With the flow of the Cayuga Creek in the Lancaster area it was very difficult to just have one main route so in order to open up the traffic a little a bridge was built which linked Aurora Street and Central Ave which is downtown Lancaster. A year later in 1937 the worst flood in Lancaster's history occurred. This flood was so bad the bridge was wiped out as the waters rose 18 to 20 feet over the low water mark. The damage was so terrible that side walks were torn up, sewers were damaged, streets were ripped apart, and everything along the banks were devastated. The record rain made this possible as Cayuga can be a fast flowing creek. Many homes were swept off there foundations the ones who did not escape were rescued by fire fighters using boats and fire ladders. Many other damages occurred such as the Dept. Of Public Works was severely damaged. This unfortunately was horrifying as the depression just took place and now a flood destroyed or damaged many areas. Some of the streets damaged were Aurora St. St. Mary's Street, Walter Street, Cayuga Ave, Lake Avenue and a few more.

In 1948 the Flood Control Project was completed which cost $1,000,000 and was funded by village, state and federal funds. It would have been built sooner by the US engineers but with the outbreak of WWII times were difficult. Today the project is still in effect despite the fact that at times the creek almost reaches to the bridge during the spring months when rain is most harsh. which would put the creek at almost 20 foot depths. Personally I have seen it myself and today you can walk around Lancaster and there are break walls in certain low areas.

Whether people dies in these floods I do not know however a few have told me that when the flood happened many drowned and did not escape the raging waters. Years ago floods were common there was no break walls, flood control projects, houses were made out of wood not brick, and so when a disaster like this occurred people would die. This is why it is called the flood zone because any streets that ran along the creek flooded. I did not investigate every street or area. Rather I focused on a park which runs along the creek , a road where the flooding was horrifying and a parking lot near an old break wall. I found there to be ghost here and it could be residual energy since it was such a traumatic disaster. Lancaster NY is remembered for its fires but we often forget about the floods which take away homes where families live, ruin businesses, and cause havoc as years ago many people did not know how to swim.

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Rick-AngelOfThyNight