107 Years Ago Today…

On January 15, 1919, Boston experienced one of the strangest disasters in U.S. history: the Great Molasses Flood. A massive storage tank burst, releasing a 25-foot wave of molasses that rushed through the North End at an estimated 35 mph. The sticky surge destroyed buildings, trapped victims, and claimed 21 lives, injuring over 150 people. Cleanup took weeks, and locals said the city smelled like molasses for years—leaving behind a tragic, surreal chapter in Boston’s history.