Hurricane Agnes was the costliest natural disaster in the United States at that time. Damage was estimated at $3.1 billion and 117 deaths were reported. Hardest hit was Pennsylvania, with $2.1 billion in damages and 48 deaths, making Hurricane Agnes the worst natural disaster ever to hit the state. The damage over Pennsylvania was so extreme, the entire state was declared a disaster area by President Richard Nixon.
|
The James River basin was also hit very hard by Agnes, especially tragic since devastating floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Camille occurred only three years before. Flooding along the James River downstream of Lynchburg, Virginia was the worst known since at least 1870. Flooding along the main stem of the James River ranged from 25 to 100 year recurrence frequency levels in the upper portions to well over 100 year recurrence frequency levels downstream from Lynchburg, Virginia. The flow at Richmond, Virginia, was 50% greater than during the peak of the 1969 Camille flood. In the headwater tributaries, severe flooding occurred along streams in the vicinity of Covington, New Castle and Catawba, Virginia. Recurrence frequencys in this area ranged from 50 to over 100 years. Flooding in the tributaries between Buchanan, Virginia, and Scottsville, Virginia were extensive, but not record breaking. In contrast, flooding in the tributaries between Scottsville, Virginia, and Cartersville, Virginia, were generally the greatest on record. The largest tributary in this stretch, the Rivanna River, exceeded 100 year flood recurrence frequency levels at many sites. The Appomattox River, just to the south of the James, experienced record breaking flooding upstream from Mattoax, Virginia. Sites above this point experienced flooding greater than the 100 year recurrence frequency level. Below this point, flow contribution from the tributaries lessened, resulting in the attenuation of the flood peak at it traveled down to Farmville, Virginia, where it was only two-thirds of the flow that was observed at Mattoax, Virginia. A file containing stage data of the James River basin can be found here. |
