Join

Occoquan remembers Hurricane Agnes 50 years after bridge collapse

Occoquan officials will gather at Town Hall today to remember the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Agnes.

A new piece of art will be unveiled. The creation uses a part of The Route 123 bridge that fell during the storm, Mayor Earnie Porta said. The commemoration begins at 11 a.m. at 458 Mill Street.

The massive storm that ravaged the east coast in 1972 killed 155 people in the U.S. and caused damage to $3 billion (more than $18 billion today when adjusted for inflation).

Locally, flood waters washed out the Route 123 bridge over the Occoquan River. Today, the bridge supports remain, and a pedestrian bridge carries visitors over the river to view a waterfall on the Fairfax County side of the water.

The storm also caused the collapse of a tall bridge that carried Route 1 over the Occoquan River in Woodbridge when a barge plowed into supports built in the late 19th century.

The storm dropped so much rain that it helped crews working to build Lake Anna in Spotsylvania and Louisa counties. In 1971, crews cleared the land for the new lake that would be used to cool a nuclear reactor.

Initially, crews anticipated the lake filling with water over three years. However, Hurricane Agnes dropped so much rain that the lake filled up in just 18 months.

“Though modest in wind speeds, in terms of the damage it caused, Agnes was one of the most devastating storms in history up to that time. States to the north of Virginia also sustained heavy losses until Agnes eventually traveled northeast of Cape Breton Island and out into the North Atlantic,” Porta noted in an email in June 2022.

Agnes affected Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey residents.

Recent Stories

Officials at Fort Campbell, a major U.S. Army installation on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, are investigating the death of a soldier.

A Goodwill of Greater Washington store at 8014 Sudley Road in Manassas will relocate to 8117 Sudley Road, the Westgate Plaza shopping center, across from its current location.

Many newly graduated college alumni like the familiarity of the college town, so they stick around after they get the degree, for one reason or another. It’s still known as ‘home,’ making escaping hard.

What sound do 1,455 cereal boxes make when they fall? Light thuds, and big cheers. Grafton Village Elementary School students filled the hallways on Friday, March 14 to cheer as cereal boxes toppled like dominoes through the school.

Properly using a car seat can reduce the risk of injury or death in a car crash by a significant amount, with studies showing reductions of 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers.

Check your child safety seat with the Montgomery County Safe Kids Coalition on Thursday March 20, 2025 from 10am-12:30pm. No appointment necessary.

Fitzgerald GMC Rockville

Read More

Submit your own Community Post here.

McClung-Logan Equipment Company is hosting its 40th Annual Oyster Roast, a signature customer appreciation event celebrating tradition, community, and generosity.

This year’s milestone celebration will take place on Thursday, March 6th, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Fredericksburg Agricultural Fairgrounds.

The first Oyster Roast began as a fundraiser in 1985, led by White Oak Equipment founder Frank McCarty, to raise donations for an employee battling cancer. This turned into a time-honored tradition for individuals facing hardship.

Read More

Submit your own Community Post here.

Van Metre 5K Run

Participate in the 33rd Annual Van Metre 5K Run—a race that goes further than 3.1 miles, where every stride you take supports Children’s National Hospital. The Van Metre 5K Run donates 100% of proceeds to Children’s National Hospital and has

Environmental Film Festival: Turtle Walker

DC Premiere.

In the late 1970s, Satish Bhaskar embarked on an epic journey along India’s coastline and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where he uncovered the vital nesting beaches of sea turtles. During his death-defying quest, he unravels mysteries

×

Subscribe to our mailing list