Floods in South-Central Oklahoma and North-Central Texas October 1981
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FLOODS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS OCTOBER 1981 By Harold D. Buckner and Joanne K. Kurklin U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Open-File Report 84-065 Austin, Texas 1984 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WILLIAM P. CLARK, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director For additional information For sale by: write to: District Chief Open-File Services Section U.S. Geological Survey Western Distribution Branch 649 Federal Building U.S. Geological Survey, MS 306 300 E. Eighth Street Box 25425, Denver Federal Center Austin, TX 78701 Denver, CO 80225 Telephone: (303) 234-5888 II CONTENTS Page Abstract 1 Introduction- 2 Meteorological setting and precipitation distribution 4 Description of floods- 7 Red River basin 20 Trinity River basin- 25 Brazos River basin 28 Flood damages 33 Oklahoma 33 Texas- 33 Explanation of station data 36 References cited- 37 Supplementary data 38 III ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Map showing area of flooding in Oklahoma and Texas with location of flood-determination points 3 2. Map showing surface front, upper level trough line, and jet- stream on October 11, 1981 5 3. Map showing surface front, upper level trough line, outflow boundary, jetstream, and path of Hurricane Norrna- 6 4a-f. GOES enhanced infrared and visual imagery pictures showing track of Hurricane Norma across Mexico and Texas: a. 1:30 a.m. c.d.t., October 12, 1981 8 b. 5:00 a.m. c.d.t., October 12, 1981 9 c. 9:30 a.m. c.d.t., October 12, 1981 10 d. 1:30 p.m. c.d.t., October 12, 1981 11 e. 4:30 p.m. c.d.t., October 12, 1981 12 f. 1:30 a.m. c.d.t., October 13, 1981 13 5. Isohyetal map, storm of October 11-14, 1981, in south-central Oklahoma and north-central Texas 14 6. Discharge hydrographs at selected streamflow stations in the Red River basin- 26 7. Graphs showing contents at selected lakes in the Red River basin 27 8. Discharge hydrographs at selected streamflow stations in the Trinity River basin- 29 9. Graphs showing contents at selected lakes in the Trinity River basin 30 10. Flood inundation map for the city of Breckenridge for storm of October 11-13, 1981 32 11. Discharge hydrographs at selected streamflow stations in the Brazos River basin- 34 12. Graphs showing contents at selected lakes in the Brazos River basin 35 TABLES Table 1. National Weather Service rainfall data for storm of October 11-14, 1981, and total October rainfall in south-central Oklahoma 15 2. National Weather Service supplemental rainfall data for storm of October 11-14, 1981, in south-central Oklahoma 16 3. National Weather Service rainfall data for storm of October 12-14, 1981, and total October rainfall in north-central Texas-- ------- - -- -_-- ------ --_-_------_-_ 17 4. National Weather Service supplemental rainfall data for storm of October 11-13, 1981, in north-central Texas- 19 5. Summary of peak stages and discharges for Red, Trinity, and Brazos River basin floods of October 1981 21 IV METRIC CONVERSIONS For readers who prefer to use metric units, conversion factors for terms used in this report are listed below: Multiply B^ To obtain acre-foot (acre-ft) 0.001233 cubic hectometer (hm3 ) cubic foot per second (ft3 /s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3 /s) cubic foot per second per 0.01093 cubic meter per second per square mile [(ft3 /s)mi 2 ] square kilometer [(m3 /s)/km2 ] degree Fahrenheit (°F) 5/9 (°F-32) degree Celsius (°C) foot (ft) 0.3048 rneter (m) inch (in.) 25.40 millimeter (mm) mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (krn) square mile (mi 2 ) 2.590 square kilometer (km2 ) ton (short, 2,000 pounds) 0.9072 megagram (Mg) National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD of 1929): A geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the United States and Canada, formerly called mean sea level. FLOODS IN SOUTH-CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS OCTOBER 1981 By Harold D. Buckner and Joanne K. Kurklin Heavy rains fell over south-central Oklahoma and north-central Texas during October 11-14, 1981, causing record flooding in both States. Six lives were lost, many people were temporarily left homeless, and damages amounted to nearly $115 million. The maximum rainfall of 23 inches occurred 5 miles north of Clyde, Texas, in about 34 hours. Flood discharges along the East Fork Little Wichita River in Texas and along the Blue River, Clear Boggy Creek, and part of Muddy Boggy Creek in Oklahoma in the Red River basin exceeded those previously known. The Red River near Gaines- ville, Texas, had a record stage. Severe flooding also occurred along the West Fork and Elm Fork Trinity Rivers in Texas. The Brazos River experienced record flooding along tributaries in Abilene and Breckenridge, Texas, and the Brazos River near Glen Rose had a record stage that was almost 1.5 feet higher than any previous flood. Substantial reductions in peak stages and discharges on the West Fork Trin ity River downstream from Eagle Mountain Reservoir were attained as a result of reservoir storage. All floodwater on the Elm Fork Trinity River was contained by reservoir storage thus preventing a potentially devastating flood downstream on the Trinity River. Maximum stages and discharges and/or contents were recorded during and after this major flood at 83 gaging stations, crest-stage stations, reservoir stations, and a miscellaneous site. INTRODUCTION Outstanding floods occurred on rivers and streams in north-central Texas and south-central Oklahoma as a result of extreme rainfall that occurred in Oct ober 1981. These storms generally extended in a southwest to northeast direc tion from near Abilene, Texas, to near McAlester, Oklahoma. The affected region in Oklahoma and Texas along with gaging-station locations for the study area is shown in figure 1. The heaviest storms (rainfall) occurred during October 12-14, 1981, in north-central Texas and in south-central Oklahoma. Numerous National Weather Service reporting stations in Texas and Oklahoma indicated rainfall amounts in excess of 10 inches, but the maximum point rainfall reported during this storm was 23 inches at a gage 5 miles north of Clyde, Texas. The October 12-14, 1981, storm event covered an extremely large area. The 5-inch precipitation isohyetal encompassed an area in Texas and Oklahoma of about 21,600 square miles; the 10-inch isohyetal encompassed about 4,880 square miles; and rainfall amounting to 15 inches or more fell on about 1,730 square miles. The total rainfall volume within the 5-inch isohyetal was approximately 7.5 million acre-feet. Peak discharges were computed for many locations by indirect methods because of rapidly rising stages and because conditions did not facilitate direct measure ment. Peak discharges were computed indirectly using flood marks and channel geometry data obtained from detailed field surveys made after the flood and from extension of stage-discharge ratings. Six persons lost their lives and flood damages exceeded $115 million over the two-state area. Although economic losses were extensive throughout the storm area, the major economic damage occurred in Tarrant County, Texas, where flood damages exceeded $36 million. This report was prepared to compile selected data for the floods of October 1981 in a comprehensive and readily available form. The report includes a dis cussion of the meteorological setting and precipitation distribution, a descrip tion of the flooding by major river basins, damage report, and detailed station data on stages, discharge, and reservoir contents at selected stations in Okla homa and Texas. The flood information was collected from a network of stream and reservoir gages operated as part of a continuing cooperative program of the U.S. Geological Survey with the States of Texas and Oklahoma, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and cities, counties, and river authorities in Texas and Oklahoma. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth and Lubbock provided the sur face air and upper air analyses along with supplementary precipitation data and the isohyetal map for the storm of October 11-14, 1981. The satellite pictures were provided by the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Flood damage estimates were provided by the Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, and by the Governor's office, State of Oklahoma. -2- EXPLANATION A STREAMFLOW-QAQINQ STATION T WATER-QUALITY SAMPLING STATION A CREST-STAQE PARTIAL-RECORD STATION A LOW-FLOW PARTIAL-RECORD STATION 0 MISCELLANEOUS STATION RESERVOIR (LAKE) STATION C3 PRECIPITATION MEASUREMENT SITE , 5 NUMBERS CORRESPOND TO THOSE ' IN TABLE 6 IT /COTLIN :; Vi L-«- N 5M - *NNA»,.. ^A CELINA IJ 6 I l^f^T. U~\ 74 FI JACKSBORI a L 'C. ,. I THROCKMORTON I HASKELL yi^ ______ I _______ c?/*/ i"Sr^ jxP vrs WOODSON fall NEWARlTV -_ J_,___,__ .2L. C.»b_B. * " I I III I H III I I I STAMFORD" /! I I JONES' J SH 40 WHH.IS 0 10 «> W 40 MKN.OMCTMI Flgur* 1.-Ar*c ! flooding In Oklohom* and Toxa* with loottlon ol llood-dotorinliicllon point* METEOROLOGICAL SETTING AND PRECIPITATION DISTRIBUTION The weather pattern that began on October 10 produced the extreme rainfall over north-central Texas and south-central Oklahoma, October 11-14, 1981 (fig. 2). On October 10, a weak stationary front was established along a Del Rio-Austin- Beaumont line. Moisture at low levels was abundant on both sides of the front. At the 850-mb (millibar) level, or 5,000 feet, an area of high pressure was sit uated over the central Gulf of Mexico, providing a clockwise flow of moist Gulf air into Texas.