For the Complete Text [PDF] of The 1955 Santa Cruz Flood
In 1955 Santa Cruz suffered a major flood which resulted in the San Lorenzo River flood-control project and the redevelopment of a large portion of the downtown area. Howell Rommel, an enthusiastic amateur photographer, recorded the rising flood waters and the subsequent damage in a series of 61 slides. This volume contains prints of those slides which are accompanied by his explanatory comments and his responses to the interviewer's questions.