1936 Pittsburgh Flood Crisis

This film captures the devastating Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood of March 17-18, 1936, when Pittsburgh’s rivers peaked at 46 feet, 21 feet above flood stage. Triggered by melting snow and torrential rain, it submerged downtown, halted power for eight days, and left 45 dead and thousands homeless. Featuring flooded streets, stranded trolleys, and relief efforts, it documents the city’s worst natural disaster and the push for flood control that led to the Kinzua Dam decades later.