Summary of Floods in the United States During 1966 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1870-D Prepared in cooperation with Federal, State, and Local Agencies Summary of Floods in the United States During 1966 By J. O. ROSTVEDT and others FLOODS OF 1966 IN THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1870-D Prepared in cooperation with Federal, State, and Local Agencies UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1971 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTEE TOR ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. A. Radlinski, Acting Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. 70-610924 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 50 Cents (paper cover) CONTENTS Page Abstract.. ________________________________________________________ Dl Introduction ______________________________________________________ 2 Determination of flood stages and discharges._________________________ 4 Explanation of data. ______________________________________________ 5 Summary of floods of 1966________________________________________ 6 January 2-3, in western Kentucky, by C. H. Hannum____________ 6 February 8-13, in southwestern Wisconsin, by Donald C. Hurtgen____ _ 7 February 9-15, in Louisiana, by Braxtel L. Neely, Jr_____________ 11 February 10-18, in southern Mississippi, by Carney P. Humphreys, Jr_ 14 February 13, in Sevier County, Tenn., by William J. Randolph. _____ 17 March 3-6, in northeastern Alabama, by Jerald F. McCain______ ___ 19 March-April, in northwestern Minnesota, by D. W. Ericson. _______ 21 April-May, in northeastern Texas. ______________________________ 25 April 28, in the northern part of Dallas, Tex., after Willard B. Mills and Elmer E. Schroeder (1969) _________________________. _ 28 June 23-24, in southern Nebraska, by H. D. Brice__ _____________ 29 June 24-25, in southwest-central North Dakota, after Orlo A. Crosby July 1, in northwestern Nebraska, by H. D. Brice_ ________________ July 12, in the vicinity of Sandusky, Ohio, after William P. Cross (1967) _________________________ L ___________________________ 36 July 12-13, in southwestern North Dakota____ ___________________ 38 July 14 and September 1, in southeastern Wyoming, by Stanley A. Druse._____________________________________________________ 39 August 12-14, in east-central Nebraska, by H. D. Brice_ ___________ 42 August 22-23, in western Texas_ ________________________________ 48 August 22-23, in southeastern New Mexico, by C. Clare Cranston_ _ _ _ _ 50 September 13, in south-central Arizona, by B. N. Aldridge__________ 55 September 13, in southeastern Washington, by J. H. Bartells__--_-_- 58 November 11-13, in west-central Louisiana, ____________________ 60 December, in Southwestern United States. _______________________ 62 Northwestern Arizona, by B. N. Aldridgo_____________________ 63 Floods in Grand Canyon ___________________________ ___ 63 Floods in Verde River basin__-__ _______________.----_--_ 67 Floods in other areas_____ _______________._______-_-_--- 68 Southwestern Utah, by Elmer Butler.___ _____________________ 69 Southern Nevada, by R. D. Lamkc.. _________-_____---_-_--_ 74 Central and southern California, by A. O. Waananen ___._-_._. 78 December, in south-central California.______-______-___----_---__ 89 References cited.__________________________________________________ 91 Index____________________________________________________________ 93 III IV CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 1. Map showing areas and months of flood occurrence in conter­ minous United States._________________________________ D3 2-12. Maps of flood areas: 2. January 2-3, in western Kentucky.________________ 6 3. February 8-13, in southwestern Wisconsin._________ 8 4. February 9-15, in Louisiana..,____________________ 11 5. February 10-18, in southern Mississippi.___________ 15 6. February 13, in Sevier County, Tenn_______________ 18 7. March 3-6, in northeastern Alabama.______________ 19 8. March-April, in northwestern Minnesota. __________ 22 9. April-May, in northeastern Texas__ ________________ 26 10. April 28, in Dallas, Tex___________________________ 28 11. June 23-24, in southern Nebraska._________________ 30 12. June 24-25, in southwest-central North Dako^a____._ 32 13. Discharge hydrograph and accumulated rainfall graph for Otter Creek near Hannover, floods of June 24-25, in so^thwest- ccntral North Dakota.. ________________________________ 34 14-20. Maps of flood areas: 14. July 1, in northwestern Nebraska._________________ 36 15. July 12, in the vicinity of Sandusky, Ohio_._________ 37 16. July 12-13, in southwestern North Dakota__________ 38 17. July 14 and September 1, in southeastern Wyoming. _ 40 18. August 12-14, in east-central Nebraska____________ 42 19. August 22-23, in western Texas____________________ 49 20. August 22-23, in southeastern New Mexico. ________ 51 21. Discharge hydrographs, August 21-27, Pecos River and Rocky Arroyo, N. Mex_______________________________________ 54 22-28. Maps of flood areas: 22. September 13, in south-central Arizona.____________ 55 23. September 13, in southeastern Washington. _________ 60 24. November 11-13, in west-central Louisiana____ ______ 61 25. Early December, in northwestern Arizona and adja­ cent areas in Utah and Nevada._________________ 62 26. December 5-7, in Grand Canyon, Ariz_ ____________ 64 27. December 5-7, in Oak Creek and Beaver Creek basins in northwestern Arizona-_______________________ 67 28. December 6-7, in southwestern Utah.______________ 69 29-30. Discharge hydrographs: 29. December 6-7, in Virgin River basin, Utah________ 72 30. December 6-8, in Santa Clara River basin, Utah____ 73 31. Map of flood area, December 6-8, in southern Nevada-______ 75 32. Discharge hydrograph December 5-8, in southern Nevada. _ __ 76 33. Map of flood area, December, in central and southern Cali­ fornia. _______________________________________________ 78 34. Precipitation map, December 1-6, in central and southern California. _--_______________________________---__---- 86 35. Map of flood area, December, in south-central California____ 90 CONTENTS TABLES TABLES 1-14. Flood stages and discharges: Page 1. January 2-3, in western Kentucky______________ D7 2. February 8-10, in southwestern Wisconsin.______ 9 3. February 9-15, in Louisiana.....-____-___-_--_- 12 4. February 10-18, in southern Mississippi-________ 16 5. February 13, in Sevier County, Tennessee______ 18 6. March 3-6, in northeastern Alabama. ___________ 20 7. March-April, in northwestern Minnesota._______ 24 8. April-May, in northeastern Texas_____________ 27 9. June 23-24, .in southern Nebraska_____________ 30 10. June 24-25, in southwest-central North Dakota..- 33 11. July 12, in the vicinity of Sandusky, Ohio________ 38 12. July 12-13, in southwestern North Dakota_______ 39 13. July 14 and September 1, in southeastern Wyoming. _________________________________ 41 14. August 12-14, east-central Nebraska____________ 43 15. Average precipitation August 12-14, in lower Loup River basin, Nebraska.___________________________________ 43 16. Outstanding peak discharges in lower Loup River basin, Nebraska,. ________________________________________ 45 17. Summary of flood damages, August, in lower Loup River basin, Nebraska.___________________________________ 47 18-22. Flood stages and discharges: 18. August 22-23, in western Texas_________________ 50 19. August 22-23, in southeastern New Mexico-_____ 52 20. September 13, in south-central Arizona__ ________ 58 21. September 1 3. in southeastern Washington------- 59 22. November 11-13, in west-central Louisiana-_____ 61 23. Daily precipitation, December 3-7, in northwestern Arizona ___________________________________________ 63 24-25. Flood stages and discharges: 24. December 5-7, in northwestern Arizona__________ 65 25. December 5-7, in Beaver Creek basin, Arizona. __ 68 26. Daily precipitation, December 3-7, in southwestern Utah___ 70 27-29. Flood stages and discharges: 27. December 6-7, in southwestern Utah_____-_--__- 71 28. December 6-8, in southern Nevada._____--_--__ 76 29. December 5-7, in central and southern California-_ 79 FLOODS OF 1966 IN THE UNITED STATES SUMMARY OF FLOODS IN THE UNITED STATES DURING 1966 By J. O. ROSTVEDT and others ABSTRACT This report describes the outstanding floods in the United States during 1966. The four most destructive floods occurred during March-April in the Bed River of the North basin in northwestern Minnesota, during April-May in northeastern Texas, in August, in east-central Nebraska, and in December, in t^e South­ western United States. For the second consecutive year, there was severe flooding in the Fed River of the North basin in Minnesota during the spring snowmelt (period. Un?easonally warm temperature caused rapid melting of a heavy snow cover, with water equi­ valent ranging from 5 to 7 inches, which covered the northern two-thirds of the basin. Peak discharges were maximum of record at three gaging sites having periods of record ranging from 20 to 30 years, and peak discharges exceeded 50-year floods at nine sites. Damage from the flood was estimated at $30 million. In the period April 22-29, from 20 to 26 inches of rain fell in parts of the Sabine River basin in northeastern Texas, and high rates of runoff occurred from the headwaters of the Sulphur River southward to the Trinity River 'basin. Flood damage was estimated at $12 million, and at least 25 persons lost their lives. Severe floods occurred along the Loup River and its tributaries in east-central Nebraska on August