Quad-Cities Memories: The Great Flood of 1965
People fishing in the Mississippi River during flooding in Davenport, 1965.
Quad-City Times
The Quad-Cities in 1965 saw one of its coldest Marches and one of its wettest Aprils, leading to the Mississippi River rising to levels unseen before.
In a preemptive strike to lower potential flood damage, local residents rallied together to start a sandbagging effort that lasted throughout April. Some areas around the Mississippi River managed to avoid major damage, but the Great Flood caused about $125 million in damage overall (just under $1 billion in 2016 dollars).
Group looking at the swollen Mississippi River from atop a parking ramp in downtown Davenport, 1965.
Quad-City Times
To this day, the Great Flood of 1965 still stands as one of the worst floods to hit the Quad-Cities and holds the record height in many areas along the Mississippi River.
Man standing on sandbags during extensive flooding, 1965.
Quad-City Times
See more historic photos from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s in the Quad-City Times' new book Rise of the Quad-Cities.
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