EAST STROUDSBURG – It was 60 years ago that back-to-back hurricanes caused a historic flood that devastated the Poconos.
Black and white photos tell the story of that historic flood in Monroe County sixty years ago. Edward Flory, 76, of East Stroudsburg says he was just 16 years old. His father was the mayor.
"Really, at that time nobody really had any idea there was going to be a flood, it was just raining hard,” said Flory.
"Two hurricanes hit back to back, hurricanes Connie and Diane, and when you live in the mountains and you have all of this rainfall, where does it go but through the valleys?” said Monroe County Historical Association Executive Director Amy Leiser.
Photos kept at the Monroe County Historical Association show that the water rose fast.
Flory recalls going out with the chief of police and his father to warn people in his community to get out.
"Went down in the flats area and started warning people down in the flats, Roller Street, down in that area, that they better get out because there was a flood,” said Flory.
Some people listened, but many didn’t. About 75 people died in Monroe County.
The bridge that links Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg washed away. Water in that area was up to 30 feet deep.
Flory says the fire department set up its loudspeakers to help loved ones let others know they were OK.
“Now they couldn't get back across the bridges, so they just started announcing the names of everybody that was known to be safe and they did that for like a day and a half,” said Flory.
Now 60 years after that historic flood, this levee sits as a reminder of the devastation that happened, and now protects the community from ever seeing a flood like it again.
In the days after the flood, cars were scattered, bridges ripped apart, roads demolished by Diane. Flory did what he could to help.
"We took a radio down to Shawnee, I helped bring some body bags in at the hospital, everybody did what they could,” said Flory.
Now on a sunny day 60 years later, these black and white photos are some of the few reminders of what Hurricane Diane left behind.