Event Coverage Any Hambers survive the N.S.R.A. Louisville flood of '92?

This was my second time to go to Louisville and it sure left a lasting impression on me,it was the last time I went.

I was fortunate that the water didn't get over the running boards of my 40 Ford sedan and unfortunately some guys tried to crank their cars and damaged the engines.

This is a old video,,BTW,I don't know who shot it. HRP

 

geez...that is pretty wet. Thanks for posting this. Not only because of the amount of rain, but to see what was popular in the early 90's and how people are just driving through it. Lots of carnage.

 

I was there. Fortunately, I was parked in the "pro pick" area, which was on the asphalt near the stadium. We were high and dry. Had some friends who were under water big time.

Thank goodness, I "thought" my car was worthy of being in the pro pick area (LOL), otherwise, I would have been in the water too. I remember the stand pipes in the exhibit building all gushing water at the joints (like a fountain). Stu

 

I was there, staying in French Lick Ind. Drove to the show behind the storm, or so I thought. Pulled into the fairgrouinds & parked of to the left of the gate. Turned out to be a high spot as it only got ankle deep. Saw cars with water up to the windows in the lower lots, which is where I had parked the day before.

 

I was there, only nationals I've been to! Wasn't pretty!

 

We were there with our '33 Buick 90 Series Victoriawhich we had just finished. We were pretty proud of it. A very rare car with only 556 being made. When the rain started we were in the exhibition building looking out the glass doors. We could not believe what we were seeing. Or should I say, what we could not see as we were trying to look through a solid sheet of water! An announcement came over the PA saying anyone that was parked in certain parking lots had better get their cars out of there as those areas were flooding. I had no idea if my Buick was in one of those areas...I only knew where I had left it.

My friend Wayne and I decided we had best try to get back there and see what we could do. We literally waded through chest deep water and actually saw cars that were essentially flooded to the top! I was green with fear of what condition my car was going to be in. Luckily, the Buick was high enough in the lot that the water only reached the running boards. You can't believe the feeling of relief that I felt. Something I will never forget for sure.

Oh, my friend Wayne who waded over to help me with his car, had his own car, a '34 Ford phaeton parked in the circle right outside the exhibition building...with NO TOP! He did have a tarp which he was able to throw over the car, so that kind of protected it. But, when we got back to it after the rain stopped, the tarp had sunk down into the interior and was absolutely filled with water. We opened the doors, most of the water rain out, we lifted the tarp off and Wayne was good to go. So he did, wearing a duck hunter's cap while quacking like a duck! Wayne is a charcater and a great friend.

Man, the memories...

John

 

We had water up to the running boards but never got to the interior,I couldn't have moved my car if I wanted too,we were block front and rear. HRP

 

I was a spectator that year, and my wife and I waded through chest high water to get to the exhibition building to dry out (yea right). My brother drove his A coupe, but luckily had parked on high ground so he didn't have any damage.

I remember seeing the Boyd cars lifted up on top of the high-dollar wheels they had in their display. Also remember LOTS of cars getting their fluids drained right there on the grounds to get the water out of the engines.

 

yep, helped many guys push their cars out of the "bowl".

 

I remember being in the exhibit hall, the old one in the back, and the downspouts were bursting inside from all the rain. That's how we knew something was up. Walked over to the doors and you couldn't even see the swap meet it was raining so hard.

Dad had a '37 Ford at the time. Rain blew so hard that the intake manifold was filled with water. He mopped it up and the car fired up and burned it all out. We were lucky.

I remember walking back to the Executive Inn, so soaked that we gave up on umbrellas and just let it rain.

For a few years after, I remember seeing a '40 Ford woodie (It think it was teal) with a life perserver on the back with "Louisville Survivor '92"

 

I was there in my Airflow.Lucky i was parked in the Mopar area where it was higher.It was leaking so bad inside my car i decided to walk back where are dining fly was.You can see it in the beginning of this film.I stood and watched as the water rose.We started pushing cars when the water went over the running boards.I saw quite a few cars with water over the side windows.The only cars we couldnt move were the ones with locking steering columns.I am 6' 2" and water was over my waist.I have some pictures i took.People just couldnt believe water would get that high.My friends son was one of the people who helped clean the drains of trash.

 

The thread earlier today about using wheels for jack stands reminded me of the same thing,,stacking Boyd high dollar wheels used to raise the one off scratch-built Aluma Coupe. HRP

 

I remember seeing the videographer's car a few times, very nice for the day. A bud who helped me build my truck was there in a 47 Ford Convertible... up to the door handles in water. He was one of the super unlucky ones. Gary

 

In 1992 our local Cruise-In committee organized an !-44 Pit Stop at the rest area just West of Rolla. For the entire day (Wednesday) we provided drinks, snacks, tools, jackstands, etc. to the rods enroute to Louisville. We met a bunch of folks (some from the West coast) that day. You have to remember that in 1992 there were still alot of people driving their rods. Trailering were scorned. Anyway, we were all saddened a couple days later when we got word of the flood. When the magazine coverage came out month's later, we could see some of the folks we had met- submerged. Met Ben D that day. I believe he and Missy were on their honeymoon-headed to the Nats in their Model T truck which they still have. Seems like a long time ago and much has changed in this hobby. Sam

 

My Dad and I were there in my 31 pick-up, we were initially parked in the area that eventually flooded. It was raining really hard, we decided to drive up and park closer to the building, lucky thing we did. What a flood. I have pictures, but I'll have to scan them.

 

Wife and I were there and luckily we had our 36 Plymouth in Mopar country. We were fine but saw many who had Major problems. Thankful to this day...LOL

 

I attended with my Model A that year. Our club was staying in LaGrange, about 20 miles away. We saw how dark the sky was toward Louisville and the News was calling for heavy rain so we decided to wait until after the rain passed to head to the Exposition Center. I missed the downpour but saw the aftermath.

 

I was also there , in a topless roadster I drove out from AZ,
It got soaked but was parked on higher ground and it only got up to the frame by the time i got back to it and drove to higher ground.
Was still damp even when I got back to AZ. Was time for a new interior anyway. It's all about the adventure isn't it?

 

I was there. On foot. Left the roadster at my ex's relatives in Carrolton Ky. Heard about the approaching storm and used the pik em up. To get to the show. Helped push many soaked rods tho..

 

I was there in my Stude . It rained nine inches in five hours. I have some pretty dramatic film footage. If I were more computer savvy I would put it on youtube . . Bill

 

I was there in my 46 Chevy sedn delivery...waist deep water, up to the headlights, up to the seats inside, several quarts in the big block, rear, trans......drained it all, new filters, many quarters at the car wash vacumn trying to dry the carpetu then drove 1000 miles home to CT in hight 90's heat...dried it all out. But I did rebuild the car the next fall.......all new interior, new paint etc.......but I made it home with no problems.....it is all about the journey!!

 

I was there in my 38 Chevy sedan and was on high groud when we left the building. I lost a rear axle and tire at 65MPH coming out of Berckly WV. on the way to the Nats, didn't need any more issues to deal with. In 30 years of street rodding, the 92 dash plaque is the only one ever place on any car I have owned. Also , the Governor's helicopter crashed just off 65 south bound fri. evening and a tractor trailer wrecked, causing a chemical on north bound 65 sat. morning. Could have been worse. I will allways remember one thing from that trip. Someone saw my car with mismatched wheels and tires on the rear with a freashly damaged fender and made this comment. "I see you had problems, but is your problems can be solved by money, then you don't really have real problems."

 

i went with a friend in his '34 ford roadster, we had parked up high so the car did not see standing water. we pushed any car we could get out of park/gear we could but the water rose FAST.
there was a fellow who had to be removed by ambulance after he saw his car up to the headlights.
seamed to me it was only minutes after the rain stopped that the water receded.

 

Yep, we were there. Remember the display tires floating around? I saw lots of guys draining fluids from rear ends and transmissions. There were several roadsters that had their doors open to let the water run out. I've never seen that much rain in that little time ever again. Afterwards, guys were marking the high water mark on the sides of cars. Whew!

 

We were there in the '34 Sedan. The day before the rain, a friend of mine told me my front tire was almost flat so I rushed back to the car and headed over to the Michigan Hot Rod Association repair trailer. As I pulled up, the guy looks at my tire and then closed the padlock saying "we are closed, come back tomorrow". I begged him for some mercy but he had none to give. He just turned his back on me and walked away.

Extremely pissed off, I just drove it back to the front of the fairgrounds where I could see it from the host hotel across the street and parked it for the night. The tire was completely flat by that time and I knew the tube inside was ruined from running on it without any air. I remember trying to shake it off that night, but it was too much of a challenge for a young hot rodder to just forget about. It was a long night as I worried about the sedan sitting inside the fairgrounds.

The next day, I decided to enjoy the cars before changing out the flat. The next thing I know, it was flooding like I had never seen. We were standing underneath Boyd's semi trailer canopy using brooms to push the water off as fast as we could. It seemed like hours of keeping the canopy from collapsing while we watched helplessly as the cars and trailers were flooded. It was unbelievable to watch coolers, lawn chairs and even trailers floating by in the rushing waters.

Finally the rain stopped and I walked back up the hill where the sedan was parked. Luckily it was sitting on some of the highest ground of the complex and it was never in any danger. So in hindsight, the jerk who wouldn't give me any air ultimately kept the car from damage as it was far better to deal with a flat tire rather than the flood because I'm sure I would have parked the car in the same spot as the day before...down in the valley where all of the worst flooding occured.

We spent the rest of the day helping others flush out the water, change the fluids and try to console them from the damage. Definitely a tragedy I will never forget and hope to never see again.

 

I was there in my model A. I parked along the exhibition building on the grass no flood damage but it was all around us. I was lucky I had parked in the lot the day before.

 

This is my first post in the new format so if I screw it up relax I'll try it again. Had my two sons there with me and we were sitting in the car watching the storm when I noticed an ice chest floating by, seemed like a good time to move the car. We moved it then began helping push flooded cars out of the deepest pools. A really bad situation for a lot of folks that were a long way from home with a dead car.

 

I was there as a spectator. 2005 was really wet too although nothing compares to '92

 

We were there, lucked out was parked out back by the swap meet. Funny how none of the pictures made the magazines......

 

I remember looking at this Deuce sedan and Mullins trailer earlier that day,I wasn't aware it got flooded. HRP