In 1954, Laredo faced a devastating Rio Grande flood, when the water reached , more than higher than in the previous 1932 flood, which had also caused great damage. According to Laredo historian Jerry D. Thompson of Texas A&M International University, the 1954 flood was "the largest in 91 years and the second-largest according to archeological records in the last 300 years." Many were left homeless for a time because of the calamity. Former Webb County administrative Judge Mercurio Martinez Jr. recalls his father surveyed the depth of the water and advised residents to evacuate. Several downtown businesses had to remove their merchandise inventory or risk losing it to the rising waters. The flood caused the relocation of the Holding Institute. The international bridge was destroyed when it was struck by the floating railroad bridge, which had been hit by the debris of another bridge in Eagle Pass up the river. Photos of the flood by Teofilo Esquivel Sr. are on the wall of a Danny's Restaurant on McPherson Avenue in Laredo.