The Great Flood of 1916 Symposium
A century ago, WNC experienced possibly the worst natural disaster the region has ever seen. July 15, 1916 was a day of extraordinary rain. The French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers, swollen to unheard-of-heights, devasted Hendersonville, Asheville, Biltmore, Marshall and other communities lying in their watersheds.
What was the Great Flood of 1916 like and what were the lessons learned from the tragedy? And are we prepared for potential floods that may come in the future?
Please join us this July 15 and July 16 for a symposium at Ferguson Auditorium on the AB Tech campus as these questions are explored. The two day symposium is free to the public. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of So Great the Devastation, a 48 page illustrated color booklet about the Great Flood.
The July 15 (Friday) schedule:
8:00am: Registration at Ferguson Auditorium
8:30am: Panel Session describing the Great Flood with Milton Ready, Professor Emeritus, UNC-A and Anthony Sadler of Appalachian State Univ.
10:15am: Lessons Learned with representatives from the NC Division of
Emergency Management, NC Dept of Public Safety, and the National
Environmental Modeling Center
1:30pm: Panel Session discussing “Are we prepared for the next flood?” with
representatives from Asheville City and Buncombe Cty. Gov’ts, the River Arts District and architect Robert Griffin.
The July 16 (Saturday) schedule:
10:00am: Keynote Speaker – John Barry, author of Rising Tide: The Great
Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America.
11:15am: “A Climatological Perspective on the 1916 Flood” with Michael Tanner, Director of Asheville’s NOAA Center for Weather and Climate
1:30pm: Come Hell or High Water documentary of the Great Flood of 1916
by David Weintraub, filmmaker.
1:45pm: “Granny and the Flood” with Bill Carson, storyteller
2:00pm: Flood Damage to Local Assets with representatives from the
Biltmore Company and Duke Energy with Gary Freeze of Catawba College.
The symposium is supported by Buncombe County Emergency Management, NC Dept of Natural and Cultural Resources, RiverLink, Duke Power, the Wilma Dykeman Legacy, and the Western North Carolina Historical Association