It was nearly 75 years ago that Lawrence County and much of the Tri-State was hit by arguably the worse natural disaster the region had ever seen — and maybe worse than any it has seen since.

The end of January marks the 75th anniversary of the 1937 flood that left half of Ironton underwater and had lasting repercussions that are still felt today.

This anniversary is a good time to pause and reflect on the power of Mother Nature. Although the city has since built its floodwall system and the flow of the Ohio River has changed somewhat, our region is still far from exempt from natural disasters.

In 2011, heavy rain and flooding caused massive damage to the county’s infrastructure and private property. Already this year a mild snowstorm played havoc with travel leading to several motor vehicle accidents.

And the worst is likely yet to come.

Once winter truly arrives, the need to be cautious will increase and spring will once again bring the risk of flooding.

We will never be able to predict or prevent natural occurrences, but we can work to be prepared and minimize the loss of life and damage to property.

Hopefully, our region will never see another flood like the one that devastated our region in 1937, but if we do, we can all be better prepared because of the lessons from the past.