The 1959 flood paralleled the 1913 flood although the crest of 32.55 feet fell short of the 1913 record of 37 feet.  Booth times, and in the same order, the Scioto blasted holes in the East End dike, overran the sandbag levee behind Riverside Street, and seeped through the B. & O. Railroad fill into Yoctangee Park.

     A state of emergency was declared at 11:40 p.m. Thursday, January 23, when water crossed Route 23 a half mile north of the river.  The East End evacuation began at 12:20 a.m. Friday, when the dike behind Basic Construction Company collapsed in two places.  By 1:00 a.m. orders were issued to clear the city east of Jackson Avenue.  By dawn water broke over the Riverside Street levee.  The city was then evacuated east of Hickory Street.  About 10 a.m. water gushed under the railroad embankment into the city park. At 6:00 a.m. the water crested and covered practically all of the city east of Watts Street and as far south on Hickory as Main Street. Damage estimates was $8 million with one dead, about 1,350 homes flooded and thousands evacuated.

Information and pictures are from the March 1959 Mead Reporter

Jefferson Avenue Friday morning looking east toward Douglass Avenue

East Main Street with sandbag barricade at Wade Avenue

Looking north from the intersection of Hickory and Race Streets Friday morning.

The intersection of Madison Avenue, Fourth and Wade Streets Friday morning.

Looking north Friday morning toward Bridge Street bridge and Chillicothe Manor.

Riverside Street looking west from Bridge toward Hickory Street at dawn Friday.

Madison Ave., showing sever damage and a stranded truck Saturday morning.

Receding waters Saturday morning left this boat high and dry at the corner of Madison and Douglas Avenues.

Adams Ave. at Douglas Saturday morning.  Swift currents in this area Thursday night and Friday morning caused several rescue boats to upset. Mrs. Margery Hawk, 64, of 943 Columbus Street, died of exposure after a boat rescuing her upset.

Owner Truman Morris of WBEX carried around-the-clock flood bulletins

Flood waters smashed Rt. 23 north ripping out the highway dividers and hurling them against the east side guardrails.

Currents estimated at 22 m.p.h. caused this damage to Jackson Ave. near Jefferson.

Evidence of the water's force on Rt. 23 just north of the bridge.

Guardrails and heavy post were ripped off and twisted out of shape along Rt. 23