#TBT - 1913 Flood

A rainy and wet winter ended in 1913 with even more rain and a flood that forever changed the Miami Valley. From March 23 to March 26, the banks of the Great Miami River overflowed. The waters destroyed levees, dams, and bridges, leaving destruction, displacements, and even death in its wake. Dubbed the Great Flood of 1913, the only truly great thing was it’s lasting impact.

While Middletown itself was spared the worst tragedies of the Flood, its neighbors were not. 4 died in Excello and Hamilton is said to have lost at least 200 people. In the aftermath of the devastation, the Miami Conservancy District (MCD) was created to protect the communities from future floods. The MCD set about building levees and dams. It also set itself up to care for and maintain the river, so that neglect would be a problem of the past.