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Home , August 1969, Buffalo River (Virginia), Bullpasture River, Calfpasture River, Flood, James River

DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT l . t/( Jo..., DIVISION OF I RICHMOND, INFORMATION BULLETIN 505 1911

THE VIRGINIA FLOOD OF 1969

the effects of

in the James Basin of Virginia

UNITED STATES GB 1225 .V8 K3 PARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DIVISION

THE VIRGINIA FLOOD OF 1969 the effect$ of Hurricane Camille

in the Basin of Virginia

By

Donovan Kelly I;

DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

v~. DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES RICHMOND, VIRGINIA INFORMATION BULLETIN 505 1971 THE VIRGINIA FLOOD OF 1969

The Effects of Hurricane Camille in the James River Basin of Virginia

by Donovan B. Kelly

INTRODUCTION At one point the fell at a rate and volume not likely to be equaled or exceeded in the stricken area Tuesday, began as a quiet Election Day in more than once in a 1 ,QOO-years or more. Hurricane Virginia and ended as the night of the flood of '69-in Camille was the prime cause of the rains but not the sole and dollars, probably the greate~t natural cause. in the history of the State. In the wake of a 1 ,000-year As the election polls closed on that Tuesday, August , a 100-year flood, and that reshaped 19, Camille was a tropical depression (an area of low slopes and valleys along a 40-square mile stretch of the pressure, moderate , and moderate ) Blue Ridge, 152 Virginians were dead or missing, centered somewhere in eastern Kentucky. Two days including 1 percent of the population of Nelson County, earlier, Camille had been one of the most violent hardest hit part of the State. The bill to repair the hurricanes recorded on the U.S. mainland, but after damaged , buildings, and highways of Virginia totals leaving she lost much of her fury; over more than $116 million and much of the farmland may eastern Kentucky she produced only about 2 to 4 inches never be reclaimed from the and boulders. of rain and her winds continued to decline as she This report is a description of the rain, water, and marched east toward Richmond and the Virginia mud that flooded and gutted the James River basin (fig. 1 shows the path of Camille). There was no reason during and after the passage of Hurricane Camille. to change the precipitation forecast on Tuesday as Through words, numbers, and pictures, the report Camille moved into and Virginia. summarizes the impact of the Virginia flood of '69. Earlier that day, during the height of the afternoon rush hour traffic, the Bureau alerted the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to possible flash flooding from another system. Fortunately for the The facts, figures, photographs, and quotations used Washington commuters, the that might in this report were supplied by the residents, reporters, have caused flooding slipped south, towards the James and local, State, and Federal workers while they were River, without dropping any of their water load. still in the midst of putting the James River basin back together again. Their aid and patience in helping with this report are gratefully acknowledged. Most of these people and organizations have been named and cited in the text and beneath the photographs. In addition I would like to thank the Civil Defense Office in· Richmond and the U.S. Conservation Service for their aid, as well as the members of the Virginia Division of Water Resources who joined U.S. Geological Survey fieldmen from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, South Carolina, and Illinois in recording the physical dimensions of the flood.

THE RAIN

MILlS The drenching rains that fell on the slopes and valleys 0 100200J00400S00600700 of the in Virginia resulted from the unfortunate combination of several weather factors. F I G• THE PATH OF HURRICANE CAMILLE

1 The James River lies IOO to 200 miles south and than three times the State's previous record of 8.4 inches southwest of Washington and its basin stretches across in 12 hours and aP,proaches the all-time rainfall records Virginia from west to east, from the Blue Ridge in the United States. Just as significant to the Mountain town of Covington to the port of flashflooding, the heavy rains were extensive throughout Norfolk. Of all the river basins in southern Virginia, the the basin. In fact, rainfall in excess of 4 inches fell over IO,OOO square-mile basin of the James River is best an area 30 to 40 miles wide and more than 130 miles oriented to collect the maximum water from large long as the storm moved eastward across Virginia. moving southeast or east across the State. "The combination of weather factors near the area of heaviest rainfall-the presence of wet maritime air, the southward movement of thunderstorms and a OHIO from the north, the arrival of Camille from the west, and the existence of narrowing valleys to concentrate and finally lift any northwestward-moving airmass-is even more unlikely than the 1 ,000-year rain that fell." One other factor was added to the string of weather events to make the flood of '69 the most destructive in Virginia's history: The 1 ,000-year rain fell in the middle of the night over the isolated homes and small towns in the valleys and hollows of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As one official from Nelson County told at a U.S. Senate 0 11:1 100 ~--~ hearing a month after the flood: "The rains fell at the worst possible time, 3 to 4 a.m. in the morning. Even if FIG. 2 JAMES RIVER BASIN OF VIRGINIA we had some warning of the coming flood, there was no way we could have. gotten word to our people. Even before the arrival of Camille, a concentrated Everybody was in bed with radios and televisions turned mass of moist maritime-tropical air already hung over off, and the mud and water came too fast for neighbors the headwaters of the James River basin. In the early to warn one another." evening this wet air mass began to increase its moisture content, especially at high elevations, by feeding on He reported that Nelson County lost about I percent early arriving remnants of Hurricane Camille. The of its citizens: "Out of a population of I2 ,500 people in moisture content in the air mass soon approached the the County, 88 are dead, and 39 are still missing and maximum possible level for the time, place, and season. presumed dead." Camille not only added moisture to the air over the James River basin but also concentrated some of the THE FLOOD moisture over Nelson County by changing the direction. As Camille marched east, her winds continued to move counterclockwise around the center of the The torrential rain produced equal to at decaying hurricane, drawing moisture from the Atlantic least a record-breaking IOO-yea~ flood throughout much Ocean and spinning off wet air masses to the northwest. of the upper basin as far east as Richmond. (A IOO-year When the center passed over the West Virginia border flood is one so great that it is not likely to be equaled or into the Virginia headwaters of the James River, some of exceeded on the average of more than once every I 00 this moist spinoff was pushed up the narrowing valleys years. Thus the flow of 225,000 cubic feet per second in of the Rockfish and Tye . As these additional the James River near Richmond on will masses of wet air moved up the valleys, they were probably not be equaled or exceeded more than ten compressed by the ste.ep ridges on either side and finally times every I ,000 years, although such a flood could forced to rise up the hollows near the V-ends of the occur again tomorrow.) Flooding with a IOO-year or valleys. The results of the compression and forced rising greater recurrence interval was general throughout most was to further increase the local precipitation. of the basin west of Richmond. Most of the sites where According to a Weather Bureau spokesman, "The devil hydrologists from the U.S. Geological Survey or the himself couldn't have put together a more unlikely series Virginia Division of Water Resources computed flood of freakish events with such perfect timing to produce measurements are shown in figure 4 and the peak flows such a concentrated torrential rainfall. The maximum are listed and compared with those of floods of previous verified amount of rain reported, 27 inches, is close to years in table I at the end of this report. Details on these the maximum amount of rainfall theoretically possible flows have been published in several U.S. Geological in this part of the world in an 8-hour period. It is more Survey technical reports.

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3 Flood flow measu rements are made to help predict more common flood s, say the one that can be expected how often flood s of a certain magnitude can be expected about once every 5 years , because people are familiar in the future. For example, a highway engin eer may with and guard against the frequent small floods . want to bu ild a brid ge high enough to safe ly pass a Nobody was ready for the I 00-year flood that hit the 25-year flood , or a zon ing commission may want James River basin . ass urance that a proposed housin g development is not li kely to be fl ooded on th e avera ge of more than once Another way to describe a flood is ·through the every 50 years. (A sam ple fl ow-frequency curve for one personal acco unts of the victims . Mr. Curtis Matthews of station on the James River is shown in fi gure 5 .) 's Mill rememb ers the flood of August 1969 as the smell of torn and twisted green wood. In a story reported by Mr. Ken Ringle of the Associated Press, Mr. Matthews related how he kept an eye on the rising water of Davis Creek and the : There was plenty of thunder and lightning and the rain fell in sheets most of the night, but Matthews said the water wasn't rising too fast. It was about 1 a.m. before he caught his first whiff of trouble.

1 ~ , . , ,, rr·: n·. ~· 1111 ._· r ~ .11 . 11 1 1 ..: ·' f '> "I had gone in to lay down for awhile, and when I came out back on the porch, I smelled this unusual odor of bark, and sap, FIG. 4 FLOW FREQUENCY CURVE OF THE and green trees. . JAM ES RIVER AT CARTERS VI LLE "I'm in the logging busin ess and ,know that smell, but I had The James Rive r flood co uld be described in never in my smelled it so heavy, even in a sawmill. The air was thick with it every breath you took. It was like sticking your oversimp li fi ed te rms as too much water for too little head in a sack of bark. river chann el. Th e typical ri ve r chann el is deep enough " I couldn't hea r anything but the rain, but I felt something to accommodate th e nood fl ow that can be expected just wasn't right with that smell like that. about twice a year. The Jess Crequent fl oods with greater "Then I looked at my dogs. I had a German shepherd and a flow s will naturally pour over the banks and spread little mongrel dog, and they were cringing around like somebody was go ing to beat them . They would just curl up on the floor, across the rive r's fl ood . Much of th e damage results plea ding up with us with their eyes. They must have known because peo ple take over the level fl ood to build so mething wa s going to happen. their homes and factor ies without all owing fo r the "finall y I couldn't stand it any longer and I went to wake up occasional but pred ictable need of the river to use the my wife and told her we had to get out. She didn't want to go, fl ood plain to carry excess streamflow. Most homes and and it took me 20 minutes to get her and my child ready. But in th at 20 minutes, the w;1ter rose from 3 feet to 8 feet in my factories along the river are built above the level of the yard." Matthews and his wife and daughter drove through the rain and ri sing water to his mother's house on higher ground. Late Wednesday, when he co uld get back in to Wood's Miii, he found • his house and 5 acres of his land go ne without a trace. Miss Dora Morris remembers the flood as an awful ro ar and as a summons not to go down the mountain. Her home sits at the head of a 7 -mile hollow formed by the No rth Fork of Davis Creek. On Tuesday morning about 75 people lived in the hollow. On Wednesday morning there were some 20 left. In her 76 years on the mountai n, Miss Morris told the Associated Press and the Charl ottesville Daily Progress, Davis Creek had seldom been more than an kle deep. On Wednesday morning when she looked out, the gentle creek was lea ping white-frothed at least 50 feet high within 25 yards of her home and "groaning with the awfullest roar." " It was a horrible so und. I suppose it was the and the trees tumbling down the hollow, tearing at everything." She sa id the roaring lasted about 4 hours-from 3 a.m. to Fl G. 5 MR . COFFEY REME MBERS THE daybreak. "They asked me if I wanted to go out in a helicopter. 100 -YEAR FLOOD AS OF RUBBLE Why shou ld I? I've got my wood stove, and now at least I've got THAT USED TO BE HI S HOM E ON plenty of wood. I never had lights and I've lived up here alone ROUTE 56 IN MA SS IES MILL. most of my life. I haven't been out of the hollow in 3 years. "I figu re if God had mea nt for me to go down the mountain, (VA. DEPT. OF HGWYS). He would have sent me dow n Wednesday morning."

4 FIG. 7 FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES BURIED THE FIRST FLOOR OF THIS SPLIT-LEVEL HOME ON U.S. 29 NORTH OF LOVINGSTON (PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTESVILLE DAILY PROGRESS). THE MUD

Much of the damage from the Flood of '69 was caused by the mud and boulders that were pushed down the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains into and over buildings, roads and farmland in the valleys below. Some of the mud moved only a few feet down the slopes and some was picked up by the and moved all the way out to the Atlantic Ocean. In between the two FIG. 6 A TYP1 CAL LAN DSLIDE AT DAVIS extremes, homes, businesses, roads and fields were CREEK, 5 MILES NORTH OF LOVINGSTON choked, caked and buried beneath as much as 30 feet of (VA. DEPT. nF HGWY S). mud, sand, and rocks. At least one couple was buried alive up to their necks in the mud ; she was dead when rescuers arrived and he died before they had dug down · as far as his knees. A team of U.S. Geological Survey experts after examining the and depositional features of the flood explained how the erosion took place: "On the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge, the so il is underlain directly by rather impervious igneous and metamorphic rocks. In places the sudden introduction of large amounts of water quickly saturated the soil, increasing the weight of the soil layer, decreasing the cohesive shear strength of the soil, and lubricating the layer. The result is that under the fo rce of gravity a whole section of the mountainside suddenly gave way and slid down, aided by the steep slope angle. All the , including large trees, and much of the so il was stripped away in scars that in many places exposed bedrock. "One of the mysteries of the flood erosion is why the FIG. 8 THE FLOODWATERS ARE GONE, BUT western flank of the Blue Ridge, which also received a THE MUD LINGERS ON THE DESKS OF A torrential rain , shows so few erosion scars· and landslid es. SCOTTSVILLE SCHOOL (PHOTOGRAPH CHAR­ At first we thought it was because the bedrock on the LOTTESVILLE DAILY PROGRESS). western flank is mostly a more permeable limestone that

5 would allow the rains to filter downward more easily THE DAMAGE and quickly and thus prevent some landslides. But the aerial photographs don't support this theory. They show Report on flood damages range from the immediate that the landslide scars are generally limited to about a cries of victims to the later, dry dollar signs of 40-square mile area bordered by the basins of Davis government reports. Both extremes are valid means of Creek, Muddy Creek, and the Rockfish River in the describing the aftermath of the Virginia Flood of '69, middle of Nelson County on the eastern flank of the but as the flood becomes history, the cries are muffled B.lue Ridge. No slides occurred in many other equally by time and even the surviving victims become silent, hilly areas on the eastern flank that are underlain by the perhaps out of numbness: For example, a farmer near same . impermeable bedrock. Apparently the major Cartersville when asked how the flood affected him landslide scars formed only where the rain was the could quietly tick off the $35,000 to $45,000 of damage heaviest." that represented 10 years of work:"l lost 49 cows, 47 The Survey hydrologists also described how the calves, I bull, 38 acres of corn, 56 acres of pasture, and sediment was redeposited at any spot where the 18 acres of hay." Unfortunately, this report can only load exceeded the carrying capacity of the water, or tick off damage figures with the rest; it can only where the slope of the land was too small, or where the reproduce a table showing the State's damage figures volume and velocity of the water were to low : that add up to a conservative $116 million. The U.S. • • • Where came together near the base of a Army Corps of Engineers' estimate is about $20 million ridge, the slopes were too flat and the load too great and higher. The Red Cross estimates that 3,000 families were large piles of debris - trees, boulders, and cobbles . were flood victims in one way or another, and that hundreds dropped. One pile near Roseland, contained boulders 10 of homes were destroyed or badly damaged. feet wide, and the pile itself stretched about 100 feet In a U.S. Senate hearing on the flood, the State across the and 200 feet downstream. Commissioner of and Commerce described • • • At the foot of the mountains, huge debris fans were the extensive damage to agriculture: "Agriculture is the spewed out on the floors. A typical fan near economic base of a high percent of the flood-damaged Lovingston measured 800 feet long, averaged 100 feet area. The erosion of farm land, the depositing of tons of wide, and was about a foot and a half thick. This debris, including trees, boulders and silt, the destruction amounts to about 120,000 cubic feet or 7,000 tons of of buildings, fencing and farm equipment, and the loss sediment deposited by a that is usually 2 feet of livestock will have a tremendous depressing impact, wide and less than a foot deep. not only on farmers but also on businesses and industries • • • Once on the valley floors, the flows still contained dependent upon agriculture for economic existence and huge amounts of mud and sand . Much of the coarser growth. The damage to the land and the estimated ~ost material was deposited in sand wedges that backed up of reclaiming that land alone comes to more than 15 behind any obstacle, especially roads and . A million dollars." typical sand wedge on U.S. Highway 29 between Table 2.-ESTIMA TES OF FLOOD DAMAGES IN THE Lovingston and Mill looked like a triangle from JAMES RIVER BASIN above, with the base butting against the highway, the [Compiled by the Virginia Office of Planning and Community opposite point reaching upstream, and each side Affairs from the damage estimates of Federal, State, and local measuring about 450 feet in length. The base of the agencies with a factor of 1 S percent added to allow for damage not counted and damage not readily apparent) triangle was about 5 to 10 feet thick and altogether this wedge contained about 240,000 cubic feet or 14,000 Railroads ...... $ 4,198,650 Electric Utilities ...... 1,087,900 tons of sediment; all this deposited by a stream that in Gas Utilities ...... 128,225 normal times is from 3 to 5 feet wide and less than a Telephone Utilities ...... 1,301,800 foot deep. Agriculture ...... 23,817,658 • • • Finally, sand and mud were dropped on flood Residential ...... 10,224,822 plains where the velocity of the overbank flow of the Business, Commercial, and Industrial ...... 54,635,350 Miscellaneous ...... 531,870 flooded rivers and streams slowed down, such as Water Facilities ...... 267,365 upstream from bridges, or where a smaller stream joined Sewer Facilities ...... • .. 197,225 a larger stream, or in the flooded sections of towns Schools ...... 266,000 where the buildings broke up and slowed the flow . Such Bridges and Streets ...... 141,450 flood-plain deposits were rarely deeper than about I or 2 Miscellaneous ...... 277,265 State Facilities ...... • ...... 284,970 feet, and usually amounted to only an inch or two, but Highways (Secondary) ...... 17,200,000 caused much of the lingering damage in downstream Highways (Primary) ...... 1,900,000 areas. TOTAL ...... $116,460,550

6 The State Commissioner of Highways described the damage-no one rea lly knows how mu ch it is. A farm is worth highway damage at the same hearings: "The flooding one price on the tax books, another to a buyer, and is priceless to the family that has farmed it for six ge nerations or eight or resulted in the most devastating damage ever inflicted by ten. Nature upon Virginia's highway system. We have And what you remember about Nelson County, how quiet estimated the cost of this damage at approximately and lovely it was and would alway s be, well , that's changed. $19.1 million. Frankly, each time I inspect the area I The river beds have been gouged wider. Huge rocks cover vast feel that the cost is going to be much higher. field s. Quiet old villages like Tyro and Massies Mill and Roseland are reduced to wreckage and mud and outraged memories. Perhaps a feeling for the damages wreaked by the floods of '69 can only be summed up by more pictures of the disaster.

FIG. 9 THE HOWARDSVILLE BRIDGE ON STATE ROUTE 626, ONE OF 94 BRIDGES DESTROYED OR DAMAGED BEYOND USE (PHOTOGRAPH VA . DEPT. OF HGWYS). "Twenty-five miles of primary highway and 175 miles of State-maintained secondary roads were destroyed or FIG . 10 FROM THE AIR, THE PATHS OF damaged so severely that they must be totally rebuilt. In DESTRUCTION CARVED BY THE FLASH some cases, obliteration was so complete it was difficult FLOODS CAN BE SEEN (PHOTOGRAPH RICH­ to realize that some sections of roads had ever existed. MOND NEWS LEADER). Ninety-four bridges ranging in length from 20 feet to 1,000 feet were washed out or were damged beyond use." Despite the overtime effort of 3,500 Highway Department and contractor employees , the Commissioner felt it would be 2 or 3 years before the highways and bridges were restored to their former condition. Perhaps former Governor Godwin of Virginia best summed up the destruction when he told the Senate Committee that words would not suffice as descriptors: "The choices of words and the most vivid of metaphors that I can command would not adequately describe the and destruction that was wrought.'' Or perhaps Mr . Jerry Simpson of the Charlottesville Daily Progress best summed up the destruction when he FIG. 11 A CLOSE-UP OF FIG. 10 SHOWS wrote about Nelson County: THE FURY OF THE FLOOD ON U.S. HIGHWAY Roads are gone, bridges are gone, farms are gone, peo ple are 29 NORTH OF LOVINGSTON (PHOTOGRAPH gone. About 140 people altogether, dead or missing. And the CHARLOTTESV ILLE DAILY PROGRES S) .

7 FIG. 12 IN LOVINGSTON , ABOV E A FL OOD-B AT TERED SHOPP ING CART, THE THEATER MARQUEE ADVERTI SED THE MOVIE ''TH E LONGES T DAY . " VIRGINIA'S LONGEST DAY, , HAD JU ST BEGUN (PHO TOGRAPH CHARLOTTESV ILLE DAILY PROGRESS).

FIG. 13 IN NEL SON COUNTY, MUDSLIDES DID MUCH OF THE DAMAGE, TUMBLING HOUSES AND BLOCKING ROADS (PHOTOGRAPH RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATC H) .

8 FIG. 14 ONE CAR ENDED UP IN THE , 1 MILE EAST OF MASSIES MILL NEAR THE ROUTE 56 BRIDGE (PHOTOGRAPH VA. DEPT. OF HGWYS).

FIG. 15 A HOME IN HOWARDSVILLE THAT WAS UNOCCUPIED AT THE TIME OF THE FLOOD AND NOW WILL STAY UNOCCUPIED (PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTESVILLE DAILY PROGRESS).

9 FIG. 16 AWASH BUT STILL STANDING, THE OLDEST BUILDING IN HOWARDSVILLE WATCHES THE FLOOD OF THE JAMES RIVER AS THEY CONTINUE TO RISE (PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTES VILLE DAILY PROGRESS).

FIG. 17 A BARN NEAR HATTON HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH THE JAMES RIVER BEFORE TH E FLOOD WATERS BEGAN RECEDING (PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTESVILLE DAILY PROGRESS ) .

FIG . 18 A BUILDING NEAR BREMO BLUFF IS DROWNED BUT STANDS ITS GROUND (PHOTOGRAPH RICHMOND NEWS LEADER) .

10 FIG. 19 BUT THE JAMES RIVER STILL FLOWS STRONG OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS AT BREMO BLUFF (PHOTOGRAPH RICHMOND NEWS LEADER).

-. .·. ' I, \~ (4 ,' ~·' ', ' ~ ~... ~ f'; " '' • ' ' ,·- ''.·:,~ . - ~ .' '· ,,,, ,, ', . . t t tr . .\ ::s.. ;r.: ~- FfG. 20 THE RAILROAD STATION AND CROSSING AT MAIDENS WAIT FOR THEIR SHIP TO COME IN. THREE CARS OF PULPWOOD ARE JUST VISIBLE ABOVE THE FLOOD WATERS BEHIND THE DEPOT (PHOTOGRAPH RICHMOND TIME S- DISPATCH) .

u · FIG. 21 EVEN AFTER THE MUDSLIDES WERE OVER AND THE FLOOD WATERS HAD BEG UN TO RECEDE, WASHED-OUT BRIDGES AND ROADS LEFT MANY VICTIMS IS OLATED. SOME BRIDGES , SUCH AS THE HOWARDSVILLE BRIDGE ON ROUTE 626 OVER THE ROCKFIS H Rl VER, DI SAPPEARED COMPLETELY (PHOTOGRAPH VA. DEPT. OF HGWYS). '

FIG. 22 OTHER BRIDGES, SUCH AS THE ROUTE 29 BRIDGE OVER COVES CREEK SOUT H OF COVESVILLE, WERE DAMAGED BEYOND USE AND WERE TRAPS FOR THOSE WHO TR IED (PHOTOGRAPH VA. DEPT. OF HGWYS).

FIG. 23 AS THE FLOOD WATERS RECEDED, ONE OF THE FIRST PRIORITIES WAS TO REPAIR AND REOPEN THE DAMAGED ROADS AND BRIDGES, SUCH AS THE ROUTE 29 BRIDGE THAT CROSSED THE 2 MILES NORTH OF ROUTE 60 IN AMHERST COUNTY (PHOTOGRAPH VA. DEPT. OF HGWYS).

12 FIG . 24 SOME BRIDGES, SUCH AS THE ROUTE 45 BRIDGE ACROSS THE JAMES RIVER AT CARTERSV ILLE, HAD ALMOST 2 FEET OF WATER RUN OVER THE ROADWAY WITHOUT SERI­ OU SLY DAMAGING THE BRIDGE. THE JAMES RIVER CRE STED AT CARTERSV ILLE ON W,ITH A OF 216 ,00 0 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND. NINE DAYS LATER THE FLOW HAD DROPPED TO 3,500 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND, ABOUT HALF THE AVERAGE AN NUAL DIS CHARGE (PHOTOGRAPH RICHMOND NEWS LEADER).

FIG. 25 SWOLLEN JAMES RIVER RUSHES UNDER THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY BRIDGE THAT CROSSES FROM 7TH STREET IN RICHMOND TO BELLE ISLAND (PHOTOGRAPH RICHMOND TIMES- DI SPATCH).

13 FIG . 26 SCOTTSV ILLE WAS ONE OF SEVERAL TOWNS ALONG THE JAMES RIVER THAT WAS TURN ED INTO A VEN WITH STREET S OF WATER BY THE FLO OD. MIRACULOUSLY, NO WERE LOST IN SCOTTSVILL E, BUT THE FIRST ESTIMATES OF DAMAGE EXCEED $1 . 2 MILLION (PHOTO GRAPH RICHMOND TIMES-D ISPATC H) .

FIG. 27 RESIDENTS OF SCOTTSVILLE CAN TAKE SOME COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT STA­ TISTICALLY AND HYDROLOGICALLY, A SIMILAR FLOOD ISN 1 T LIKELY TO OCCUR MORE THAN ONCE EVERY 100 YEARS OR SO (PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTESV ILLE DAILY PROGRESS).

14 FIG. 28 MAYOR THATCHER OF SCOTTSVILLE ESTIMATED THAT 8 INCHES OF RA IN FELL IN 3 HOURS. FIRST MINK CREEK THEN THE JAMES RIVER FLOODED THE TOWN (P HOTO­ GRAP H RICHMOND TIMES -DIS PATCH) .

FIG. 29 AS THE WATERS RECEDE , WORKMEN CONTINUE SALVAGE OPERATIONS IN THE 11 11 OF SCOTTSVILLE. THE TOWN WA S JUST A MONTH AWAY FROM CELEBRATING ITS 225 TH ANNIVERSARY (PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTESVILLE DAILY PROGRESS).

15 FIG. 30 THE RICHMOND AREA ONLY RECE IVED 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN, BUT THE JAME S RIVER HAD PLENTY OF UP STATE FLOODWATER TO SPARE. ONLY INTERSTATE 95 SPANS THE FLOODED JAMES RIVER IN SOUT H RICHMOND AND EVEN ITS FIRST CLOVERLEAF IS UNDER WATER (PHOTOGRAPH RICHMOND NEWS LEADER).

FIG. 31 FLOOD DAMAGE IN RICHMOND EXCEEDED $9 MILLION (PHOTOGRAPH VA . DEPT. OF HGWYS).

16 FIG. 32 UNDER CLEAR SKIES, THE J AMES RIVER RUS HES UNDER THE LEE BR IDGE IN RICHMOND (PHOTOGRAPH RICHM OND NEWS LEADER).

FI G. 33 ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, THE SWOLLEN JAMES RIVER CONTINUED TO RISE ON THE LEE BRIDGE, FINALLY PEAKING LATE THAT NIGHT (PHOTOGRAPH VA. DEPT. OF HGWY S) .

17 ,.... 00

FI G. 34 MAIN STREET IN RICHMOND BECOMES ANOTHER INSTANT FIG . 35 MAIN STREET STATION IN RICHMOND REFLECTS AS MEMBERS OF THE HENRI CO SQUAD PATROL THE UPON THE TROUBLES IT HAS SEEN (PHOTOGRAPH RICH­ STREETS (PHOTOGRAPH RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH) . MOND TIMES-DISPATCH). FIG. 36 FOR MANY IT WAS A TIME OF SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD AND MISSING. THESE MENNONITES FROM HARRISONBURG FIG. 37 FOR OTHERS, LIKE MRS. MARY ARE SEARCHING FOR THE BODIES OF MISS­ MORRIS OF HOWARDSVILLE, IT WAS A TIME ING PERSONS AMONG PILES OF DEBRIS AT FOR WAITING, AND HIDING, UNTIL RES­ ROSELAND (PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTESVILLE CUERS CAME (PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTES­ DAILY PROGRESS). VILLE DAILY PROGRiSS).

FIG. 38 MRS. MORRIS 1 S HOME IN HOWARDSVILLE SITS IN THE GROVE OF TREES AT THE EDGE OF THE . HOWARDSVILLE WAS DEVASTATED WHEN THE ROCKFISH RIVER CUT THROUGH TOWN (PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTESVILLE DAILY PROGRESS).

19 11 11 FIG. 39 WHAT HYDROLOGISTS DE SCRIBE AS FLOOD PLAIN DEPOSITS , IS JUST PLAIN MUD TO MISS LYNNE COHEN AS SHE HELPS CLEAN OUT HER FATHER'S STORE IN SCOTTS­ VILLE. SUSAN TERHUNE ALSO ATTAC KS THE SCOTTSVILLE MUD WITH BROOM AND VIGOR. SOMEDAY SHE WILL BOUNCE A GRANDCHILD ON HER KNEE AND TELL HIM ABOUT THE VIRGINIA FLOOD OF 1969 . A 100-YEAR FLOOD CAUSED BY A 1 ,000-YEAR RAIN AND THE GREATEST NATURAL DI SASTER VIRGINIA HAS EVER SEEN (PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTES­ VILLE DAILY PROGRES S).

20 Table 1.-Summary of flood heights and flows in the James River &sin

Permanent Average Maximum previously Maximum during August 1969 Station station annual known flood Recur- Drainage Period number number flow renee Stream and place of determination area of Gage Gage Flows on by U.S. . (cfs Fhs interval record Year height Day height fig.4 Geological (sq. mt.) : cubic feet (cfs) cfs per (years) (feet) (feet) cfs Survey per second) sqmi

02-0115.00 Back Creek near Mountain Grove ...... 131 166 1913 1913 17 ...... 20 9.65 9,270 71 10 1950-69 1967 10.77 12,700 2 02-0125.00 at Falling ...... 409 475 1913 1913 20 50,000 20 13.35 18,700 46 10 1926-69 . . .. . 02-0129.00 Jackson River at Covington ...... 440 .. ... 1913 1913 22 ...... 20 14.5 1944-69 ..... 02-0129.50 Sweet Springs Creek at .66 ..... 1966-69 1967 4.61 58 20 6.80 185 280 Sweet Chalybeate. 3 02- 0130.00 near Covington ...... 166 156 1913 1913 18 ...... 20 13.13 10,300 62 10 1929-69 1963 10.98 9,120 02-0140.00 Potts Creek near Covington ...... 158 169 1913 1913 12.5 ...... 20 7.88 4,000 25 2 1929-56 1935 110.10 7,510 1966-69 4 02- 0156.00 near Headwaters ...... 5,650 2.94 t.:) 11~ ... .. 1949-69 1949 6.5 20 107 9 ...... 02-0157.00 at Williamsville ...... 108 119 1961-69 1967 5.91 6,230 20 4.03 .2,800 26 02-0159.00 Jerry Branch near Clifton Forge ...... 55 .... . 1967-69 1967 4.15 84 20 7.50 270 491 5 02-0160.00 Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge ...... 456 505 1913 1913 20.8 45,000 20 15.70 25,000 55 25 1926-69 6 02-0165.00 James River at Lick Run ...... 1,369 1,554 1877- 1913 1877 33 120,000 20 25 .53 58,500 43 15 1924-69 02-0174.00 Johns Creek tributary near New Castle ...... 1.57 ... . . 1967-69 1967 3.86 75 20 4.05 50 32 7 02-0175.00 Johns Creek at New Castle ...... 106 121 1927-69 1935 10.80 8,000 20 7.12 1,100 10 8 02-0180.00 at Parr ...... 331 369 1926-69 1935 17.0 19,100 20 7.48 2,510 8 9 02-0185.00 Catawba Creek near Catawba ...... 34 34 1940-69 1940 13.26 ...... 20 4.78 1,500 44 3 1943- 69 1954 6.58 5,670 10 02-0194.00 Looney Mill Creek near Buchanan ...... 29.6 . . . .. 1928 1928 14 ...... 20 6.05 1950- 69 1954 10.82 7,200 1961 10.83 7,200 11 02-0195.00 James River at Buchanan ...... 2,084 2,439 1870-1969 1877 34.9 125,000 20 23 .37 65,800 32 15

02- 0201.00 Renick Run near Buchanan ...... 2.06 0 ••• • 1967-69 1967 6.57 580 20 9.9Q- 1,220 592 12 02-0202.00 near West Augusta ...... 12.8 . . . .. 1949- 69 1949 6.6 4,800 20 2.41 310 24 13 02-0205.00 Calfpasture River above Mill Creek 147 152 1939-69 1949 12.14 14,800 20 8.06 5,600 38 5 at Goshen. 02-0211.00 Bratton Creek tributary near Goshen ...... 1.62 . . . . . 1966-69 ...... 20 9.20 670 14 02-0215.00 at Rockbridge Baths ...... 329 352 1929- 69 1936 13.07 33,000 20 11.48 22,900 70 30 02-0217.00 Cedar Grove Branch near Rockbridge Baths . ... 12.3 . . ... 1967-69 1967 7.0 364 20 31.2 7,300 593 15 02- 0225.00 Kerrs Creek near Lexington ...... 34 35 1927- 69 1950 13 .8 23,000 19 13.38 13 ,800 406 22.07 16 02-0230.00 Maury River near Lexington ...... 487 ... . . 1926- 60 1936 23 .58 40,000 20 27.08 52,000 107 21.38 17 02- 0233.00 South River near Steeles Tavern ...... 15 .7 .. ... 1951- 69 1955 6.52 2,770 20 8.70 4 ,700 299 50 2 18 02-0235.00 South River near Riverside ...... 111 0 • •• 0 1936 1936 13.7 ...... 20 15.2 35 ,000 315 2.20 1950-62 1961 8.63 6,300 19 02-0240.00 Maury River near Buena Vista ...... 649 624 1936-69 1936 22 45,000 20 31.23 105 ,000 162 22.27 3 02-0246.00 James River at Balcony Falls ...... ••• • 0 2,975 1936-69 1936 20.6 ••• 0 • •• 20 22 130,000 44 1.08 20 02-0250.00 near Pedlar Mills ...... 91 .... . 1942- 56 1942 14.10 11 ,200 20 21.0 32,000 352 22.44 21 02-0255.00 James River at Holcombs Rock ...... 3,250 3,451 1900-17 1913 31.3 118,000 20 35.50 150,000 46 31.09 1926-69

02-0256.00 James River at Reusens 3,300 • • • 0 ...... • 0 •• . . ... 20 .... 150,000 45 near Lynchburg. 02-0257.00 James River at Lynchburg ...... 3,305 ..... 1771-1969 1795 4 36 ...... 20 28.0

02-0258.00 Burton Creek tributary at Lynchburg ...... 2.36 ..... 1966-69 1967 5.10 • • •• 0. 20 3.55 135 57 22 02-0260.00 James R iver at Bent Creek ...... 3,671 4,067 1870 1870 527 150,000 20 24.77 144,000 39 3i:i9 1925 -69

02-0264.00 Tye River at Massies Mill ...... 66 . .. .. 1969 . . .. 0 •• •• 0 •••• • 20 . ... . 70,000 1,060 23 02-0270.00 Tye River near Lovingston ...... 92 141 1934 1944 13.7 9,670 20 29.0 80,000 870 25.16 1939- 69

02-0272.50 Piney River at Woodson ...... 22 . .. .. 1969 . . . . • • 0 •• ...... 20 . . ~ . . 18,500 841 24 02-0275.00 Piney River at Piney River ...... 48 80 1949-69 1949 9.9 ...... 20 13.8 38,000 792 23.65 02-0277.00 Buffalo River tributary near Amherst ...... 46 ... . . 1966- 69 1966 3.27 28 02-0278.00 Buffalo River near Tye River ...... 146 123 1961-69 1965 11.03 6,400 20 27.95 45,000 308 2 1.83 25 02-0280.00 Tye River near Norwood ...... 360 . . . . . 1940-60 1942 18.1 33 ,500 20 41.0 200,000 556 25.51 1944 18.1 33,500 ~ ~ 26 02-0285.00 Rockfish River near Greenfield ...... 96 125 1942-69 1942 23.4 30,000 20 31.2 70,000 729 24.35 27 02-0287.00 Cove Creek near Covesville ...... 4.0 ..... 1944 1944 9.1 2,000 20 8.8 3,000 750 2 1.85 1950-69

02-0287.50 Cove Creek at Faber ...... 19.7 . . . . . 1967-69 1967 34.0 • • •• 0 • 20 . . . . . 28,000 1,420

02-0288.00 Ballinger Creek at Esmont ...... 42 • 0 0 •• 1967-69 1967 12.84 ...... 20 17.6 4,800 886

02- 0288.95 Miller<:reek near Keene ...... 5.91 • 0 ••• 1969 ...... 20 . .. . . 5,500 931

02-0289.00 Miller Creek near Scottsville ...... 6.60 • 0 • • • 1967-69 1967 10.29 ...... 20 14.4 6,300 955 28 02-0290.00 James River at Scottsville ...... 4,571 4,936 1870-1969 1870 30.7 ...... 20 30.00 188,000 41 31.13 1877-1969 1877 27.9 160,000 29 02- 0292.00 North Fork Hardware River at Red Hill ...... 11.0 . . . . . 1950-69 1959 10.00· 4,030 20 ..... 7,300 664 2 2.86 2 30 02-0294.00 South Branch of North Fork Hardware River 6.59 • • 0 •• 1949-69 1959 8.86 3,050 20 8.70 6,200 941 2.37 near North Garden.

02-0294.10 Sowell Branch near Charlottesville ...... 1.55 •• •• 0 1967-69 1967 3.96 140 20 14.6 1,500 968 02-0294.30 Harris Creek near Keene ...... 1.71 . . . . . 1967- 69 1967 3.8 ...... 20 02-0294.50 Thomas Creek at Keene ...... 28 .... . 1966-69 1967 4.60 110 20 31 02-0300.00 Hardware River below Briery Run near 116 113 1939-69 1944 23.8 23,000 20 31.00 52,000 448 24.44 Scottsville.

02-0301.00 Frisby Branch near Buckingham ...... 4.35 • • 0 •• 1967-69 1967 5.66 165 20 5.50 170 39 32 02-0305.00 Slate River near Arvonia ...... 235 214 1927-69 1935 22.18 13,600 20 13.00 5,400 23 3

02-0307.00 James River at Bremo Bluff ...... 5,040 • 0 •• • 1870- 1969 1870 537.4 ...... 20 39.1 02-0308.00 Stockton Creek near Afton ...... 2.80 •• • 0. 1967-69 1967 5.65 180 20 9.3 650 232 02-0333.00 Moores Creek near Charlottesville ...... 3.52 ..... 1967-69 1968 14.96 ...... 20 16.85 2,000 568 02- 0337.00 Henderson Creek near Shadwell ...... 1.76 ... .. 1966- 69 1967 5.51 ...... 20 33 02-0340.00 at Palmyra ...... 675 661 1934-69 1942 37.4 78,000 20 39.85 98,800 146 2 2.82 See footnotes at end of table. Table !.--Summary offlood heights and flows in the James River Basin- Continued

Permanent Average Maximum previously Maximum during August 1969 Station station annual known flood Recur- Drainage Period number number flow renee Stream and place of determination area of Gage Gage Flows on by U.S. (cfs Flows interval (sq. mi.) record Year height Day height fig.4 Geological :cubic feet (cfs) cfs per (years) (feet) (feet) cfs Survey per second) sq mi

02-0340.50 Hunters Branch near Palmyra ...... 1.63 ..... 1967-69 1968 3.47 100 20 10.82 1,500 920

02 - 0341.00 James River at Columbia ...... 5,744 .. . .. 1870-1969 1870 39 ••• 0 0 • 20 41.3 34 02-0345.00 at Flanagan Mills ...... 247 234 1926-69 1937 23.86 9,580 21 22.57 35 02-0350.00 James River at Cartersville ...... 6,242 6,920 1870 1870 432 . . • . 0. 21 33.75 250,000 40 31.25 1877 1877 432 1899-1969 1944 29.6 180,000 .. .. . 02-0354.00 Big Lickinghole Creek tributary near .55 ... .. 1962-69 1961 4.28 150 20 5.55 600 1,090 Ferncliff.

. . . . . 02- 0354.50 Mill Creek near Gum Springs ...... 34 • 0 •• • 1966-69 1968 7.59 142 20 9.72 190 559

02-0358.00 James River at State Farm ...... •• • 0 • • . . . . . 1936 1944 26.4 ...... 21 1938-50 36 02- 0365.00 Fine Creek at Fine Creek Mills ...... 23 18 1945-69 1961 8.35 3,640 20 3.55 37 02- 0375.00 James River near Richmond ...... 6,757 7,151 1934-69 1936 23.42 175 ,000 21 24.95 222,000 33 31.16

02- 0377.00 James River at Richmond ...... • • • 0 •• • 0 0 •• 1771- 1969 1771 438 •• 0 •• • 22 28.6 N ~ 38 02-0378.00 Falling Creek near Midlothian ..... ·...... 18.1 ..... 1951-69 1960 8.62 1,450 20 4.07 251 14 39 02-0380.00 Falling Creek near Chesterfield ...... 32.8 31 1955-69 1960 12.67 2,510 20 4.95 171 5 40 02-0400.00 at Mattoax ...... 729 683 1901-05 1940 35.3 35,000 1926-69

1 At different site and datum. 2Ratio of peak discharge to 50-year flood. 3Ratio of peak discharge to 100-year flood. 4From reports by Corps of Engineers. SF rom flood profde by Corps of Engineers.