragic event
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Comment:
Mary Shafer's "Devastation on the Delaware" is an engrossing account of the tragic Delaware Valley flood of 1955, created by Hurricanes Connie and Diane. Told as a narrative timeline of events, this book introduces us to the people and communities overcome by the wrathful waters of the Delaware and its tributaries. It reads like historical fiction rather than documentary, with many amazing and touching stories uncovered by the author's interviewing diligence. I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it as a full and varied account of an unbelievable event and its effect on the Delaware Valley.
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Summary:
Shafer's book is an exceptional read.
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Comment:
Mary Shafer has approached a detailed account of a tragic flood with unusual thoroughness, compassion, continuity, and research. It is a non-fiction book like no other, holding the reader spellbound throughout. One cannot help but become emotionally involved with those who suffered through this event, and one cannot help but admire Shafer for her accomplishment. Obviously, Shafer was passionate about her subject; it shows in throughout this book.
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Summary:
Gordon
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Comment:
An excellent portrayal of the effects on the entire Delaware Valley interwoven with stories of personal impacts and tragedies. Masterful research. Reads like a first person report at the time of the event.
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Summary:
Devastation on the Delaware: Stoires and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955
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Comment:
Although I was born after the flood, I visited all the high-water markers in my hometown in the Pocono Mountains and listened intently to the haunting stories told by teachers, neighbors, and family friends. I believe the author of this book has done a marvelous job recounting the days and hours leading up to the region's greatest disastser, mostly through the eyes of those who witnessed the terrible events of August 1955.
--Ben Gelber, author of "The Pennsylvania Weather Book"
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