Rockdale, Iowa
Coordinates: 42 ° 28 ′ N , 90 ° 41 ′ W
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Rockdale was a village in Iowa , USA, which was south of Dubuque and Key West .
On July 4th, 1876, the centenary of the independence of the USA, a flood disaster occurred in this place, the so-called Rockdale Flood (Rockdale Flood).
In Rockdale the holiday was celebrated when the rain started at 10 o'clock in the evening. The Catfish Creek jumped over its banks and the mill dam above the village collapsed. A tidal wave six meters high and maybe a hundred meters wide ran through the place. Only one house remained. In Rockdale, 42 people, most of the villagers, died in Dubuque, only five. Some survived in the treetops where they were washed up. Bartender Charles Thimmesch survived on the roof of the post office after warning others. He then swam to a higher point with his money in his mouth.