The Great Flood of 1936: Hatfield Tobacco Fields

These photos show some of the aftermath of 'The Great Flood of 1936,' which destroyed acres of tobacco fields in the town of Hatfield, Massachusetts, as the Connecticut river, swollen with snow melt and heavy Spring rains, wreaked havoc on every town and city it passed on its never-ending journey southward to the Sound. Bridges and buildings, farm land and forest: Nothing was spared the river's roiling fury as it crested over the days of March 19-21, leaving devastation and despair in its wake.

In Springfield alone, 20,000 soaking souls sought shelter in the midst of the catastrophe, almost 20 miles of city streets submerged. The silver lining in the cloud of calamity was found in the creation of thousands of clean-up, rebuild and repair jobs in a region that had been starved for work for years as a result of the Depression.

For more photos, see the related EWM post: The Great Flood of 1936: Hatfield House and Barns. The National Water Summary of 1988-89 includes the section, 'Floods and Droughts: Massachusetts,' which contains a brief explanation of the unusual weather conditions leading up to flood of 1936 in this PDF.

Photo captions are from the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information. Paul Carter, photographer.

"Tobacco lands after the Connecticut River had subsided near Hatfield, Massachusetts." (April 1936)

"Land ruined by the high waters of the Connecticut River. Near Hatfield, Massachusetts." (April 1936)

"Where the Connecticut River cut a new channel near Hatfield, Massachusetts, ruining good tobacco land." (April 1936)

"Ruined tobacco land along the Connecticut River, near Hatfield, Massachusetts." (April 1936)

Photo source 1: Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI, Digital ID: fsa 8a20644
Photo source 2: Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI, Digital ID: fsa 8c51707
Photo source 3: Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI, Digital ID: fsa 8c51708
Photo source 4: Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI, Digital ID: fsa 8c51711

The Great Flood of 1936: Hatfield House and Barns

Over $200,000,000 dollars in damage was the final tally in the Bay State as a result of 'The Great Flood of 1936.' A winter of heavy snowfall, sustained Spring rains and ice dams combined to form a destructive catalyst that would result in ten deaths and 50,000 homeless across the State. The Connecticut river crested in Springfield on March 21.

These photos from the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, were taken in Hatfield, Massachusetts by Farm Security Administration photographer, Paul Carter, shortly after the flood waters subsided.

For more flood photos see the related EWM post: The Great Flood of 1936: Hatfield Tobacco Fields. WGBY also has a web page with some incredible photos: 'The Great Flood of 1936: Photo Gallery.' Amherst College served as an evacuation site and shelter during the flooding, as recounted in the Fall, 2005, Amherst Magazine article, 'From the Archives: The Year of the Flood, 1936.' The article includes a photo of evacuees in Pratt Gymnasium, taken on March 23, 1936.

Photo captions are from the Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information, Paul Carter, photographer.

"Barn and farm equipment ruined by flood waters. Hatfield, Massachusetts." (March 1936)

"Barn of client after the Connecticut River had subsided, Hatfield, Massachusetts." (March 1936)

"Destruction caused by disease-infected waters of the Connecticut River. The owner has received a grant. Near Hatfield, Massachusetts." (March 1936)

"Flood debris in yard of resettlement client. The wheelbarrow floated to its precarious position on the roof. Hatfield, Massachusetts." (March 1936)

Photo source 1: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, FSA-OWI, Digital ID: fsa 8a20570
Photo source 2: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, FSA-OWI, Digital ID: fsa 8a20608
Photo source 3: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, FSA-OWI, Digital ID: fsa 8a20614
Photo source 4: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, FSA-OWI, Digital ID: fsa 8a20612