Brown-Robertson Park and the Flood of 1985

Brown-Robertson Park and the Flood of 1985. . , On November 4, 1985, the remnants of Hurricane Juan hit the Roanoke Valley and dropped over six inches of rain in a day. The ground was already soaked from storms the week before, so the rainwater could not be absorbed and caused severe flooding across the region. What came to be known as the 'Election Day' flood remains the worst natural disaster in the city's history. , Despite Hurricane Juan being classified as only a Category 1 storm when it made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico, it had major impacts. The storm turned into an extra-tropical cyclone , a low-pressure area outside of tropical latitudes, more commonly called a 'depression' , after reaching Virginia and the surrounding states. More rain and even further damage occurred when an additional cyclone spun off from the original storm due to the meeting of cold and warm fronts. , During the flood of 1985 the Roanoke River reached a peak level of 23 feet, the highest on record and well above the flood stage of 10 feet. Creeks across the city inundated neighborhoods as well, and the Shadeland Avenue community along Lick Run was particularly devastated. When the creek overflowed its banks and engulfed the area we know today as Brown-Robertson Park, much was lost. Mrs. Dorothy Brown and Mrs. Hazel Robertson were members of this community who lost their lives in the flood. Mrs. Brown was a taxi driver and was known to provide rides free of charge in emergencies, and even to people just stranded in the rain. Mrs. Robertson was a day care attendant who also helped neighbors out by providing free childcare in times of need. These two women became two of the estimated 63 victims lost to the hurricane nationwide; this park is named in their memory. , Improvements to infrastructure are ongoing to help prevent this kind of severe flooding and its tragic impacts from happening again. In particular, stormwater infrastructure plays a key role in protecting streets from flooding, promoting resiliency, and accommodating growth in our city. Upgrades like replacing old storm and drain pipes, installing new drainage inlets, repairing eroding drainage channels, and replacing stormwater outfalls all reduce neighborhood flood hazards and improve downstream water quality. The City has completed 31 of these types of projects at a cost of $16.1 million. , Stream restorations are another tool for improving our waterways and managing flood risk. These projects restore ecosystems along rivers and creeks, restoring wildlife habitat while reducing erosion, pollution, and flooding. The City has completed 3 stream restoration projects totaling over $1.3 million in costs, including one just downstream of this location at Washington Park. While the cost of this infrastructure may seem high, it is estimated that the damage caused by the Flood of 1985 in Roanoke alone was $225 million, with overall damages estimated at $1.4 billion.