1941 Duncan Flood

Following are excerpts from an article written by Spencer W. Kimball, President of the Mt. Graham LDS Stake, published in The Improvement Era in June 1942:

All day long while the Saints were in conference at Safford it continued to rain, and pour and run. Members of the Church from far and near kept shifting their glances from the conference speaker to the window and wondering if and when it would stop and if and how they could get to their homes in all parts of the Mr. Graham Stake. By the time that stake conference was dismissed in the late afternoon, the heavens had largely emptied themselves and the torrential cloudburst had become a drizzle. Fears grew as we realized that every gully, wash, and arroyo was simultaneously carrying ever-increasing rivulets to the common channels of the Gila River, draining the huge watershed in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico.

Monday morning brought reports that the Gila River was rising…. A member of the high council who had property near the state line far up the river above Duncan, Arizona, rushed to the phone to warn the people of the town of Duncan. Warnings came from many sources, but the cry of “Wolf, Wolf” had been heard many times and the river had risen to the railroad tracks but never over into the town. School was dismissed early and busses moved quickly out of town and to higher ground. The “Wolf” had come and the thousand inhabitants of Duncan were serious enough about it now.

“Get the people out!” came the cry. Men and boys pushed again and again through the swirling torrent, now waist deep, holding hands to protect each other, to home after home leading and helping to high ground the women and children.

One sixteen-year old Aaronic Priesthood member and Eagle Scout helped eight across the deep water and carried the last, a young lady, when she lost her footing and slipped screaming into the stream. President J. Vernon McGrath assisted others in pushing to high ground their personal belongings. He found a woman in a tree and helped carry her to safety. Her husband, ill in bed, they carried to a car which several men floated to high ground. A hastily built raft made by placing boards across two wash tubs made a vessel and on it was a woman recently confined who, with her baby, was taken to safety. She had been helped down from the lean-to roof of her home to which she had climbed with the two week old infant.

Water was now in all the public and business buildings. The telephone girl remained at her post, warning and notifying the outside world of the plight of the town. Higher and higher the water came up the stool till she was sitting in water. Friendly arms carried her, also, to safety.
Darkness came on and found the populace all out of their homes but hungry, sleepy, and wet and without changes of clothing. The telephone girl had done her duty well and adjoining towns began to learn of the disaster. The high school became a dormitory and cafeteria, and people were put to bed as well as it could be done on the floors and the few cots that were available. Many were taken to homes higher up and into the Franklin Ward. But all did not sleep. Local men organized themselves and kept watch. The hectic night seemed an eternity but finally came the dawn and revealed a sickening sight.

News of the catastrophe was being broadcast by our Safford radio station as I arose that Tuesday morning. Though I placed a call for President McGrath, my counselor, at once, it was more than an hour before he could be reached. When his voice finally came over the wire I could feel his tenseness and concern, and I said I would be right up.

It took only a little while to fill my car with food from the interstake storehouse in Safford and in little over half an hour I had made the forty miles and was nearing Duncan. What a sight met my gaze! The one high street, running along the hill was blocked off, but when I explained my mission I was permitted to enter the zone.

I located President McGrath and the bishop. Immediately we got together in council. The bishop and his workers with President McGrath had been looking after their flock well. It took some time to get a telephone line to Safford around through Lordsburg, New Mexico, but finally I heard a familiar Safford operator’s voice and relayed through her the following telegram to Salt Lake City:

President Heber J. Grant and Counselors:
Major flood disaster Duncan. Many of our people homeless temporarily—
few permanently. Almost total loss of crops, extensive damage to farm lands,
homes and furnishings. We are handling matter and will advise you further later.
Spencer Kimball, Pres. Mt. Graham Stake

Later the same day received the reply:

Salt Lake City, Utah
September 30, 1941
President Spencer Kimball:
Express our deep sympathy to the people of Duncan. We have referred
your telegram to Elder Harold B. Lee who will get in touch with you to see
what you need and if the Welfare can supply it.
First Presidency

There had been no loss of human life, but what a sickening sight! Farm land everywhere was under water, much of it under cutting, gouging currents. As we went up the valley, the story of devastation was repeated again and again with variations. We went back to Duncan heartsick and weary, as we realized the terrific loss being sustained by our people.

Thursday evening a meeting was held by President McGrath and me with the Duncan Ward bishopric and welfare workers, and we made as complete a survey as possible, considering each family in the ward: how much the flood had affected them, what they needed, and what we might supply to them.

President McGrath and I spent all day Sunday with our problem. We attended the meetings of all three wards all day long trying to encourage the members and build them up. We found a splendid spirit, a gratefulness that there were no lives lost and that conditions were not worse than they were. We found no bitterness and very little discouragement.

[President Kimball then wrote several paragraphs describing some of the damage, the organization of the relief from the Church, and what they did to help.]

It is now five months since the deluge. The land is still in the process of being leveled, planted and cultivated. Our people are most grateful. Our hearts are touched. We thank everyone who has helped. We thank the Lord for our leaders and the inspired program of Welfare. With His help our people will emerge from this trial strong and resolute.