If you think water drenched Ada over the weekend take a moment to consider the famous flood of 1913.
The Icon found six Ada photos in the Ada Public Library photo archives that you'll never believe.
The photos show Ada in 1913. You'll see water cover Main Street, Gilbert Street and a couple streets that maybe you can identify.
According to Ohio History Central:
The Flood of 1913 is known as the greatest natural disaster in Ohio history. Although rivers in Ohio tended to flood every spring, heavy rains in March 1913 exacerbated the flood conditions.
Photos and story by Monty Siekerman
You thought 54 million gallons of rain that fell on Ada on Tuesday was a lot, well, Friday morning brought TWICE that amount.
The annual membership drive for the Ada Music Boosters is continuing throughout the fall. A flyer was mailed to all Ada households in June and the Boosters encourage residents to return it with a contribution toward this year’s fund-raising drive.
With the help of the Ada community, the Music Boosters enhance music education and the performance-based programming for the Ada Exempted Village Schools.
The Music Boosters purchase choir robes, band uniforms, instruments, music, Varsity Singer costumes, which support Ada’s state and regional award-winning winter guard, marching band and show choir.
Ada officials figure that 54 million gallons of water fell inside the 2-mile square village limits on Tuesday. In a 30-minute period Ada experienced 1-½ inches of rain.
David Retterer, Ada mayor, reported that figure at Wednesday’s Community Improvement Corp. (CIC) meeting.
“A lot of people are calling the village about the rain. The projects we’ve handed in the past 20 years have enabled us to put in a lot of drainage,” he said, adding that without those project there would be lots of water with no where to go.
“Now we can get rid of water and we believe we are doing it responsibly,” he added.
Here, a mother mallard takes refuge, away from the photographer with her ducklings, under a large willow in the retention basin on West Campus.
The basin is usually dry in mid-July, but Tuesday's downpours filled it to overflowing. My rain gauge reported nearly three inches of rain within a couple of hours in the early afternoon with a third brief gusher an hour later pushing the total past three inches in a short period of time.
Adaites welcomed Wednesday's sunshine as water receded. (Monty Siekerman)
Heavy thunderstorms Monday night. Periods of pouring rain on Tuesday. A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect into Tuesday evening.
All this, after a record wet June in nearby Lima, where 12.67 inches of rain fell. It was the wettest single month since 1901, according to the National Weather Service.
Ada residents may be asking themselves, “Is it time to build an ark yet?"
Farmers may want to petition Noah for a spot in the hold for their corn and soybeans. Many area fields show rows of yellowing plants.
