Summary of Floods in the United States During 1964
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Summary of Floods in the United States During 1964 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1840-C Prepared in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies Summary of Floods in the United States During 1964 By J. 0. ROSTVEDT and others FLOODS OF 1964 IN THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1840-C Prepared in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1970 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOP WALTER J. HIGKEL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 60 cents CONTENTS Page Abstract_________________________________________________________ Cl Introduction._ ____________________________________________________ 1 Determination of flood stages and discharges._________________________ 4 Explanation of data______________________________________________ 4 Summary of floods________________----__--_______-__-_--_--_----- 5 January 25 in north coastal Oregon, by J. M. Abbott-_____________ 5 March along the Ohio River____________________________________ 8 March 5-10 in New York, by F. Luman Robison__________________ 9 April 6-10 in east-central Mississippi, after Wilson and Ellison (196?) _ 16 April in Alabama, by Jerald F. McCain____.______-_____-------__ 20 April 18-20 near Ville Platte, La., by Vernon B. Sauer. ____________ 24 April 20-24 in central Indiana, by Archie A. McCollam____________ 26 April 25-28 in southern Mississippi, after Wilson and Ellison (1968)_ 29 April 25-May 3 in northern Florida and southern Georgia, by James W. Rabon_____________-____-__--__---_-__-_--____--- 32 April 26-27 near Billings, Mont., by Melvin V. Johnson. ___________ 39 May and June in Nebraska, by H. D. Brice_______--__-__-_--__- 41 June in northwestern Montana._________________________________ 43 June 8 in northern Idaho, by C. A. Thomas_____________________ 45 June 13 at Artesia, N. Mex., by George L. Haynes, Jr..____________ 50 June 15 on the North Canadian River near Guymon, Okla., by L. L. Laine_ ___---_______________-__-_-____--_-____-_____-_------ 53 June 17-18 in central-eastern Missouri, after M. S. Petersen (1965)_ 54 July-September thunderstorms in Arizona, by Otto Moosburner and B. N. Aldridge___________________-_____-___-_---__--_--__- 57 July 30 and August 2 in southwestern Colorado___________________ 65 August in Utah, by Elmer Butler______________________________ 66 September 9-11 in the Santa Cruz River basin, Arizona, by B. N. Aldridge and Otto Moosburner----------------.---------------- 69 September 9-13 in central and northern Florida and southern Georgia caused by Hurricane Dora, by James W. Rabon_________---____- 74 September 15-30 in south-central and northeastern Texas__ ________ 82 September 27-28 near Hammond, La., by Braxtel L. Neely, Jr______ 90 September-October in eastern Tennessee River basin in NorMi Carolina, by H. G. Hinson__________________________________ 92 October 4-8 from Hurricane Hilda in southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi-__________________---_-__-------_-_--_-- 95 Louisiana, by Braxtel L. Neely, Jr_______________________ 97 Mississippi, after Wilson and Ellison (1968)_-____-_--_-_-__- 100 October in eastern North Carolina, by H. G. Hinson___._______-- 103 December in Hawaii, after Stuart H. Hoffard (1965)_______________ 108 December 1964-January 1965 in the Far Western States. __________ 114 References cited-____--____..__________-________-___--_--_-__-__---_ 116 ___.____.._.._..._..__..__________-_________________-__--_ 119 in IV CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURE 1. Map showing areas and months of occurrence of out- Page standing floods in 1964________-_________________ 03 2. Map of flood area, January 25 in north coastal Oregon. _ 6 3. Graph of daily precipitation for January at Tillarrook, Oreg____-______----_____--_--______________-____ 7 4. Discharge hydrograph, January 17-29, on Nel tlem River near Foss, Oreg_________-_________-________. 7 5. Map of flood area, in March along the Ohio River______ 9 6. Map showing water equivalent of snow on gnund, March 2-4 in southeastern New York.______________ 10 7. Map of flood area, March 5-10 in New York_________ 11 8. Stage hydrograph of the Mohawk River at Cohoe3 and the Hudson River at Lock 4, above Troy ard at Albany, N.Y., March 5-7_-_-_-_______--_________- 14 9. Stage hydrograph of Butternut Creek at Morris, N.Y., March 4-6__________--___-_.___--_-_-________-_ 15 10, 11. Maps of flood areas: 10. April 6-10 in east-central Mississippi-_________ 17 11. April in Alabama..-_______________________ 21 12. Graph of cumulative rainfall on April 25-27 at Montlimar Creek at Mobile, Ala____________________________ 24 13-16. Maps of flood areas: 13. April 18-20 near Ville Platte, La....-_____ 25 14. April 20-24 in central Indiana._______________ 27 15. April 25-28 in southern Mississippi__________ 30 16. April 25-May 3 in northern Florida and southern Georgia_________________________ 33 17. Graph of cumulative rainfall, April 25-May 2 at Raiford State Prison weather station, Florida ____-___--__-- 34 18-22. Maps of flood areas: 18. April 26-27 near Billings, Mont__-.______-__ 40 19. May 25-26 in east-central Nebraska____---_-_- 41 20. June 16 in eastern Nebraska ---------------- 43 21. June in northwestern Montana.___________--- 44 22. June 8 in northern Idaho.______._______--__- 46 23. Graph of weather conditions for May and June at Powell, Idaho_______________________.______-_--______.-- 47 24. Map of precipitation amounts and water equivalent of snow prior to floods of June 8 in northern Idaho_____ 48 25, 26. Maps of flood areas: 25. June 13 at Artesia, N. Mex__________________ 51 26. June 15 on the North Canadian River near Guymon, Okla^.-----------.-------------- 53 27. Discharge hydrograph, June 15-16 for North Canadian River near Guymon, Okla_---_-----------_-------- 54 28. Map of flood area, June 17-18 in central-eastern Missouri. 55 29. Discharge hydrograph, June 17-18, Dry Branch near Bonne Terre, Mo__----___-_-_---___-_-_---_----_-_- 56 CONTENTS V FIGURES 30-35. Maps of flood areas: Page 30. July-September in Arizona...________________ C58 31. August 12 in Winslow, Ariz_________________ 61 32. September 6 near Tucson, Ariz________________ 64 33. July 30 and August 2 in southwestern Colorado. 65 34. August in Utah.____________________________ 68 35. September 9-11 in the Santa Cruz River bas;n, Arizona._________________________________ 70 36. Discharge hydrograph, September 10-11, at selected stationsin the Santa Cruz River basin, Arizona_______ 72 37. Map of- flood area, September 9-13 in central and northern Florida and southern Georgia._____________ 75 38. Graph of cumulative rainfall, September 9-12, at Raiford State Prison weather station, Florida.______________ 76 39. Discharge hydrograph, September 9-20, of New River near Lake Butler, Fla____-_____-____---_-----_-__.__ 77 40-42. Maps of flood areas, September 15-30: 40. In the Rio Grande and Nueces River basins, Texas. _ _ _ 83 41. In the Trinity River basin, Texas____-_-_-_--_--___ 84 42. In the San Antonio River basin, Texas.__-----_______ 85 43. Discharge hydrographs, September 15-30 on streams in south-central and northeastern Texas.______________ 85 44, 45. Hydrographs and mass rainfall-runoff curves: 44. September 21 in Honey Creek watershed, Texrs. 87 45. September 20-21, White Rock Creek at Dallas, Tex._--__-_-_____.__________________ 88 46-48. Maps of flood areas: 46. September 27-28 near Hammond, La._________ 91 47. September-October in eastern Tennessee Rh'er basin in North Carolina.__________________ 92 48. October 4-8 from Hurricane Hilda in south eastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi. __ 96 49. Cumulative rainfall at selected stations in Mississippi, October 3-4______________________.____ 101 50. Comparison of October 3-4 rainfall at selected sites in Mississippi with frequency curves._________________ 102 51. Map of flood area, October in eastern North Carolina. __ 104 52. Flood profiles of Neuse River near Goldsboro, N.C_____ 105 53, 54. Maps of flood areas: 53. December on the island of Kauai, Hawaii._____ 109 54. December on the island of Oahu, Hawaii__._- 110 55. Discharge hydrograph, December 16-23 of Makaha Stream near Makaha, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Ill 56. Map of flood area, December on the island of Maui, Hawaii__________________________________ 113 57. Discharge hydrograph, December 16-23 of Honokoh^u Stream near Honokohau, on the island of Maui, Hawaii. ______-________-__________-___-__-------- 114 58. Map of flood area, December 1964-January 1965 in the Far Western States.____________----- _ 115 VI CONTENTS TABLES TABLES 1, 2. Flood stages and discharges: Page 1. January 25 in north coastal Oregon___________ C8 2. March 5-10 in New York___________________ 12 3. Measured snow-water equivalent, rainfall, and runoff, March 4-8 in New York______________________ 12 4. Reservoir inflow and discharge, March 4-9 in New York.. 13 5-16. Flood stages and discharges: 5. April 6-10 in east-central Mississippi._________ 18 6. April in Alabama--___---_____----__-_______ 22 7. April 18-20 near Ville Platte, La. _. _ _____ 26 8. April 20-24 in central Indiana._--_-__________ 28 9. April 25-28 in southern Mississippi__________ 31 10. April-May in northern Florida and southern Georgia__ ______________________________ 35 11. April 26-27 in Pryor Creek basin, near Billings, Mont____________________________ 39 12. May 25-26 and June 16 in east-central and eastern Nebraska.__-______________________ 42 13. June 8 in northern Idaho.___________________ 49 14. June 13 at Artesia, N. Mex__________________ 52 15. June 17-18 in central-eastern Missouri._..______ 56 16. July-September in Arizona.__________________ 59 17. Summary of damage from flood of August 12 in Win slow, Ariz_ ____________________________-_-_____. 63 18, 19.