A Look at Past Exhibit “Flood of 1985 Photography”
In 1985, Roanoke Valley photographer Tommy Firebaugh ventured into the rising floodwaters of the Flood of ’85, to visually capture the devastation that occurred throughout the Greater Roanoke area. Thirty-five years later, these photographs tell the story not only of the flood, but of how much it changed Roanoke.
This exhibit is in partnership with the City of Roanoke Stormwater Utility Division, and will be on view at the Historical Society and O. Winston Link Museum from Sept. 22 through Nov. 21, 2020. It promotes the need for emergency preparedness. This is the second time the photographs have been displayed.
In 1985, 10 people died in the flood. Some 300 people were rescued from rooftops by helicopters and many more by boat.
“I was just shooting at everything to make sure I covered it because I knew this would probably be a historical event,” Firebaugh said in earlier interviews with area media.
The remnants of Hurricane Juan dumped heavy rain over the Roanoke Valley, and after an already saturated season, it didn’t take long for the water to rise.
“It was an ugly sight, brown water, and it didn’t smell too good either,” Firebaugh said.
His film captured moments of fear as folks climbed out of the flooding or floated through Market Square.
“Lights were on everywhere all over the city. It was like Venice or somewhere, it was real eerie,” Firebaugh said.
During September, the City of Roanoke and its media partner WDBJ7 are posting online resources featuring stories, trainings and webinars on flood awareness and emergency preparedness.
“Prepareathon” is a national event sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The goals of the event are for people to understand which disasters could affect their community, know what to do to stay safe, take action to increase preparedness, and improve their ability to recover from a disaster. With the flooding from recent storms and wildfires in the American west, preparedness has become a major theme. For more information, visit the city’s website.
Also find coverage of the flood project at channels 7 and 10; click on links below:
https://www.wfxrtv.com/video/a-look-back-the-flood-of-85/6008585/
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