About this item
In the early days of 1937, the Ohio River, swollen by heavy winter rains, began rising. And rising. And rising. By the time the waters crested, the Ohio and Mississippi had climbed to record heights. Nearly four hundred people had died, while a million more had run from their homes. The deluge caused more than half a billion dollars of damage at a time when the Great Depression still battered the nation.Timed to coincide with the flood's seventy-fifth anniversary, The Thousand-Year Flood is the first comprehensive history of one of the most destructive disasters in American history. David Welky first shows how decades of settlement put Ohio valley farms and towns at risk and how politicians and planners repeatedly ignored the dangers. Then he tells the gripping story of the river's inexorable rise: residents fled to refugee camps and higher ground, towns imposed martial law, prisoners rioted, Red Cross nurses endured terrifying conditions, and FDR dispatched thousands of relief workers.
About the Author
I write the kinds of books that I like to read. I'm drawn to quirky topics with fascinating characters that illuminate a particular moment in time, and I love telling stories using clear, direct, engaging prose that allows readers to immerse themselves in unfamiliar worlds.
As a professional historian, I strive to uphold the most rigorous standards of scholarship. I don't invent conversations, I don't put words in people's mouths, and I don't offer conclusions that I can't support. As a writer and a book lover, however, I want you to feel like a participant in every scene I describe, whether it's set in the Oval Office, a refugee camp, or an Arctic shack.
History is what I do. I write about the past, I read about the past, and I talk about the past. I hope my passion for the subject shines through in my work. Thanks for reading!
