On January 9, 1862, the levee broke along the American River near 31st Street at the same spot the levee broke a month prior on December 9th, immediately flooding the lower portions of the city. California was experiencing, at this time, a 200-year storm that dumped 24 inches of rain the month of January alone. The Central Valley became one large inland sea. For Sacramento, this flood became worse than any other flood it had experienced in the past. Small boats became the main mode of transportation to move about the city. It was reported that the water on J and K Streets was four to five feet high. Sacramento stayed flooded for three months. By the end of January, the Legislature moved to San Francisco for the remainder of the session. In this video, Shawn discusses the largest flood in Sacramento’s history and William Brewer’s thoughts on the flooded city during a visit in March 1862. Shawn also discussed how Sacramento has prevented itself from future major floods. After all, th...