Credit: Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
It has been 70 years since the worst flood recorded on the Delaware River.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission shared historical information on the flooding that destroyed four bridges and caused widespread damage in the region, including the New Hope Borough and City of Lambertville areas.
The devastating flood happened on Aug. 19 through Aug. 20, 1955, was the result of two hurricanes, Connie and Diane, that passed through the region within a week of each other.
Hurricane Connie’s heavy rainfall saturated the ground and brought river levels to above-normal levels. Hurricane Diane, a week later, forced warm, moist air to rise and cool quickly, leading to a massive rainfall that had nowhere to go but into the river’s tributaries.
A U.S. Department of the Interior report noted that more than a foot of rain fell in the New Hope-Lambertville area, with higher amounts upstream.
A federal flood specialist at the time called it a “special kind of calamity.”
The floods caused dozens of deaths, including 30 people at a camp in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Flood heights from the flood remain marked on the rocks along parts of River Road in Bucks County.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission shared a portion of its 1955 annual report detailing the flood’s impact on its infrastructure.
According to the report, the flood destroyed four free bridges and caused considerable damage to others.
The high-level toll bridges were closed for a short time because access was cut off by flooded highways and streets, but none were damaged.
The Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge was the only river crossing controlled by the commission to remain open to traffic during the entire flood period.
The Lambertville-New Hope Bridge was closed from Aug. 19 to Sept. 22, 1955, due to flood damage.
The Centre Bridge-Stockton Bridge was closed from Aug. 19 to Aug. 21.
The Point Pleasant-Byram Bridge and Yardley-Wilburtha along River Road were destroyed, while the Washington Crossing Bridge was closed until mid-November 1955.
The Lower Trenton (“Trenton Makes”) Bridge was closed from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22, and the Portland-Columbia Bridge, which was the longest wooden covered bridge remaining in the country, was destroyed.
Federal records indicate that flooding and damage was also reported on the Neshaminy Creek in Middletown Township, while the Delaware River near Bristol Borough and in Philadelphia saw damage that was less severe than upstream.
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