The Great Flood of 1972 – A Night to Remember in Lykens

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER!

A flood in Lykens? Impossible!

The impossible happened… at 1:30 a.m., on Thursday, June 22 [1972], Lykens saw the beginning of the greatest single disaster to ever strike the borough.

The borough reservoir and Rattling Creek, having been swelled to capacity by heavy rains, unleashed a torrent that caught local residents completely off guard.

Raging torrents tore crevices in Market Street to a depth from ten to twelve feet. Cars were dashed about like pool balls and were carried with the flow until they struck some obstruction.

At the Standard office on South Second Street, we observed beer barrels from Lykens Beverage Company, 50 gallon oil drums, redwood lawn furniture, large propane gas tanks along with a collection of rocks and lawn ornaments floating through the yard like corks.

The raging water washed out all the bridges in the Glen area along with the bridge on Route 209 at the west end of town.

In the Borough Park area the swimming pool was almost level across with rocks and debris. Homes in the 300 block of South Second Street had walls reduced to nothing more than a pile of bricks. The park itself looked like nothing more than a creek bed.

By Friday when most water had subsided on the banks of the Black Creek on the north side of town still looked like a canal area.

Those homes on the north side of North Street had back yards removed removed to the point where the creek was actually flowing through basements.

Lykens Valley Shop ‘n Play and the house trailers located north of the store were among the area’s hardest hit by the raging waters.

Almost no one escaped at least having a basement full of water and many homes on North Street, South Second, and West Main Street had water to a depth of five feet on the first floor.

Telephone and electric service was beginning to be restored to several sections of town by Saturday.

A meeting was held on Friday morning at the Municipal Building to coordinate the beginning of a tremendous clean-up and rebuilding effort. Many citizens volunteered to help and committees were organized to begin the task at hand.

People and organizations from the entire valley volunteered assistance in the clean-up effort.

Food, water, clothing and the machinery needed so badly by this community began arriving and by Monday, June 26, it was again possible to see that great strides were being made.

Many motor homes were carried into the woods on the western boundary of town and smashed among the trees.

The 100 block of Main Street had washouts deep enough to bury an automobile.

For about 36 hours the only outlet from town was Route 209 east and then only to Williamstown by way of the Acme Market’s parking lot of Tower City.

The citizens and organizations of Williamstown deserve a “thank you” for opening their homes, schools and organization buildings to house and feed the hundreds of people that were evacuated from Lykens.

It is impossible to extend thanks to all who in any way assisted the flood-stricken borough. The National Guard did a commendable job in evacuating people and helping with the clean-up in Lykens.

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From “Collector’s Limited Edition” of Lykens and Williams Valley Flood of 1972, published by the Lykens Standard, Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in June 1972.

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