Hurricane Eloise

Hurricane Eloise caused over $200M in damage and left 76 dead in the U.S. and the Caribbean between September 17 and 27, 1975. It remains one of the deadliest Category 3 hurricanes on record. Eloise was a minimal tropical storm as it traveled due west through the mountainous terrain of Hispania and Cuba September 13-16, 1975. As Eloise approached the Yucatan Peninsula, it intensified and then turned to the north through the Gulf of Mexico on September 21 after crossing just north of Costume, Mexico. Eloise continued strengthening north of the Yucatan regaining hurricane force on the morning of the 22nd in the central Gulf of Mexico about 300 miles south of New Orleans. Eloise continued strengthening until landfall about midway between Fort Walton Beach and Panama City, Florida shortly after 8 AM on the 23rd.

Hurricane Eloise came ashore in the U. S. between Ft. Walton Beach and Panama City, FL, where tides were 12-16 feet above mean sea level, an estimated 14.9 inches of rain fell, and sustained winds of 125 mph with gusts to 156 mph were estimated. Damage in Florida alone was estimated to be over 1 billion, with four people killed. President Ford, who experienced eight inches of rain from the storm in Washington DC, declared Florida a "major disaster area" September 26, clearing the way for federal emergency relief.

From southeastern Louisiana September 22, the hurricane followed a northeasterly path across Mississippi and Alabama and along the East Coast.

The hurricane weakened rapidly after landfall and was downgraded to a tropical storm while over Alabama and a depression over eastern Tennessee. As the remains of Eloise moved into Tennessee, it was responsible for spawning some tornadoes over western North Carolina while rain from four to eight inches fell across the western Carolinas. On the state level, residents were excited about the upcoming Bloomsburg Fair and complaining about Governor Shapp increasing the gas tax by two cents, from nine to eleven cents, and didn't pay a lot of attention to the worsening weather situation.

One way to understand the scope of Hurricane Eloise locally would be to track the Bloomsburg Fair from Monday, September 21, 1975, through Saturday of that week.

• Monday, September 21. A light rain started in the afternoon of the first day of the fair, but 39,719 passed through the turnstiles and 12,167 packed the grandstand area that night to hear the country-western music of Tennessee Ernie Ford. Hurricane Eloise, upgraded from a tropical storm the previous day, was pounding four southern states with wind reaching 110 miles per hour. Torrential rain pounded the gulf coast. Eloise had already claimed 42 lives on two Caribbean islands. On the national level, the country was reeling from the news that 45-year-old Sarah Ann Moore fired a shot at President Ford.
• Tuesday, September 22: The Florida storm damage came in at $70 million. Winds of 130 miles per hour stretched 40 miles wide between Ft. Walton Beach and Panama City. Bobby Vinton provided the night show entertainment at the fair.
• Wednesday, September 23: The third day in a row of rain, but still 37,000 attended the fair Wednesday. Charlie Pride provided the evening entertainment. Harness racing was canceled. Rain fell all night Wednesday.
• Thursday, September 24: Rainfall from Eloise beat across the state, setting rainfall records. Flash flood warnings were issued. The Friday's planned "Destruction Derby" looked "iffy," but advertising continued for the "most unbelievable exposition of motor madness ever presented to this area." Bloomsburg fireman began a "bailing and pumping operation on the grounds of the fairground. The national fascination with the Patty Hurst story was forgotten locally for the moment. Only 17,748 came Thursday to the fair and only 3,236 paid to see "Blood, Sweat and Tears" at the night show.
• Friday, September 25: The Bloomsburg Fair was canceled, because the drainage system was "no longer taking the water away." Over ten inches of rain had fallen since Monday, and almost half of it in a 24-hour period beginning 6 PM Thursday and ending about 6 PM Friday. The high water marks at the fairgrounds are still well marked and very visible today. A summer home in Forks caught fire and burned with firemen unable to get within 150 feet of it. Rainfall amounts of 6 1/2 inches were reported in Harrisburg, and four inches reported on average elsewhere. The Char-Mund Nursing Home, Orangeville, was evacuated. Two canoeists decided it would be great sport to come down Loyalsock Creek, but a state police helicopter needed to be called into service to rescue them.
• Saturday, September 26: The Bloomsburg Fair was canceled. The muddy and debris-filled Susquehanna crested 8 to 12 feet above flood level as it roared past Williamsport, Sunbury, Milton, Wilkes-Barre and Harrisburg. Hard hit were Tioga County, where 4,500 fled their homes, and Muncy, where National Guard evacuated half the town of 2,000. State Senator Hugh Scott announced that President Ford signed a disaster declaration for the eastern and central parts of the state.
• Benton: 1,100 telephones were out of commission, the Press Enterprise reported a foot and a half of water on Main Street, four feet on Market Street," and all power out.

Large sections of town were flooded when water north of us near the present bridge at the golf course collapsed as support at the south end of the bridge washed out. Pilings at four locations supported the bridge. The pilings at the south end washed out and the bridge collapsed, and the next set of pilings gave way, lowering the bridge by several feet. The north end of the bridge remained standing, and the southern end diverted water up and over in a huge stream of water, creating a large hole in the ground and diverting Fishing Creek out of its banks and through the fields into Benton. Water at the Friendly Tavern (now the Inn Under) came up to the bottom of the windows. Water completely surrounded the stone house at the golf course.

Former Benton Mayor Larry Houseweart feels that Benton would never have flooded if the stream had not been forced into the field by water diverted from the floor of the bridge. The water flowed past Sue and Earl Laubach's house on Park Street and surrounded Vincent's trailer court. In Benton park, debris was piled several feet high against the steel fence on the north side of the ball field. The concrete-block baseball team dug-outs were filled with water at the ball diamond. Water moved the two-story band shell off its foundation, and the structure became unstable. Eventually, the top was cut in half and used for many years as the band shell until it burned in 2001. Long picnic tables that for years were fastened together from the days of the Farmer's picnic were washed against trees by the flood . The swirling waters created a large depression near the bingo stand.

Water coming over the Benton dam formed a slight decline as it passed over the dam, then rose again so that the water level was the same below the same as it was above the dam. Water was so high that at the nearby Presbyterian Church, water filled the basement to within a foot of the ceiling joists. The basement which at that time was used for social events and Sunday school functions was virtually ruined. Furniture was piled everywhere on the lawn during the cleanup period. At the intersection of Main and Market, water surrounded Bardo's garage, Lee Yost's house, and mud was everywhere. Pot holes formed on Benton streets, especially on 2½ Street. As the water flowed south, the bridge over route 239 was in danger of going out. On the west side of the bridge, water was about six inches from damming up the stream.

A fire of "undetermined origin" roared through two building in Benton Friday about noon. A backhoe operator drove his machine to the Town Hall to call in the fire alarm according to the Morning Press--although no one today seems to be able to identify that person. Firemen stood in knee-deep water battling to save the Benton Pharmacy, the Benton Hotel, offices and apartments, and did not get it under control until about 4 PM. Druggist Norman Gelb, proprietor of the pharmacy, estimated his losses in the "hundreds of thousands of dollars." The fire apparently started from "candles and kerosene lanterns strategically placed around the store for lights, since the power in town was lost," according to the Morning Press. Other accounts of the fire abound, and the true story may never be known.
• Bloomsburg's Main Street at the Magee residence was covered with two feet of water and 15 people were stranded on top of the Municipal Sewer Plant and had to be rescued.
• Towanda's river water crested about 27 feet, well over the 16 foot flood level.

Eventually, counties in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, and Alabama were declared disaster areas.

Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the world's most violent and destructive storms. They are giant whirlwinds where air moves around a center of low pressure--the eye of the storm--reaching high speeds in circular waves extending 20 or 30 miles from the middle. The word "hurricane" probably comes from the Mayan storm god Hunraken, or other Caribbean term for evil spirit and big wind. The terms "hurricane", "typhoon" and "tropical storm" all describe the same type of swirling wind activity.

If you worry about hazardous weather, USA Today has a web site at http://www.usatoday.com/weather/severe/wsevere0.htm#more which will show you official hazardous weather text alerts and graphics produced by the National Weather Service. This site is up when severe weather threatens the USA.