In March 1936, one of the most devastating floods in over 300 years roared down the Connecticut River, inundating towns, destroying homes and bridges and leaving thousands homeless. Using actual flood footage, archival photography, newspaper accounts and eyewitness interviews, THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1936 reveals the story behind the disaster and its impact on residents of western Massachusetts. Starting at the Vernon Dam in northern Vermont, the program takes viewers down the Connecticut River, stopping at landmarks hardest hit by the flood. One of the first stops is the former location of the Northfield Bridge, which was destroyed by raging waters on March 18, 1936. The program also contains dramatic underwater footage of divers searching for flood wreckage.
