The Great Molasses Flood of 1919

The Day Boston Drowned in Molasses In 1919, Boston faced one of the strangest

disasters in history. No fire, no storm… but molasses. Yes—sticky, sugary molasses.

On January 15th, a massive storage tank holding over 2 million gallons of molasses sat

in the city’s North End. Residents complained it groaned, rattled… even leaked.

The company painted it brown to hide the leaks. At 12:40 p.m., the tank suddenly

exploded. A 25-foot-high wave of molasses rushed through the streets at 35 miles per

hour—faster than you can run. Buildings were crushed, horses trapped, and people were

swept off their feet in what witnesses described as a “brown tidal wave.” Rescue efforts were