CONTRIBUTORS

- Arlene Hall Middleton -

I lived at 717 Erie St and was 6 years old when the '72 flood hit Elmira. I will never forget the sounds of the sirens from the emergency vehicles going up and down the street telling us to evacuate. My mom and I found safety on higher ground while my father was across the river at work.
When we returned the house was totally destroyed. It was built on the old river bed (which my parents were not aware of). The water followed the old riverbed therefore destroying our house.
To this day I can still smell the mud the flood left behind in what was left of what we had called our home. My parents did end up rebuilding a smaller house on the same lot.
I will always have the memory of the flood of '72 engraved in my mind.