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On Thursday, Sept. 16, 1999, floodwaters caused by heavy rains from Hurricane Floyd devastated many communities in the western part of the greater Tidewater Virginia region. A day earlier, Franklin Mayor Jim Councill declared a local emergency, stating, “The city is facing severe flood conditions.” Southampton and Isle of Wight counties, bordering the Blackwater, Nottoway, and Meherrin rivers, were severely affected, with Franklin being especially hard hit. Around 11 a.m. on Thursday, the Blackwater River began rapidly advancing toward downtown Franklin.

Hurricane Floyd produced up to 20 inches of rain in a 50- to 75-mile-wide swath of southeastern Virginia, including the Blackwater River basin, which stretches from below Petersburg to Franklin. Just days earlier, Tropical Storm Dennis had dropped an additional six inches of rain on the region. The combined rainfall led to severe flooding as the Blackwater River overflowed into Franklin’s low-lying downtown, with floodwaters reaching four to five feet on Main Street and up to 10 to 12 feet in adjacent areas. The Burdette, Kingsdale, and Zuni communities were also heavily impacted.

In the Franklin area, 182 businesses and nearly 100 residences were affected by the rising waters. Most of the damage occurred in the downtown area bordering the Blackwater River. City Hall, the Willie Camp Younts Public Safety Building, and the municipal sewage treatment plant were all flooded. The GTE Franklin telephone office, which served 18,000 customers at the time, was shut down. Franklin Equipment Co.’s warehousing and parts buildings on East Second Avenue and its offices on Mechanic Street were also impacted.

Across the river in Isle of Wight County, International Paper’s lumber and paper mill facilities were severely affected. Franklin Equipment Co.’s tractor manufacturing facilities in Camptown were also impacted, though not as severely.

In Franklin, floodwaters lingered for several days, filled with contaminants such as petroleum products, raw sewage, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, antifreeze, potash, dead animals, and debris. Brian Everson of the Virginia Department of Emergency Services said officials would need to conduct multiple assessments of each property before anyone could return to the flood zone.

During the flooding, Franklin officials held several public meetings at St. Jude’s Catholic Church to keep business owners, residents, and the general public informed about the situation. Mayor Jim Councill, City Manager Rowland “Bucky” Taylor, and businessman Bennie Burgess were at the forefront of these efforts. In Southampton County, County Administrator Mike Johnson and Sheriff Vernie Francis led recovery operations.

By Wednesday, Sept. 22, floodwaters in Franklin had receded enough for portions of Main Street to be visible. The National Weather Service in Wakefield reported that the Blackwater River would likely fall below flood stage by the end of the week. However, minor flooding was expected in areas directly adjacent to the river.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality were responsible for managing the cleanup. Business owners and residents were still barred from their properties due to extreme contamination and hazardous materials. The Virginia Department of Emergency Services was tasked with assessing each property, evaluating structural safety, hazardous materials, public health risks, and security before allowing re-entry. Property owners were warned that the conditions would be dire upon their return.

A Disaster Recovery Center was opened at the Franklin Armory Building, with representatives from 13 state and federal agencies, including FEMA, on hand to assist those affected. The American Red Cross also had disaster response teams on the scene.

By Tuesday, Sept. 28, downtown Franklin was bustling again—not with shoppers, but with the sounds of front-end loaders, dump trucks, and generators as business owners began the massive cleanup effort. The recovery work spanned Main Street from Jackson Street to South Street and from High Street to the Blackwater River.

On Sept. 29, community leaders launched the Franklin Area Flood Fund, a public charity aimed at assisting the economic recovery of the flooded areas. The fund’s seven-member board included Westbrook Parker as president, Mayor Jim Councill as vice president, and Sol Rawls Jr. (president of the Camp Foundation) as treasurer. Other directors included Mike Johnson, Edna King, John Marks, Ann Stephens, and Bobby Worrell.

CLYDE PARKER is a retired human resources manager for the former Franklin Equipment Co. and a member of the Southampton County Historical Society. His email address is magnolia101@charter.net.