The March 1913 crest on the Little Miami is the flood of record at Milford. The local account says it put the business district in Loveland five to ten feet under water and reached about a quarter of the residential area. For a house today, the lesson is to know the height of the lowest floor, and to plan from a measured line rather than a memory.
Key takeaways
- The March 1913 crest is the Little Miami's flood of record at Milford
- The local account puts the business district five to ten feet under water
- About a quarter of the residential area was affected, per the same account
- The account lists at least four deaths in Loveland
- Later floods in 1959 and 1964 exceeded the 1913 mark at some points
What the record says about March 1913
The record describes a crest that reached the business district and a large part of the homes.
The March 1913 flood is the best-documented river flood in the local record. The local account of the 1913 floods describes the business district in Loveland under five to ten feet of water. It also says about a quarter of the residential area was affected, and that at least four deaths were recorded in the town.
The Little Miami's flood of record at Milford is the same crest. A reading there is the reference that river planning starts from, and the Midwest Regional Climate Center's flood history pages place the 1913 mark in the same sequence as later floods.
What a five to ten foot depth means for a house
Five to ten feet of water reaches above the first floor of most houses, so it is a whole-house loss.
A depth of five to ten feet is far above a ground floor. Water at that depth fills the lower floor, the basement if there is one, and reaches above the windows in many older buildings. The loss is then a whole-house loss, not a single room.
The 1913 account describes a business district, not houses. Its depth is still a useful measure of what the river can do to the low ground in Loveland, and it is the measure a homeowner should compare their own lowest floor against.
- The lowest floor height in relation to the ground outside
- Whether there is a basement, and the depth of its floor
- The height of the electrical panel and the water heater
- The height of the mechanical room and the furnace
- Any opening under the house, such as a crawl space or a vent
Why the 1913 line is a floor, not a ceiling
Later floods went higher at some points, so the 1913 line is the minimum reference.
It is easy to treat 1913 as the worst flood the river can do. The Midwest Regional Climate Center's flood history notes that 1959 and 1964 exceeded the 1913 mark at some points on the river. That makes 1913 a reference for planning, not an upper limit.
A homeowner who uses the 1913 mark as the top of the risk may be too confident. A better practice is to record the height of the lowest floor and the height of key equipment, and to treat any level near the 1913 line as exposed.
Records that a homeowner can make today
Measure the lowest floor and the equipment, photograph the foundation and keep the figures with the house papers.
The most useful record a homeowner can make today is a set of measurements. Measure the height of the lowest finished floor above the ground outside, and note the height of the water heater, the furnace and the electrical panel. Photograph the foundation and any vents or openings in it.
Keep these figures with the house papers. If a flood comes, the figures are there when they are needed, and the insurer or the crew can use them without a search.
| Item | How to record it | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest finished floor | Height above the outside ground at the front | Shows how far a rise must go |
| Water heater and furnace | Height of the base above the floor | Shows which equipment is exposed |
| Electrical panel | Height above the floor and the room used | Decides whether power can be cut safely |
| Foundation openings | Photograph and note the size | Shows where water can enter |
How the crew uses the historic line
The crew records the water line on each wall and compares it with the historic reference as a fact, not a forecast.
On a river loss the crew records the water line on each wall and notes its height. The historic reference is useful as context, and the crew says so in the scope. It is not used to predict the water on a particular day.
The water line is the fact the scope is built on. The historic line tells the homeowner whether the loss sits in a place that has flooded before, and that is information worth having.
What the 1913 flood teaches about planning
The lesson is to plan from a measured line, keep a file and check the low ground after each rise.
The 1913 flood teaches three lessons. The first is that the river can reach the business district and a quarter of the homes in one event. The second is that the record of that event is local and partly written as memory. The third is that a measured line is more useful than a memory.
A homeowner in Loveland can use those lessons by measuring the house now, keeping the file current and checking the low ground after every rise. None of that requires knowing the exact height of the 1913 water.
- Measure the lowest floor and key equipment now
- Keep the measurements with the house papers
- Photograph the water line after any rise
- Check the low ground for silt and standing water
- Call the line early if water is still rising
How the local account is used here
The account is used for the depth and extent it describes, and no more.
The local account of the 1913 floods is the main source for the business district and for the residential share affected. It is used here only for what it describes: the depth in the business district, the share of residential area affected and the number of deaths recorded in the town. Those are the facts this guide relies on.
The account is not a full survey of every street, and this guide does not claim one. Where the account is silent, the guide says so rather than filling the gap with a guess.
- Used for the depth in the business district
- Used for the share of residential area affected
- Used for the deaths recorded in the town
- Not used for street-by-street claims
- Silent points are said to be silent
What later floods added to the record
The 1959 and 1964 floods went higher than 1913 at some points, and the river has been high since.
The Midwest Regional Climate Center's flood history pages record that 1959 and 1964 exceeded the 1913 mark at some points on the Little Miami. Those floods extend the record and show that the 1913 line is a reference, not an upper limit. The pages do not give the same measurement for every point on the river, so the comparison is made by location.
Floods in other years are not listed in the sources for this site. Searches for 1937, 1997 and 2018 in Loveland found nothing, so this guide does not describe them.
- 1959 exceeded 1913 at some points
- 1964 exceeded 1913 at some points
- No flood for 1937, 1997 or 2018 was found for Loveland
- Comparisons are made by location, not by the whole river
- The record is extended by local reports where they exist
Using the 1913 history for a house decision
The history helps decide where to measure, where to store and what to insure, with a professional's advice.
A homeowner can use the 1913 history to decide where to measure the house, where to store contents and what to ask the insurer. The history does not decide the risk for a particular house. That needs a measurement of the house and advice from a builder or an insurer.
The record a homeowner makes today is the one that will be used if a flood comes. The historic line is the context, and the measurement is the fact.
- Measure the house against the 1913 reference
- Store contents above the lowest floor where possible
- Ask the insurer whether flood cover applies
- Ask a builder about the lowest floor and openings
- Keep the measurement with the house papers
Frequently asked questions
How high did the March 1913 flood get in Loveland?
The local account describes the business district under five to ten feet of water. It does not give a single figure for every street.
Is the 1913 crest measured at Milford or at Loveland?
The flood of record is the crest measured at Milford, downstream on the Little Miami. The local account describes the depth in the business district of Loveland.
Did later floods go higher?
The Midwest Regional Climate Center notes that 1959 and 1964 exceeded the 1913 mark at some points on the river.
Was there earlier flooding?
The only earlier mention found is major flooding in March 1897, in the same local history.
Why does this matter for my house?
The depth and extent show what the river can do to low ground. A measured floor height tells you how close your house is to that level.
Should I rely on the 1913 line?
Use it as a reference, not a limit. Later floods went higher at some points.
Who can help me measure the house?
A homeowner can measure the floor and the equipment. The crew can also record the heights on its first visit.
Sources
This guide is general information for Hamilton County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.