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The disastrous Clarissa flood of 1972


by Trinity Gruenberg


Clarissa was once the site of a massive flood. It was one that even drew the attention of the governor. The disastrous weekend, 50 years ago, was July 21-23, 1972. It included fires, accidents and a tornado, further complicating the flood conditions.

On Friday of that weekend, the creek began to grow. They received an inch and a half of rain that morning and by evening another nine inches fell. The tiny creek became a raging river.

On Saturday morning, the water began seeping into basements and washing out roads in a matter of 20 minutes. It rose to 20 feet and covered Highway 71 for several hundred feet.

Clarissaā€™s New Community Park was entirely underwater. It had been wasteland for years and had just been built up into beautiful grounds the past year. Benches and tables were swept away by the current. The backstop of the softball diamond was knocked down, the new trees were uprooted and the flowers were washed away.

Horace Orr had over 100 head of cattle stranded in a pasture due to the high waters. Teenagers were stranded at the Clarissa Ballroom as the rain left travelers with no visibility and roads washed out.

Eagle Creek swelled to heights never before seen in Clarissa, sweeping away roads, land, bridges and even a home, causing $250,000 in damage, not including the roads and bridges.

But Saturday had more in store for the small town. A tornado struck about 3:20 p.m. that afternoon causing damage to trees and small buildings. Most of the damage centered three miles north of town. . .


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