Fort Worth had been fighting the Trinity River for decades by 1949. In 1922, Fort Worth was hit by one of the most devastating floods on that river. The Trinity River flooded Fort Worth in May 1949, and flood protection measures of the previous quarter century proved insufficient. Flood stages exceeded those of 1922. Levee’s failures added to the Destruction in Fort Worth. May 1949 saw deadly tornadoes strike Amarillo for the first time in sixty-three years. Typical May weather conditions continued in North Texas in mid-May. On the night of May 16, a slow-moving frontal storm approached Fort Worth, traveling along the West Fork and Clear Fork River basins. During the early morning hours, it was near Wichita, Kansas, and then moved east of Wichita Falls to Junction and Del Rio. Thunderstorms formed along its entire length. Nearly midway between Cresson and Benbrook, near the county line between Parker and Tarrant counties, eleven inches of rain had fallen by the storm’s end at the junction of Bear Creek and South Bear Creek. Twelve inches of rain fell near the Sycamore Creek watershed southeast of Fort Worth.
The floodwaters reached Camp Bowie Boulevard, Seventh Street, University Drive, and Bailey Street. West Seventh Street was under floodwaters ten feet deep at the west end of the Van Zandt viaduct. The viaduct washed away houses ranging from shanties to six-room homes. Homes were smashed to pieces by the impact, which caused the concrete bridge to shake. Crestwood and Linwood additions residents evacuated after four levee breaks prompted police to use loudspeakers. As residents tried to beat the floodwaters, Fort Worth’s streets were hopping with activity. During the evacuation, there was bumper-to-bumper traffic on the roads early in the morning. A significant flood also damaged Colonial Country Club and Rockwood Golf Course.
The flood damaged Fort Worth’s water pumps because they were covered in water. Due to their failure, the Fort Worth City Council ordered all non-essential businesses without private water supplies to close until the situation improved. Ten people lost their lives in the flood, surpassing landmark floods in 1908 and 1922. It is estimated that the flood caused over $15 million in damage, with the city of Fort Worth contributing $11 million.
Here are some historical photos that depict the magnitude of Destruction in Fort Worth from the 1949 Flood.
