Hot Springs National Park - Disasters

Disasters

In November 1864, a large part of “the valley” (the central portion of the city along Hot Springs Creek) was burned down – presumably by Union troops. Just 14 years later—on March 5, 1878—a large fire burned for eight hours, and claimed almost 150 buildings, including hotels, bath houses, and restaurants. On February 26, 1905, a fire started in the Grand Central Hotel on Chapel Street and burned 25 blocks of the southern section of Hot Springs. On September 6, 1913, a laundry worker had been ironing and accidentally started a fire on Church Street which spread rapidly due to strong winds and burned nearly 60 blocks of the south part of the city. On May 14, 1923, a severe storm hit the city. With mountains surrounding three sides of the city, water flooded down the slopes of the mountains, funneling to Central Avenue and reaching a depth of nine feet. To further complicate matters, a lightning strike during the storm caused a fire that destroyed several commercial businesses in downtown Hot Springs. On February 15, 1956, a severe flood filled Central Avenue with three feet of rushing water, causing significant property damage. And in May 1990, a series of severe flash floods dropped 13+ inches of rain into the city. Again, the mountain slopes acted as funnels and a wave of water six feet high washed through downtown Hot Springs, causing extensive damage. During the flood, Carpenter Dam Bridge was washed away.