Title
No Smiling Faces In Land Of Tragedy - Flood Waters Are Gone Now, But The Scars Tell Sad Story
Subject
Local news
Description
(top) Hamlin Residents . . . go about the monumental task of cleaning up the flood wrecked business district. "Sherm's Place," at right, one of the largest buildings in the community, was moved completely off its foundation by the overflowing East Nishnabotna River. National Guardsmen are patrolling the town while residents move their possessions outside to dry. Hamlin and its surrounding countryside were one of the hardest hit areas in the path of the flood. A number of houses were swept away. The Iowa Highway Commission garage at the west edge of town served as an emergency shelter for 30 persons the day after the flood.
(middle) Twisted Tracks . . . of the Rock Island trunk line south of Exira show how much wallop the flood waters packed. When the flood wall from the East Nishnabotna hit the track, it turned the rails upside down at several places. Railroad bridges along the route were almost completely destroyed. Residents of the area say they consider it unlikely that the road can ever be repaired. Highway 71, which paralleled the track, escaped with lesser damage. One span on a major bridge was swept away, however. The only link connecting Exira and Atlantic is a roundabout detour by way of county roads.
(bottom) Crumpled Bridge . . . between Portsmouth and Harlan on Highway 30 crosses Mosquito Creek. This span was out of the path of the main flood, but runoff was heavy enough to rock the foundation. Once the pier in the foreground gave way, the bridge was gone. Three other major bridges north of Highway 6 - plus an indetermined number south - were seriously damaged. Dozens of smaller bridges were washed away. If highway and bridge damage in the southern half of the flood area equals that in the north, the total could be nearly six million dollars.
(middle) Twisted Tracks . . . of the Rock Island trunk line south of Exira show how much wallop the flood waters packed. When the flood wall from the East Nishnabotna hit the track, it turned the rails upside down at several places. Railroad bridges along the route were almost completely destroyed. Residents of the area say they consider it unlikely that the road can ever be repaired. Highway 71, which paralleled the track, escaped with lesser damage. One span on a major bridge was swept away, however. The only link connecting Exira and Atlantic is a roundabout detour by way of county roads.
(bottom) Crumpled Bridge . . . between Portsmouth and Harlan on Highway 30 crosses Mosquito Creek. This span was out of the path of the main flood, but runoff was heavy enough to rock the foundation. Once the pier in the foreground gave way, the bridge was gone. Three other major bridges north of Highway 6 - plus an indetermined number south - were seriously damaged. Dozens of smaller bridges were washed away. If highway and bridge damage in the southern half of the flood area equals that in the north, the total could be nearly six million dollars.
Creator
Nonpareil photos
Source
Daily Nonpareil July 6, 1958
Publisher
Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil Archives
Date
1958-07-06
Format
Black and white photograph
Type
Photograph
Identifier
Nishnabotna_1958_Flood_07_06_1958_001.jpg
Nishnabotna_1958_Flood_07_06_1958_002.jpg
Nishnabotna_1958_Flood_07_06_1958_003.jpg
Nishnabotna_1958_Flood_07_06_1958_002.jpg
Nishnabotna_1958_Flood_07_06_1958_003.jpg
Coverage
Western Iowa
Rights
The Council Bluffs Public Library is unaware of any claim of copyright in the images in the collection. We encourage use of these materials under the fair use clause of the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. ยง 101 et seq). The Council Bluffs Public Library has provided in the catalog records for these materials all known information regarding the photographer or other persons associated with the materials. This information is provided as a service to aid users in determining the appropriate use of an item, but that determination ultimately rests with the user.
Original Format
Photograph
Physical Dimensions
20 cm x 15 cm
20 cm x 15 cm
20 cm x 15 cm
20 cm x 15 cm
20 cm x 15 cm