Book excerpt: From July 15 to July 16, 1916, U.S. rainfall records were shattered as more than 22 inches of rain fell on the already saturated North Carolina mountains during a 24-hour period. An estimated 80–90 percent of this deluge rushed down the mountainsides into the region’s already swollen streams and rivers, which crested high above their normal flood stages. This volume details the awesome drama of this natural emergency.