Hartford looks back on floods of 1936

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) - While a storm surge especially at high tide is expected to be a really big problem on the shoreline, phenomenal amounts of rain are a concern for flooding near the state's rivers.

The state's largest river flows through the Capitol City, and another one flows under it. That river has a history of devastating floods.

As Governor Malloy monitors the progress of the storm at the state Emergency Management Center he can rest assured that flooding in the Capitol City will not be a problem, but it wasn't always that way.

The State Capitol building was in the haze above a flooded Bushnell Park in 1936. Most of the city was under water several times in the 1930's.

There's a system of dikes and levees now to protect the city from the Connecticut River.

The main reason why the city flooded was because another river ran right through the center of town.

The Park River that ran through the center of downtown Hartford and caused all of those flooding problems in the 1930's isn't there any more. That's because they put it underground in big pipes. Now there is an arched bridge there over the Whitehead-Conlon Highway that used to be over the river.

Folks should know that just because the river is underground, that doesn't mean it won't to be a potential flood problem.

A system of pump houses containing four 1,800 horse power diesel pumps, each capable of pushing 36,000 gallons per hour is situated all around the city.

"There are six pump stations that can take the water that accumulates and force it out into the river," says Kevin Burnham of Hartford Public Works.

Although this system is 70 years old, it just passed an Army Corp. of Engineers inspection last week.

Burnham and his crew are ready to man the pumps for whatever Irene dumps on the city.