Financial Advantage w/ Douglas Marion
- The Financial Advantage
In July of 1916, the Southeast faced the wrath of two formidable hurricanes, unleashing chaos throughout Western North Carolina. Trapped amidst surging floodwaters, locals bore witness to the devastating toll on lives, residences, and infrastructure along the Catawba River.
A century later, the memory of the Great Flood of 1916 still lingers in North Carolina’s annals as one of its most catastrophic natural disasters. With more than 80 fatalities and widespread property destruction, the financial toll now stands at nearly $480 million in modern terms.
The initial hurricane, with winds reaching 107 mph, swept inland from the Gulf Coast, carving a path through Alabama and Eastern Tennessee before settling among the Blue Ridge Mountains. Within a day, unyielding rainfall, exceeding 19 inches, deluged the Catawba Valley, turning gentle streams into rampaging torrents of devastation.
Over three relentless days, torrential rains saturated the region, exacerbating the Catawba’s swelling. After a brief respite, a second hurricane struck on July 14, intensifying the onslaught across Western North Carolina.
The Catawba River surged an astonishing 47 feet above its banks, forcing desperate attempts to seek refuge on higher ground or within the shelter of treetops. Tragically, lives were lost, livelihoods were shattered, and critical infrastructure crumbled under the relentless force of the waters.
By July 16, as the rains subsided, nearly every bridge spanning the river had succumbed, and Western North Carolina’s dams lay in ruins. It stood as a record-breaking deluge in U.S. history, paralyzing communication networks and leaving communities in ruins.
In the aftermath, Duke Energy rallied to mitigate future catastrophes, led by engineers Charles Burkholder and William States Lee. Their ambitious vision culminated in a monumental effort to harness the power of the Catawba, resulting in the construction of ten dams by 1940, notably including Lake Norman, the region’s largest reservoir.
Today, Duke Energy’s hydroelectric stations on eleven lakes generate power and serve as vital resources and recreational havens for the region, a testament to resilience and innovation in the face of adversity.
Their collective endeavor not only harnessed the power of nature but also facilitated socioeconomic development in the region, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape and communities it serves.
As mentioned, LKNConnect.com aims to report the history of “Life Before The Lake.” We will be researching the past of the towns around the lake and would like to hear from you about your family’s history of the area.
I have lived in Huntersville my entire life. We actually trace my family’s history back for eight generations. When folks hear this, they ask, “What was life like before the lake?” That question inspired me to research the history of the area. This new feature is the result of those questions. I plan to write many articles about “Life Before The Lake” and post them on www.Lknconnect.com’s website.
Information for this article came from several sources. One was Chuck McShane’s book A History of Lake Norman, published by The History Press, Charleston, SC 29403, Copyright, 2014. The other source was from Cindy Jacobs’ book, Images of America, Around Lake Norman, published by Arcada Publishing, Charleston, SC Copywrite, 2008
Photos were Courtesy of Duke Power
Follow LKNConnect.com for future short articles from these books, or they can be ordered from your favorite online bookstore.
