The Unionville Flood: August 19, 1955

The Unionville, CT flood of 1955 was a devastating natural disaster that occurred on August 19th, 1955. Over the span of just over one week, two hurricanes passed through Southern New England; Hurricane Connie produced roughly 6 inches of rain between August 11 and 12 while the following week Hurricane Diane stalled over Central Connecticut, dumping upwards of 20 inches of rain in just two days. The subsequent result of these storms on the Connecticut River Valley was a swift and dramatic rising of area rivers, still considered to this day the wort natural disaster in the state's recorded history.

In total, the Flood of 1955 claimed the lives of thirteen Farmington men, women and children, including two rescuers, Charles Yodkins Sr., a Farmington Police Officer and Joseph J. Morin Jr., a UConn student, when their boat capsized while attempting to rescue the Frey family.

Today, the Yodkins-Morin Memorial Park on Route 4 stands at the site where twelve homes once stood, town away by the raging Farmington River behind them. According to Stephen Flis, Town Manager at the time, more than 90 homes were completely washed away while 110 other homes and 15 businesses were damaged beyond repair.

In spite of the loss and destruction, countless tales of bravery, heroism and selflessness emerged, illustrated the great sense of community and resiliency in Farmington and Unionville. This month, take a moment to appreciate the work put in to rebuild both structures and spirits of the Farmington Valley. How lucky are we to call this place home?