Pelletier Fire of 1904
The Pelletier Fire was Sioux City's worst fire in terms of property damage. Sometimes called "the great fire", the inferno gutted more than two entire blocks of downtown Sioux City.
Ruff Disaster of 1918
The
"Ruff Disaster" was one of the worst catastrophes in Sioux City history. Thirty-nine lives were lost and countless others were injured when the Hedges Block collapsed and fire started in the ruins. On June 29, 1918, the building that housed the Oscar Ruff Drug Company at Fourth and Douglas was being remodeled. The first floor was actually being lowered to the ground level, but the work was not considered dangerous. In fact, stores in the building were open for business.
Other Sioux City Disasters
Fires have destroyed many Sioux City buildings over the years. In the years before electricity, candles and gas lights were a source of flame. The early fire departments were not equipped to stop a large blaze and many historic structures burned to the ground.
Floyd River Flood of 1892
Spring of the year 1892 came like many before. The Missouri and the Floyd Rivers were swollen but seemed to be under control. Unlike previous years, it had been raining steadily for the past three weeks. May 16 had been a day of constant downpour of rain.
Floyd River Flood of 1926
While not as serious as the 1892 flood, this flood showed how susceptible the Floyd River was to sudden rain storms. On September 18-19 a torrential rain dropped over seven inches of rain on the Sheldon, Iowa area, which is part of the drainage basin for the Floyd.
Floyd & Missouri River Floods 1952
After a long and snowy winter, March temperatures in the Midwest warmed dramatically. This caused the deep snowfields to melt quicker than normal. Plans were made for the high waters, which were sure to come. They didn't have to wait long.
Floyd River Flood 1953
June 8, a Monday morning seemed to be shaping up to be a pleasant sunny spring day. Sunday had been a day of heavy rain, but the sky had cleared. The Floyd was running high that morning, but no one suspected the disaster that would arrive in the middle of the morning.
Perry Creek Flood of 1909
The land directly north of Sioux City is quite hilly and all drains into Perry Creek. In early July of 1909 very heavy rains fell into this area. The creek began to rise. By July 9 the creek was out of its banks.
Other Perry Creek Floods
In 1934, a drought had spread over the Midwest. June 6, the drought broke in the Siouxland area with the arrival of heavy rains. The rains continued heavy from Wednesday afternoon until Friday. By late Wednesday, the creek had overflowed its banks in several areas of the city. The Country Club area, Fifteenth and Hamilton, and Twelfth and Sioux Street were the hardest hit. Like the 1892 Floyd flood, a wall of water rolled into the city forcing the evacuation of 350 families from their homes. The Fourth Street business area was covered with water from Clark to the creek. By the time the water receded more than 600 families had been forced from their homes. Twenty-five homes had been totally destroyed. One home had been ripped from its foundation and floated down the creek, through the conduit, and out into the Missouri. Thankfully no one was killed but damage to property was substantial: estimated to be between three and five hundred thousand dollars.
Swift Explosion
The clocks in the Swift and Company building froze at 11:33 a.m., marking the moment a mighty explosion ripped through the structure. It was right before Christmas, December 14, 1949. The blast blew out parts of the west wall of the building and shattered all the windows. Floors and walls collapsed. The account in the Sioux City Journal declared, Heavy steel doors and equipment throughout the structure were blown about like matchwood. The blast left a nightmare of twisted steel and tangled debris. Twenty-one people died and more than 90 people were injured.
