1. Historical Perspectives on Natural Disasters,
Displacement, and Migration
Uwe Lübken
Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, LMU Munich

2. What can History Contribute?
• vulnerability
• place
• disaster mobilities
1937 Ohio River Flood in Cincinnati, OH
• complexity (Cincinnati Public Library)

3. What can History Contribute?
• vulnerability
• place
• disaster mobilities
1907 Ohio River Flood in Marietta, OH
• complexity (Marietta College, Dawes Library)

4. What can History Contribute?
• vulnerability
• place
• disaster mobilities
Portsmouth, Ohio, 1884 (Cincinnati Public
• complexity Library)

5. What can History Contribute?
• vulnerability
• place
• disaster mobilities
• complexity

6. Complexities of “Disaster Displacements”:
The 1937 Ohio River flood
• flight and ecavuation
• intra-urban displacement
• relocation
• reconstruction
“Flood Refugee ...” Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 January 1937

7. The Complexities of “Disaster Displacements”
• flight and ecavuation
• intra-urban displacement
• relocation
• reconstruction
Planned Transformation of “The Point Area” in Louisville, KY, after
the 1937 flood (Filson Historical Society, Louisville, KY)

8. The Complexities of “Disaster Displacements”
• flight and ecavuation
• intra-urban displacement
• relocation
• reconstruction
Urban Renewal in Frankfort, KY (D.A. Boyd,
Crawfish Bottom, 2011)

9. The Complexities of “Disaster Displacements”
• flight and ecavuation
• intra-urban displacement
• relocation
• reconstruction
Relocation of Shawneetown, IL, after the 1937 flood of the Ohio River
(C. Small, “River, Stay Away from my Door. The New Deal is Moving Illinois’
Oldest Town Bodily”, Saturday Evening Post, 7 December 1940)

10. The Complexities of “Disaster Displacements”
• flight and ecavuation
• intra-urban displacement
• relocation
• reconstruction
Red Cross Rehabilitation Work in Louisville,
KY, after the 1937 flood (National Archives,
College Park, MD, RG 200)

11. Historical Perspectives on Natural Disasters,
Displacement, and Migration
Uwe Lübken
Rachel Carson Center for
Environment and Society, LMU Munich