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Oct. 18, 1844: 'Great flood of 1844' devastates Buffalo


ricojes

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People don't understand that disasters like these are for the best in the long run. Yes it is tragic when it happens but this is mother nature's way of balancing out the population. Hell if no one ever died during a disaster we would have bigger problems then rebuilding some towns or cities.

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People don't understand that disasters like these are for the best in the long run. Yes it is tragic when it happens but this is mother nature's way of balancing out the population. Hell if no one ever died during a disaster we would have bigger problems then rebuilding some towns or cities.

I don't think 75 people would have made that much of a difference, so I wouldn't think this one was "best" in the long run. Although it did create the urgency to build the break walls, which actually maybe saved more lives in the long run.

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Interesting story; lived in southtowns for 16+ years and never saw a seiche anytime I lived there.

 

Also interesting only links to sports section have that new popup which is so annoying.

 

Happens quite often when a strong low tracks across the region.

 

Seiche (slosh) is actually why the breakwaters were built. I thought I started a thread on this a bunch of years ago... About the BFLo seiche of 1844.

 

Like an inland "tsunami"

 

This one from Chicago 1954.

 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-06-19/news/9406190133_1_lake-michigan-breakwater-chicago-river

 

A few years back around Christmas (@ work) our upper pool (Lake Elevation) went down to around -5.00'... Right now it is running @ around +2.00' (+1.77' to be exact @ this minute). Back then The Lake was running low water, in the 0.00 to -1.00' range. Today, with The Lake having high water, that is about a 7.00' lake elevation swing if that strength of storm would march through right now. In my 25+ years working here, that is the lowest I have seen The Lake elevation when a low pressure system takes the water out (and presumably pushes it to the other side of The Lake (west Michigan lakeshore).

 

On the flip side, the highest I have ever seen Lake Michigan, when the wind is driving the water down the whole North-South fetch of the lake, was around +5.50'. Top of the controlling works (lock wall) is +7.01'

 

For reference, these numbers are off of "zero gage" which we use: 579.48' MSL (Mean Sea Level 1929) data. We are about 7 miles downstream from The Lake.

 

Check out this video from Lake Superior:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYI1zIjJr4g

 

BFLo is pretty well guarded against such catastrophe since the breakwaters were built after this 1844 event.

 

Essayons! Go Corps! :D:D

I don't think 75 people would have made that much of a difference, so I wouldn't think this one was "best" in the long run. Although it did create the urgency to build the break walls, which actually maybe saved more lives in the long run.

 

 

In 1844, where the Aud would be, would have been 10' deep w/water. Without the breakwaters, it would probably happen routinely.

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