The Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) and Walnut Creek Preserve (WCP) invite the public to attend a free presentation, “Remembering the Great Flood of 1916,” presented by award-winning filmmaker, David Weintraub, and local historian, Jennie Jones Giles, at the Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center at Walnut Creek Preserve on Saturday, July 23, at 10:30 a.m.

July marks the 100-year anniversary of western North Carolina’s worst natural disaster, the Great Flood of 1916.

In 1916, 22 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period. The French Broad River was 17 feet above flood stage, and the Swannanoa River was a mile wide. It is a year that still evokes powerful memories in many old-timers and an event passed on through family histories.

In addition to a discussion about this historic event, a new film by David Weintraub, “Come Hell or High Water, Remembering the Flood of 1916,” will have its premiere.  The film explores the history of this significant natural disaster and also asks the question, what have we learned?

What concerns many is the reality that western North Carolina is a flood prone area and such a disaster could repeat. Given that the Great Flood led to hundreds of mudslides and landslides causing extensive damage at a time when no one lived on the side of mountains, the worry is that should a flood of similar proportions occur today it would likely be more devastating.

According to seventh generation farmer, Drew Brannon, “If we don’t learn the lessons of the 1916 flood, we are bound to repeat them, with worse results than 100 years ago.”

Drew’s father and grandfather lost everything in the Great Flood and those haunting memories still shake the Brannon family tree.

Jennie Giles, presenter and a seventh generation native says, “Remembering the 1916 flood is important because the consequences to western North Carolina should this happen again would impact us 10-20 times greater than it did then. The lessons the flood could teach us could save our lives and better protect our community.”

This program is made possible, in part, by a grant from Delores Lastinger.

To get to Walnut Creek Preserve’s Nature Center from the Tryon and Columbus area, take Hwy 108 East and turn left on Hwy. 9 toward Lake Lure. Follow Hwy. 9 north for five miles and turn right onto McGuinn Road (at the Exxon Station). Go one mile to the intersection with Big Level Road; turn left, go 2/10ths of a mile and take the first right onto Aden Green Road. Follow Aden Green for 4/10ths of a mile and turn left on Herbarium Lane and into Walnut Creek Preserve. Take the first left onto Conservatory Lane, which takes you to the parking area for the nature center. GPS coordinates to the Nature Center are available at the PAC website.

For more information or directions from another location, contact the Pacolet Area Conservancy at 828-859-5060 or e-mail landprotection@pacolet.org.

The next PAC/WCP program will be held on August 6. Bill Stringer will present on native grasses.

For more information about Walnut Creek Preserve, visit www.walnutcreekpreserve.com. Please note, Walnut Creek Preserve is private property and guests are only allowed on the property by invitation (a planned event or scheduled group).

  – article submitted

by Pam Torlina