G.O.A.T. Flood

OnionSoup went on a bit of a rant said
7

Water pik - water - flood. Great topic for G.O.A.T.

Ok, I know everyone knows of one or two big floods, some that involved unicorns drowning because they overslept their alarm clock to wake up and get on the ark.

But I’m picking a different flood as greatest of all time.

The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919.

You’ve heard the expression “slow as molasses”, I’m sure, but when a 2.3 million gallon storage tank of it collapses and spews out 13,000 tons of molasses it can rush down streets at 35mph (or as fast as a maxed out Prius being driven by an old lady in a bohemian dress).

21 people were tragically killed by the molasses flood that day. 150 were injured.

Can you imagine how scary it must be to run away from a giant 40ft high tidal wave of molasses only to be caught up by it. That’s what happened to some in Boston in January 1919.

Adding warm molasses to cold molasses caused it’s storage tank to crack and apparently there was a large thunderous sound heard throughout the city… The molasses started pouring out under pressure in a liquid state but gained viscosity as it cooled in the air forming a fast moving hard wall that slammed into people causing injuries.

Trucks were destroyed, horses were killed buildings and property severely damaged. They were pulling out bodies for days after the initial collapse.

The Boston harbour stayed brown for six months afterwards. It took years for the smell of molasses to leave parts of the city.

Molasses is a truly scary thing.