SGC101-S1 · Historical sources · Source dates described in record
National Weather Service: Historic Flood of August 1955
Connecticut’s Floods of 1955
Official account of flooding after Hurricanes Connie and Diane.
Read item & source notesCOLLECTION 101 · SGC-101
Connecticut’s Floods of 1955
Waterbury · Winsted · New Hartford · Norwalk · Derby · Naugatuck · Connecticut
Streets became rivers, bridges failed and communities rebuilt: a photographic record of Connecticut’s devastating flood year.
OPENING / FIRST RECORDED DATEAugust 18–19, 1955 · October 15–17, 1955
FOUNDED / HISTORICAL PERIODTwo major flood episodes
This is an event collection. August’s hurricane flooding and October’s later floods are identified separately in dates and captions.
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The story in photographs
August 1955
Destruction after Hurricane Diane
NOAA’s historical photograph records flood damage in Connecticut after Diane. The Commons upload date is not the date of the disaster; the precise street is not identified in this record.
August 1955
Route 44 bridge over Farmington River destroyed by flood, New Hartford CT, US Army, August 1955, from the Digital…
Route 44 bridge over Farmington River destroyed by flood, New Hartford CT, US Army, August 1955, from the Digital Commonwealth - 1 22 10 001173 0035 A.
Image credit & source
United States Army Corps of Engineers; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons
Original sourceOctober 16, 1955
Norwalk: Main and Wall Streets after the flood
A U.S. Coast Guard photograph from the Connecticut State Library shows Norwalk during the October flood episode. It is separate from the August hurricane disaster.
Image credit & source
Creator not identified in source; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons
Original sourceRead the full story of Connecticut’s Floods of 1955
COLLECTION HISTORY
The people behind the place.
In August 1955, Connecticut’s rivers rose into streets, homes and factories. Rain from Connie had already soaked the ground when Diane brought another deluge. The National Weather Service’s account places the disaster across a network of valleys rather than at one single point. In communities such as Winsted and along the Naugatuck and Farmington rivers, familiar roads and crossings became scenes of destruction. [SGC101-S1]
The photographs show the collapse of ordinary connections. A missing bridge meant more than damaged steel or masonry: it separated people from homes, work and help. Flooded commercial streets place the water beside storefronts and intersections that residents knew by name. These views are strongest when their town and date stay attached, so an image of New Hartford is not passed off as Waterbury, and a Norwalk scene is not silently assigned to August. [SGC101-S2]
The year brought a second major emergency in October. Connecticut’s hazard history records renewed flooding on October 15–17. The Coast Guard view of Norwalk in this collection belongs to October 16. Together the August and October images explain why the phrase ‘the flood of ’55’ can refer to different memories in different towns. [SGC101-S2]
Local libraries and historical societies preserve many more views than any one selection can contain. The Derby and Naugatuck collections linked below allow visitors to follow recognizable streets and neighborhoods through the disaster. They extend the gallery while keeping each institution’s captions and photograph credits intact. [SGC101-S3]
ESTABLISHEDTwo major flood episodes
EARLIEST HISTORYAugust 18–19, 1955 · October 15–17, 1955
This is an event collection. August’s hurricane flooding and October’s later floods are identified separately in dates and captions.
About this research edition. A photographic history with cited opening dates, collection history and individually credited images. Historic views, later photographs and illustrations are dated separately. This is a selected collection, not an exhaustive inventory.
THE SEARCHABLE CATALOG
Images, maps & original records
Search includes catalog notes and the OCR text included with this edition. OCR may misread names or dates; use the original scan to verify a match.
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SGC101-S2 · Historical sources · Source dates described in record
Connecticut Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan
Connecticut’s Floods of 1955
State account distinguishes August 12–19 hurricane rainfall from renewed flooding October 15–17.
Read item & source notesSGC101-S3 · Historical sources · Source dates described in record
Derby Public Library: Flood of 1955 photographs
Connecticut’s Floods of 1955
Local collection of photographs and community memory from the Lower Naugatuck Valley.
Read item & source notesSGC101-S4 · Historical sources · Source dates described in record
Naugatuck Historical Society: 1955 flood
Connecticut’s Floods of 1955
Additional locally identified photograph albums and historical material.
Read item & source notesPHOTO-8536868 · Photographs · August 1955
Destruction after Hurricane Diane
Connecticut’s Floods of 1955
NOAA’s historical photograph records flood damage in Connecticut after Diane. The Commons upload date is not the date of the disaster; the precise street is not identified in this record.
Read item & source notes
PHOTO-145113513 · Photographs · August 1955
Route 44 bridge over Farmington River destroyed by flood, New Hartford CT, US Army, August 1955, from the Digital Commonwealth - 1 22 10 001173 0035 A
Connecticut’s Floods of 1955
Route 44 bridge over Farmington River destroyed by flood, New Hartford CT, US Army, August 1955, from the Digital Commonwealth - 1 22 10 001173 0035 A.
Read item & source notes
PHOTO-3969303 · Photographs · October 16, 1955
Norwalk: Main and Wall Streets after the flood
Connecticut’s Floods of 1955
A U.S. Coast Guard photograph from the Connecticut State Library shows Norwalk during the October flood episode. It is separate from the August hurricane disaster.
Read item & source notesContinue your research offline.
Extract the ZIP and open START_HERE.html. It includes the catalog, selected images, acquired source text, credits and a searchable SQLite database. New photo additions are hosted in the SGC media library and require an internet connection; original bundled images remain available offline.