309F Summer 2025 Hurricane Agnes in Virginia

“The greatest natural disaster of all time,” is how observers at the time viewed Hurricane Agnes. When the storm arrived in Virginia in June 1972, it largely spared coastal areas, and with modest wind speeds, it no longer even registered as a hurricane as it crossed the Old Dominion. Yet its prodigious rainfall combined with saturated ground and Virginia’s topography to generate massive floodwaters. Its impact on communities large and small was immense. With research drawn from a variety of primary source materials created during the storm and in its immediate aftermath, learn of the struggles of those affected, the efforts of responders, the recovery effort, and the larger role Agnes has played in the national discussion of disasters.

Dr. Earnie Porta holds a BS (Foreign Service), a law degree (JD), and a PhD (History) from Georgetown University, as well as an MA (History) from George Mason University. He has a number of publications to his credit and has served as the mayor of Occoquan from 2006-2014 and 2018 to the present.