Kentucky Rural Letter Carriers' Association
Historian
Misty Edilson
PH:
e-mail: medilson0213@gmail.com
e-mail: medilson0213@gmail.com
The Great Flood of 1937 caused significant devastation along the Ohio River and surrounding areas during late January and early February. While flooding is common in this region, the McAlpine Lock in Louisville reached a record crest of 85.4 feet, the highest ever recorded by the National Weather Service.
Robert Habermehl, Carrier No. 1 from Augusta, Kentucky, recounts: "The entire population had to flee to the hills. We moved our post office four times. I had to wade through water almost waist-deep for more than two hours to save the important records of the office. I drove 122 miles each day to cover my route of 58.9 miles. After completing my route, I drove 9 miles to Brooksville to pick up incoming mail and send outgoing mail. To make matters worse, after the water began to recede, our five-year-old daughter contracted diphtheria, and we had to take her 90 miles to the hospital in the middle of the night during a blinding snowstorm. Fortunately, she is well on the road to recovery, and I have returned to work after quarantine. However, I still detour 19 miles daily due to road damage. We are not back in our home yet because of the dampness. Life is still worth living, and our town remains the best place in the world, even though fifty percent of homes were damaged beyond repair. We will continue to hold onto new hopes for prosperity and work towards building a bigger and better town."
Misty Edilson, KYRLCA Historian