Photograph was edited for publication purposes. Wildfires above the Crescenta Valley in November 1933 and subsequent heavy rain in December 1933 produced the perfect conditions for a massive flood. Just after midnight on January 1, 1934, millions of tons of mud and debris traveled from the mountains down to the Verdugo Wash, killing many people and destroying about 400 homes in the communities of La Can~ada, La Crescenta, Montrose and Tujunga. Woody Guthrie's song, "Los Angeles New Year's Flood," commemorates the natural disaster. After great quantities of debris piled up behind small check dams and water pipes crossing Pickens canyon, the dams and pipes gave way under the heavy pressure. Wall after wall of water was sent down the canyon. This water hurtled down upon La Crescenta and Montrose. The arrow points out one of the pipes. A few feet back of it was a check dam, five and a half feet high, which also was broken. In the foreground are boys holding some wire that was part of the dam structure.
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