1938, 1955, and 1984. Although these three were not quite as high as the 1936 deluge, they signal a new era in the Connecticut River's flooding history. Flood records have been kept in Hartford for over 300 years, but before 1936 the river level had never reached 30 feet. The higher floods of recent times are attributed mainly to an increased runoff rate, the rate at which land sheds rainwater. Soil is a sponge that retards the flow of rain-water to streams and rivers. But the accelerating suburbanization of the Central Valley has sealed off much of the soil sponge with pavement and rooftops, leading to a faster runoff rate and, consequently, higher floods. Unfortunately, there is considerably more development on the Connecticut River flood plain now than there ever has been before, increasing the amount of damage done by each flood.
One further effect of the level ground in the Central Valley is the virtual absence of lakes. As a result, the good old swimming hole is a rare and cherished spot in the Central Valley. The few bodies of water that exist are almost all water-supply reservoirs high on the backs of traprock
The 1936 flood in Hartford. Over
the course of several days, the river
rose to 37 1/2 feet, flooding most of
downtown Hartford as well as
much of East Hartford. |
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