Floods mentioned in the Mary Roberts diary¹

6/21/1833 Very heavy rain for the fore part of the day - swept away bridges.

6/15/1837 from accounts received they have been visited with an uncommon flood at Baltimore, houses swept off, 15 lives lost, and a great many horses and cattle of all kinds destroyed.

1/26/1839 Uncommon heavy rain which raised the water higher than 1822. I went to John Wersler’s with our Mary, Becky, and Charles Vanleer. The hill was very icy and the horse smooth - he fell and broke the gears but [we] tackled them up so that they got there. I walked across the orchard, the day was so stormy and water dangerous. There were few there as they buried the child at Phoenix Baptist burying ground. and when they come back to Pickering Bridge the water was so deep on the race bridge that we turned round and went to Joseph Pennypacker’s till the water fell. Lewis went to see Schuylkill and saw a man that had come down the river on the roof of a building that had washed off from Phoenix. And when he floated down on the island above the long ford he caught hold of a small tree, and clung to that until he became exhausted and fell down into the water, calling for help, but none could be had. Joseph Roberts left his waggon at the Valley Forge and crossed with his horses on the railroad bridge and come home on horseback. - much damage done to Mill and Dams and live lost (3 at Phoenixville).

8/5/1843 Rainy morning. We left about 10 o’clock and come very well homewards till coming down the first Baptist hill the horse fell and broke the shafts and I had to ungear him and lead him down to the Smiths this side of Baptist Meeting House. And got some men to go and bring the waggon down - they got to work and in about two hours had mended it. William Roberts came by while we were there - While it was raining tremendous, he went home and sent his dearborne for us to go to his house, but the waters raised to such a degree that we had to wait for some time for the flood to abate before we could with safety cross - many places where there was no creek the water collected and swept post fences - and everything in its way thro Radnor and on toward Chester there was great destruction both lives, bridges etc. also Mill dams and manufacturers - we stayed all night at William.

3/14/1846 Heavy rain this morning, the snow nearly all gone, occationing a great flood.

9/2/1850 Very heavy rain. John and Sarah brought Davis home. We hear of great destruction of life and property occasioned by this flood though the mountains and along Schuylkill.

References

1. http://the2nomads.org/TEHSDocumentStore/MaryRobertsdiary.html