Considering the severity of the flooding in the Bloomsburg area, the decision, though lamented by many, was inevitable.
For the first time in 157 years, the Bloomsburg Fair, scheduled to open Saturday, Sept. 24 and close Saturday, Oct, 1, was canceled.
The decision not to hold the 2011 fair was made following a meeting of the fair board that was held one week after Bloomsburg was hit with a record-breaking flood. The National Weather Service in State College reported the Susquehanna River in Bloomsburg crested at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 9, at 32.75 feet, breaking the previous record of 32.7 feet set on March 9, 1904. The Press-Enterprise reported some parts of the fairgrounds were covered in 10 to 12 feet of water.
The flood prompted Bloomsburg University to cancel classes and urge students to go home until the following week. That was easier said than done. Because of road and bridge closings, the trek to Bloomsburg proved to be a major challenge for students' families. In many cases, they were detoured many miles out of their way. Whereas a normal trip from Shamokin or Mount Carmel might take a half-hour, the journey during the flood, made longer for safety's sake, took several hours in some cases.