Record rainfall during May and June 1941 caused Rudd's Mill Dam near Clarkston and Kern Roads to fail, sending a torrent of water down Paint Creek valley. Several dams along Paint Creek in Rochester then failed, including the dam in Avon Park, currently Municipal Park, and the Pine Street Dam. The water control gates and berms around Chapman Lake Dam also failed, flooding East Third Street. A great wall of water from Paint Creek poured over lawns, gardens, and farm fields, washing away crops and topsoil. Many Avon Township roads were badly damaged, many bridges along Orion Road were washed out, and the sole fatality of the Great Flood of 1941 was Mrs. Alice C. Garnett, who was swept away by the rushing water.