The Story

Before San Bernardino County constructed a flood-control channel in 1969 with assistance from local engineer Bill Hatch, flash floods from 49 Palms Canyon could wash out the main road—now 29 Palms Highway—rush east around Donnell Hill, and surge into the center of town. The mural depicts the famous floods of the 1940s, contrasting business owners watching water invade their stores with local children riding the floodwater in inner tubes and handmade boats.