Damsels in Distress

Storm 07-07-1966 w Flooding on BroadwayThe July 7, 1966, Missourian reported that one of the most damaging storms in several years passed through Cape Girardeau in three main sweeps Wednesday afternoon. Several blocks near Broadway and Caruthers and Independence and Pacific became flooded, power lines were downed and trees uprooted.

These Good Samaritans are helping some damsels in distress in front of the Cape Girardeau Surgical Group at 1912 Broadway. Click on the photo to make it large enough to identify the players.

Swimming pool with traffic lights

Storm 07-07-1966 w Flooding on BroadwayThese guys are blasting through water nearly deep enough to submerge the car’s Confederate flag license tag on Broadway in front of Broadway Plaza.

Earlier in the day, children splashed in the water while the traffic signal kept flashing red, yellow and green, but no traffic was passing. One kid was quoted in the paper as saying, “This is the first time I’ve ever been in a pool with traffic lights in it.”

When I called Mother Monday night, she said most of the snow is off the yard, but it’s so full of water that it’s “squishy.” Once we get past the ice and snow stage, the next news from the Midwest will be tornadoes and floods.

 

4 Replies to “Damsels in Distress”

  1. A Studebaker Lark II with a Confederate Flag front plate, how Southeast Missouri 60’s is that. The Driver looks familiar, but I cannot place him. The 64 Chevy…I don’t know drivers, riders, or pushers…zero for nothing today. It is hard to remember but that area of Broadway used to flood all the time/ The Old Coke plant was the high ground around that intersection.

  2. On several occasions I floated my VW beetle through this area. We would roll down our windows and paddle with our hands.

  3. I worked in the 1800 bulk of Bway. In ‘this flood I had a friend with a convertible. He and 3 other boys were trying to drive west in the water. Eventually the car flooded and the driver ask the boys to get out and push. The fellow in the passenger seat, instead of just jumping out of the convertible “opened” the door to get out, and in doing so flooded the entire exterior, which was completely dry! You could have heard the guy driving for a block screaming. Incidentally, all four were Marines!

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