45 years ago: Hurricane Agnes

WASHINGTON — Forty-five years ago on June 19, 1972, Hurricane Agnes made landfall in Florida.

The storm caused some of the worst flooding ever in the mid-Atlantic and is responsible for 122 deaths. Forty-eight of those deaths occurred in Pennsylvania.

In 1972 dollars, here’s how much damage Agnes did, according to The Washington Post:

Virginia – $222,000,000

Maryland and D.C. – $110,000,000

The storm dumped about 16 inches of rain in Chantilly, Virginia, 8.16 inches at Reagan National Airport and 6.81 inches in Baltimore.

This June 23, 1972 file photo shows people being rescued by boat from their homes to dry ground after Hurricane Agnes forced the Susquehanna River to overflow its banks causing heavy flooding in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File)
This June 23, 1972 file photo shows senior citizens rescued from their homes by boats as a business in background catches fire after Hurricane Agnes made the Susquehanna River to overflow its banks in Wilkes Barre, Pa. causing heavy flooding and damage along the full length of the river in the state.(AP Photo/Phil Butler, Scranton Times)
A lone woman shopper walks past taped up windows in downtown Panama City as Hurricane Agnes is expected to cross the Florida panhandle sometime, June 19, 1972. Winds are up to 100 miles per hour. (AP Photo/Bill Hudson)
President Richard Nixon studies the flood damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes, near Harrisburg, Penn. from his helicopter window, June 24, 1972. The president toured the Maryland-Pennsylvania area from his retreat at Camp David, Maryland. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)
President Richard M. Nixon makes a helicopter survey of the flooded area around Harrisburg, Penn., June 26, 1972, after Hurricane Agnes. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)
(1/5)

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up