About 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, 1972, it started to rain in Eldred.

It started to flood on Wednesday, the 21st, but then the rain backed off at about 11 a.m. and the waters receded. Safe?

Nope.

At 2 p.m., the rain started up and lasted for four days, flooding the town. People evacuated, some moving their belongings up, floor by floor in their homes, as the waters rose.

By Sunday, June 25, the water crested at 28 feet above normal. Bradford’s Company A, First Battalion, 112th Infantry, Pennsylvania National Guard were activated, working with civil authorities to help maintain order and prevent looting.

Eldred was cut off by feet of water. Army helicopters brought in food and aid. In the aftermath, the residents banded together to help clean up.

Hurricane Agnes had made her mark — 12.5 inches of rain and 106 properties affected.

Now, 50 years later, some buildings in the area still have high water marks from flood waters, most measuring around 8 feet. Several businesses, like Todd’s Motor Sales, have framed photos on the walls showing flood waters up nearly to the roofs of buildings on Main Street.

People were getting around in rowboats.

Probably the heaviest areas hit by flood waters that Thursday, June 22, in McKean County were the communities of Eldred, Larabee, Smethport, Port Allegany, Turtlepoint and Annin Township, as well as Shinglehouse, Roulette, Millport and Coudersport in Potter County.

Flood conditions still continued in the neighboring New York state communities of Allegany, Olean, Portville, Bolivar and Ceres in Cattaraugus County and Wellsville and surrounding areas in Allegany County.

Many residents in the affected area were forced to leave their homes because of the flood conditions. Many were evacuated by Civil Defense personnel, firemen and police officials. Traffic was closed on practically all the main highways and secondary roads leading into these communities.

The Eldred Elementary School was set up Thursday as an emergency center for distribution of food supplies, milk, etc. Bedding and blankets were made available to the flood victims at the Eldred Kendall Station and shelter was provided to those wanting in the furniture warehouse.

Carroll’s Drive-in in Foster Brook, although closed to the public for regular business Thursday, made themselves available in supplying food to Eldred residents.

Shortly before midnight Thursday, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh said it was informed by Port Allegany Borough Manager George Warner that there was “absolutely” no danger that the dike in the West Mill Street was about “to go.” Warner also denied that the dike had cracked at approximately 4 p.m. Thursday.

Many of the residents were taken to Port Allegany High School where emergency supplies were furnished by volunteer organizations. Port Allegany borough authorities said the river was rising at the rate of four inches per hour.

Two Army Corps engineers from Pittsburgh and Port Allegany Borough officials were keeping a constant vigilance of the dike situation. Authorities also pointed out that there was a steadily worsening of the grocery shortage for many residents in the flooded areas. Staple food items, such as bread, milk, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, were totally unavailable.

Telephone circuits in and out of the flood area were being overloaded and Bell Telephone Co. officials announced that only emergency calls were being processed.

All other utilities in the borough of Port Allegany and nearby communities were reported functioning although some sewers were reportedly backed up.

PennDOT officials said the Mill Street bridge in that community was closed as of Thursday night. Residents were warned to prepare to evacuate the area if the sirens were sounded repeatedly.

Port Allegany, like Eldred and other area McKean County communities, was virtually cut off by the flood waters, attributed partly to the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes, which saturated the ground and made it almost impossible to absorb any more water.

Despite the faster rate of water flow through the Kinzua Dam Thursday, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the water gates more in the afternoon. The gates were opened even wider on Friday. A spokesman for the Corps predicted a crest of 1340.0 feet at the Kinzua Dam. The dam, it was pointed out, was doing just what it was designed to do.