High Waters Emphasize Need for Flood Control
Dublin Core
Title
High Waters Emphasize Need for Flood Control
Description
Front page article talks about a report created by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1942 regarding flood control in Western North Carolina. The report itself, referencing a survey of the area, recommends the building of 7 reservoirs and an 'earthen levee'. The US Weather Bureau reports that the cause of these periodic disastrous floods is from hurricanes and other tropical disturbances coming up from the Caribbean. The plans to build these reservoirs and the levee were put off due to the war, but a desire to act on the program is still present. Western North Carolina is at such a high risk of flooding because most of the level areas good for building upon are in the valleys alongside streams and rivers; streams and rivers which are liable to flood.
The report from the TVA contained a complete survey of the records of past floods, a study on how much money the area was losing due to slowed development due to fears of floods, a study on how much the periodic floods had 'depressed' the value of the land, a study to determine when the next flood would be likely to arrive, a plan for progressive flood control to minimize damages, and development of regional partnerships to carry out the plan. Two plans were proposed based on this report; the Regional Plan and the Asheville-Only Plan. Both plans involve "the stabilization of the run-off by forest coverage" to prevent rainwater from immediately flowing to streams and causing them to overflow their banks. The plans also involve the use of detention basins. How detention basis work, their benefits, and the reactions of farmers to them is printed here. The findings of TVA engineers regarding past floods are printed here. Floods in 1876, 1906, 1928, and both floods of 1940 are listed. They also found patterns in the floods, such as them occurring in the summer or early fall, and that most of the damages in these floods are primarily agricultural, industrial, and transportation infrastructure. The full cost of the construction of the reservoirs and detention basin is cited at $9,000,000; however, this estimate is expected to have risen since it was first proposed in 1942.
The regional plan recommends the building of all seven reservoirs, while the Asheville-Only plan only suggests the construction of reservoirs at Azalea and Britton Mountain, and that a shorter levee be constructed. Other plans are proposed to protect Marshall and lower the flood risk of Hominy Creek and the Pigeon River. Regardless of which plan is followed, it has to go through the Federal Government and receive the funding it needs.
The article is accompanied by two pictures of the same house in Fibreville. The picture on the left is from the flood of 1940, and the picture on the right is from the flood of 1949.
The report from the TVA contained a complete survey of the records of past floods, a study on how much money the area was losing due to slowed development due to fears of floods, a study on how much the periodic floods had 'depressed' the value of the land, a study to determine when the next flood would be likely to arrive, a plan for progressive flood control to minimize damages, and development of regional partnerships to carry out the plan. Two plans were proposed based on this report; the Regional Plan and the Asheville-Only Plan. Both plans involve "the stabilization of the run-off by forest coverage" to prevent rainwater from immediately flowing to streams and causing them to overflow their banks. The plans also involve the use of detention basins. How detention basis work, their benefits, and the reactions of farmers to them is printed here. The findings of TVA engineers regarding past floods are printed here. Floods in 1876, 1906, 1928, and both floods of 1940 are listed. They also found patterns in the floods, such as them occurring in the summer or early fall, and that most of the damages in these floods are primarily agricultural, industrial, and transportation infrastructure. The full cost of the construction of the reservoirs and detention basin is cited at $9,000,000; however, this estimate is expected to have risen since it was first proposed in 1942.
The regional plan recommends the building of all seven reservoirs, while the Asheville-Only plan only suggests the construction of reservoirs at Azalea and Britton Mountain, and that a shorter levee be constructed. Other plans are proposed to protect Marshall and lower the flood risk of Hominy Creek and the Pigeon River. Regardless of which plan is followed, it has to go through the Federal Government and receive the funding it needs.
The article is accompanied by two pictures of the same house in Fibreville. The picture on the left is from the flood of 1940, and the picture on the right is from the flood of 1949.
Creator
Source
Newspapers.com
Publisher
Date
Format
Language
English
Identifier
NEWS_063, NEWS_064
Text Item Type Metadata
Local URL
Page Number
1, 6
Collection
Citation
C. R. Sumner, “High Waters Emphasize Need for Flood Control,” Come Hell or High Water Community Memory Project, accessed January 18, 2026, https://helenehistory.omeka.net/items/show/566.