The Floods of May 1942 in the Delaware and Lackawanna River

^551. 57 THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

GIFT CF THE

^SK:'SYLVA:!lA CSPARTl-iErT CF FORESTS ArD 'iATERS im COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTS AND WATERS

G. ALBERT STEWART, Secretary

CHARLES E. RYDER, Chief Engineer

THE FLOODS OF MAY 1942

IN THE DELAWARE AND LACKAWANNA RIVER BASINS

Prepared in cooperation with the

United States Department of Interior Geological Survey

JOHN W. MANGAN DISTRICT ENGINEER

HARRISBURG 1942 Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2011 with funding from LYRASIS IVIembers and Sloan Foundation

http://www.archive.org/details/floodsofmay1942i00penn / COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA ^DEPARTMENT OF FORESTS AND WATERS

G. ALBERT STEWART, Secretary

CHARLES E. RYDER, Chief Engineer

THE FLOODS OF MAY 1942

IN THE DELAWARE AND LACKAWANNA RIVER BASINS

Prepared in cooperation with the

United States Department of Interior Geological Survey

JOHN W. MANGAN DISTRICT ENGINEER

HARRISBURG 1942

CONTENTS

Page

Introduction 5-6

Isohyetal maps of precipitation for flood periods 7-9

Flood Discharges 11-16

Flood Flows, May 1942, for watersheds of various sizes 17

Flood Heights 19

Delaware River Basin 21

Delaware River 21-23

West and East Branch, Delaware River 24

Lackawaxen River and Dyberry Creek 25

Lehigh River 26-27

Schuylkill River 28

Susquehanna River Basin 29

Lackawanna River 29

416737 ! THE FLOODS OF MAY 1942

IN THE

DELAWARE AND UCKAWANNA RIVER BASINS

During the first three weeks of May 1942, frequent heavy rains were general over the Delaware and Lackawanna River Basins. Particularly heavy storms occurred during the period May 20-23, which culminated In crest stages on most streams approximating or exceeding those of recent history.

On the Schuylkill River at Reading, the flood crest was the third highest recorded since 1757; it was the second highest in 156 years of record on the Lehi^ River; and by far the highest known to present generations along the Lackawaxen River. Serious flooding also occurred along the Lackawanna and Upper Delaware tributaries.

The preliminary estimate of the direct losses attributed to the floods of May 1942 in Pennsylvania has been placed at $15,000,000.

Thirty-three persons lost their lives, 35 bridges were washed out and

22 state highway routes were damaged; 10 small dams failed; there was serious damage to railroads and some municipal water systems were tem- porarily placed out of commission.

While many sections were seriously inundated by the flood, the greatest devastation occurred in the Lackawaxen River Basin, particularly Honesdale, where the central section of the town was inundated to a depth of 5 or 6 feet. In the Lackawaxen Basin alone, 24 persons were drowned and the damage has been estimated at $6,000,000.

Meteorological analysis of the storm, daily and hourly records of precipitation from all gaging stations in the area and other pertinent information on rainfall has been collected by the Hydro-climatic Unit of the United States Weather Bureau in cooperation with the United

States Army Engineers and the United States Department of Agriculture.

The data are accessible at the United States Weather Bureau offices at Albany, N. Y. and Harrlsburg, Pa,, and are available to cooperating parties In a special publication of this organization.

The maps of precipitation In this report were furnished by the

United States Weather Bureau, Harrlsburg, Pennsylvania.

4 CASTERN PENNSYLV/NNIA TOTAL RAINFALL 7A.M. MAY »3, 194-2. TO 7 A.M. MAY 23,\34-cL.

U.S.Wt • i ATHEH BUREAU >-\A.RJiC'|^&Ui^q PA. |

TWENTY-FOUR HOUR RAINFALL ENDJNq APPROXIMATELY 7AM. E.ST. MAY 23.1942.

US.WtATHER BUREAU HAtl'WSBUnG PA. I FLOOD DISCHARGES

It is worthy of note that, although records indicate rainfall of as much as five to seven inches falling on May 22nd over some of the flood area, the maximum run-off rate was well below rates which occurred during past floods in other sections of Pennsylvania. A large portion of the area where the heaviest rainfall occurred is glacial,

containing numerous lakes and ponds, so that a considerable portion of the rainfall was absorbed sind the run-off retarded due to storage. In making miscellaneous spillway determinations of flood flow, the absence of recording gages on the dams, in most instances, prevented an accurate analysis of the relation between storage and run-off rates.

The results of the determination of the maximum discharges reached at regular gaging stations, at dams, and at miscellaneous points are presented in tabular form and in the diagram. In most instances, regular gaging stations in the Delaware River Basin in Pennsylvania and

New York are listed regardless of whether flood stage was reached.

They not only summarize pertinent information on the flood of May 1942, but also give, for comparative purposes, similar data for the greatest previously recorded flood. At regular gaging stations, where ratings were defined by current-meter measurements, the discharges are shown with their corresponding gage heights, #iich readily separate them

from miscellaneous determinations made by other methods in the May 1942

flood.

The diagram shows all May 1942 flood discharge determinations in

terms of second-feet per square mile plotted against their correspond-

ing drainage areas. In addition, enveloping curves based upon all

flood discharge records relating to Pennsylvajiia Streams made prior to the May 1942 flood are shown.

11 The enveloping curve for all drainage basins is the same as the

curve developed by Mangan from records given in the special publication

"Flood Discharge Records Relating to Pennsylvania Streams, 1938" and

shown on pages 36 and 37 of that report.

The Delaware Basin enveloping curve is based on all flood discharge determinations in the Delaware Basin in Pennsylvania and New York and on the main Delaware River prior to the May 1942 flood. It will be noted that only two determinations made in May 1942 exceeded this curve; namely, Lackawaxen River at Hawley, Pa. and Equinunk Creek at

Equinunk, Pa.

All flood determinations at locations in New York were furnished by the United States Geological Survey, Albany, New York, in cooperation with the New York City Board of Water Supply. The determinations at the three locations along the Delaware River (except Port Jervis) were furnished by the United States Geological Survey, Trenton, New

Jersey, in cooperation with the New Jersey Water Policy Commission.

All miscellaneous discharge determinations were analyzed and reviewed by Hollister Johnson of the United States Geological Survey before final values were accepted.

Records at the recently established gaging stations on the East

Branch of Delaware River at Downsville, N. Y. , Platte Kill at Dunraven,

N. Y. , and Neversink River at Neversink, N, Y. are not included in the tables.

12 ' '

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FLOOD HEiaHTS

The tabulations which follow give the crest heights along the

Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill, Lackawanna and Lackawaxen Rivers not only for the May 1942 flood but, for comparative purposes, all previously known recorded major floods along those rivers.

It should be borne in mind that there is always some doubt as to the accuracy of the early flood heights. In later years, particularly since the turn of the century, gages established on most of our im- portant rivers where daily readings were obtained, with more frequent observations at times of floods. Today, all principal river stations are equipped with water-stage recorders that furnish continuous records of river heists and eliminate all uncertainty as to accuracy.

From the greater number of flood height records listed for the more recent years one migit mistakenly infer that floods ha"ve been increasing in number if not in magnitude, particularly since the latter part of the 19th century. There Is no evidence that floods occurred less frequently in the earlier part of the period covered by the record. A more logical explanation of the predominance of records in recent years is that, in the earlier period, the greatest floods made a more lasting Impression and consequently the records have been pre- served; whereas those of lesser significance were lost in the Inter- vening years.

River distances in miles are given in the tables for all locations in order that crest elevations niay be interpolated for intervening points. Flood profiles may also be developed from the data if desired.

The crest heights are shown as elevations in feet above mean sea level, Sandy Hook Datum. The elevations are based on the latest information available as to the results of adjustments to the precise

19 level nets. All elevations in any one column were taken on the same structure or group of structures.

At locations where river gages have been maintained, the zero of the gage and the flood stage are given where this information is known.

The Water Supply Commission of Pennsylvania made an exhaustive study of historic floods in Pennsylvania and published the results of their work in Part VIII of the Water Resources Inventory Report in 1914.

Many of the flood heights of the earlier floods given in the latter publication were converted into elevations above mean sea level for use In this report.

The United States Engineer Offices of Philadelphia and Wllkes-Barre have aided in the preparation of the tabulations by furnishing many flood elevations obtained in their districts.

August 1 , 1942

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23 .,., -

ELEVATIONS OF MAJOR FLOODS DEIA'VAR;! RIVER BASIN

V/est end East Branches of Delaware River

West Branch East Branch

Miles above mouth 1.9 9.7 60 11.1 17.4 SI

Zero of Gage 946.34 1,345.97 950.80 1,007.96 1,303.48

0) tin

Date c 5 P5—

iB o >, tiD

• +3 a M 1^ B K

1786 October. 1841 January.

1846 March. . . 1857 May 1852 June

1865 March. , . 1869 October. 1878 December. 1895 April 1901 December.

1902 March. . . 1903 October. 966.6 974.4

1904 March. . . 1907 December.

1913 March. . . 961.6 968.2

1914 March. . . 960.9 968.2

1923 March. . . 956.3 1924 April... 1924 Sept. Oct. 962.1 969.8 1925 February.

1933 August . . . 971.4

1934 March. , . 1935 July 959.0 1936 January. 1936 Mar. 12-13 1936 Mar. 18-19 960.6 970.0 1,023.5 1938 September 961.9 1,354.8 969.0 1,024.9 1,315.2

1940 March,. . 961.3 1,353.9 967.8 1,023.0 1,314.0 1942 May 907.3 960.9 1,353.4 968.0 1,022.6 1,307.2

24 ELEVATIONS OF MAJOR FLOODS DELAWARE RIVER BASIN

LackaWBien River Dyberry Creek

Miles from Location March Sept. Key Mouth 1936 ig^e 1942

Lackawaien River

0.0 Mouth; junction with Delaware River 4.2 Rowlands; highway bridge 695.5

13,4 P. P. «c L. Co.; hydro-electric plant 828.8 824.4 841.2 16.0 Hawley; recorder gage 882.6 876.6 888.9

16.2 Hawley; Paupack St. & Falls Ave. 891.7

16.3 Hawley; highway bridge; V/el'/rood St. 887.8 893.2

16.7 Hawley; Church St, 896.4 16.9 Mouth of Middle Creek

17.1 Hav;ley; Main St. near Erie R. R. 901.6 17.4 West Hawley; Riverside Bridge 900.8 898.0 907.9 20.9 White Mills; highway bridge 932.1 24.79 Mouth of Carley Brook 960.2 956,4 25.30 Honesdale; Florence Mills 964.6 972.3

25.55 Honesdale; Fourth St, 970.0 965.4 974,8

25.72 Honesdale; Sixth St. 970.8 966,0 977,6

25.83 Honesdale; Eighth St. 972.3 968.6 979.4

25.98 Honesdale; Court House 972.-5 979.6

26.15 Junction with Dyberry Creek

26.28 Honesdale; Court St, footbridge 977.4 974.0 982,7

26.39 Honesdale; Main Street 984.3

26.66 Honesdale; School 982.6 988,1

27,15 Honesdale; CJ.ark St. 994.4 990.9 999.8

27.45 1,003,9 1,007.8

Dyberi? Creek

0.00 Junction with Lackawaxen River

.04 Honesdale; highway bridge 977.1 971.4 984.1

.31 Honesdale; Fifteenth St. 978.4 984.5

.58 Honesdale; Eighteenth St, 978.6 974.1 985.2

.73 Honesdale; Stanton St. 979.6 985.8

.88 Penna. Dept. of Highways shed 979.5 974.7 985.9

1.83 986.6

2.08 Highway bridge 979.5 975.0 986.8

Note.- Three greatest floods since 1908.

25 M i# area aAoqV

256.4 257.3 258.4 255.8 255.8 255.1 254.8 260.1

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