I was a senior in college, living in Unionville across the street from the Farmington River. My family and I were evacuated in the early a.m. as the dam in Collinsville broke. I fled with just my wedding invitations under my arm.
My sister and I worked at the Town Hall passing out supplies of food and clothing to all the area flood victims. We watched in horror as houses along the river edge toppled over and were swept away. The water went up to our second floor and needless to say the clean-up was monumental. The discomfort of swollen tetanus shot arms added to the misery.
It was a time of tremendous courage, love and support as neighbors banded together to help each other. Martial law went into effect and curfews were enforced to discourage looters. Prisoners from the Seym Street jail in Hartford were pressed into service to aid in the clean-up.
Tragedy can evoke feelings of sadness for losses but it also brought out the fighting spirit of the folks. To put it simply, we kept a sense of humor which sustained us.
When 1955 is mentioned my children say "Watch out, Mom's going to start telling her flood stories."
We did get married in 1955, even though the Farmington River Inn (where we were to have the reception) was washed down the river.
My sister and I worked at the Town Hall passing out supplies of food and clothing to all the area flood victims. We watched in horror as houses along the river edge toppled over and were swept away. The water went up to our second floor and needless to say the clean-up was monumental. The discomfort of swollen tetanus shot arms added to the misery.
It was a time of tremendous courage, love and support as neighbors banded together to help each other. Martial law went into effect and curfews were enforced to discourage looters. Prisoners from the Seym Street jail in Hartford were pressed into service to aid in the clean-up.
Tragedy can evoke feelings of sadness for losses but it also brought out the fighting spirit of the folks. To put it simply, we kept a sense of humor which sustained us.
When 1955 is mentioned my children say "Watch out, Mom's going to start telling her flood stories."
We did get married in 1955, even though the Farmington River Inn (where we were to have the reception) was washed down the river.
L.A. for less than the price of sunblock. 
