Summary of Floods in the United States During 1962 By J. O. ROSTVEDT and others GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1820 Prepared in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1968 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director Library of Congress catalog card No. GS 65-319 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 45 cents (paper cover) CONTENTS Page Abstract__ _ ______.______________-_---_--_---__-----_------------ 1 Introduction-___________---_____-___-__--------------------------- 2 Determination of flood stages and discharges._______-___----__-_-_---- 4 Explanation of data____________-_-____--_-_-_-_-_-----_-.-------- 5 Summary of floods________________________________--___-_---------- 6 February in southern Idaho and northern Nevada and Utah, by Cecil. A. Thomas and Robert D. Lamke-_--_-._------------_--------- 6 Bear River basin and Curlew Valley, Utah and Idaho. _________ 11 Humboldt River basin, Nevada-____---_---_---_------__---- 11 Henrys Fork, Idaho______________________________________ 13 Idaho Falls-Blackfoot lowlands, Idaho,______________________ 13 North and west of the Snake River above American Falls, Idaho. 13 Blackfoot River basin, Idaho______________________________ 14 Portneuf River basin, Idaho__--_--_-_-----___-_--_--_------ 14 Southside tributaries of the Snake River below Portneuf Fiver, Idaho and Nevada_____________________________________ 16 Big Wood River and Clover Creek basins, Idaho-_____________ 16 Snake River main stem, Idaho__----___-__-_-_---------_- 17 Basins in Utah____________________________________________ 17 Flood damage_________________________ 18 February-March in southeastern Kentucky and in the Cumberland River basin, Tennessee, by C. H. Hannum and W. J. Randolph. __ 26 March 22 and 24 in central Nebraska._______________________ 32 March 27-29 in southeastern Minnesota, by L. E. BidwelL.-_-__-__ 34 March-April in southeastern South Dakota and adjacent areas______ 37 May in northwestern Nebraska, by H. D. Brice___________________ 46 May and June in northeastern Wyoming_______-_-_-----_--_-_-_- 49 May-July in northern Kansas, by T. J. Irza________-_-_--____-___ 51 June in Nebraska__________________________________________ 57 June 8-17 in northwestern Minnesota, by L. E. Bidwell____________ 72 June 15-16 in northern Black Hills, S. Dak.___.____________-_ 76 June and July in eastern North Carolina, by G. C. Goddard, Jr_____ 79 July in Nebraska, by H. D. Brice____________________________ 85 July 13 in Rapid City area, South Dakota___________________ 91 July 15 in Banklick Creek basin, Kentucky, by C. H. Hannum____ 94 July 27, September 7-8, and October 8 in northeastern Texas. ______ 96 August 10 near Velva, N. Dak______________________________ 103 September 13 near Marana, Ariz., by B. N. Aldridge_____________ 105 September 21 in southeastern Utah, by Elmer Butler._____________ 106 September 21-24 in southwestern Florida, by J. W. Rabon.________ 108 September 26-28 in southern Arizona, from Lewis (1963)__-__-_____ 115 October in northern California, by S. E. Rantz.___________________ 121 November 19-25 in southwestern Washington, by J. H. Bartells..____ 126 References cited-_________________________________________________ 130 Index._______________________________________ 131 in IV CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURE 1. Map showing areas and months of flood occurrene in 1962 in conterminous United States.________________ 3 2. Map of flood area, February in southern Idaho and northern Nevada and Utah________________________ 8 3. Graphs of weather conditions for January and February at Elko, Nev., and west of Idaho Falls, Idaho_______. 10 4. Discharge hydrographs, Humboldt River basin, Nevada. 12 5. Discharge hydrographs, Portneuf River basin, Idaho. _ _ _ 15 6-9. Maps of flood areas: 6. February-March in southeastern Kentucky and in the Cumberland River basin, Tennessee.___ 27 7. March 22 and 24 in central Nebraska_________ 33 8. March 27-29 in southeastern Minnesota._______ 35 9. March-April in southeastern South Dakota and adjacent areas.--___---___--_--.-___-_______ 38 10. Map showing water equivalent of snow on ground on March 20 in portions of South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota.__--_-_--_-_---___---_______ 39 11. Graphs of maximum and minimum daily temperatures at Bridgewater, S. Dak______________________________ 40 12-22. Maps of flood areas: 12. May 20-21 in northwestern Nebraska.________ 46 13. May and June in northeastern Wyoming_____ 49 14. May 28-29 in northeastern Kansas.__________ 52 15. June 7-8 in northwestern Kansas.____________ 54 16. July 2-5 in northwestern Kansas____________ 56 17. June 6-7, and 16 in central Nebraska________ 58 18. June 10-11 in Elkhorn River basin, Nebraska_ 63 19. June 11-12 in northwestern Nebraska,________ 64 20. June 30-July 1 in northwestern Nebraska. _____ 69 21. June 8-17 in northwestern Minnesota.________ 73 22. June 15-16 in northern Black Hills, S. DaJr____ 77 23. Graph showing relation of peak discharge to floods of selected recurrence intervals, floods of June 15-16 in northern Black Hills, S. Dak_______________ 78 24. Map of flood area, June and July in eastern North Carolina_______________________________________ 81 25. Discharge hydrographs, June 29-July 14 for streams in eastern North Carolina..__________________________ 84 26-28. Maps of flood areas: 26. July 1, 17, and 31 in southwestern Nebraska. __ 86 27. July 30-31 in northwestern Nebraska________ 90 28. July 13 in Rapid City area, South Dakota.____ 92 29. Graph showing relation of peak discharge to floods of selected recurrence intervals, floods of July 13 in Rapid City area, South Dakota.___________________ 93 CONTENTS V FIGURE 30-31. Maps of flood areas: Page 30. July 15 in Banklick Creek basin, Kentucky.___ 95 31. July 27 in vicinity of Mineral Wells, Tex__ __ 96 32. Graph of accumulated rainfall at Mineral Wells, Tex., July 25-27..-----_-..-------_._-___.._.__ 97 33-34» Maps of flood areas: 33. July 27 and October 8 in White Rock Creek basin, Dallas, Tex_________. _____ 98 34. September 7-8 near Fort Worth and Dallas, Tex.___________________________________ 100 35. Map of Big Fossil Creek basin showing amount of precipi­ tation for September 7________-_-___-_______-____- 101 36. Discharge hydrograph, September 7-8 on Big Fossil Creek near Haltom City, Tex___________ _.___ 102 37. Map of flood area, August 10 near Velva, N. Dak--___ 104 38. Graph showing relation of peak discharge to floods of selected recurrence intervals, floods of August 10 near Velva, N. Dak--___---_----___--__--_----__-___ 105 39-41. Maps of flood areas: 39. September 13 near Marana, Ariz______________ 106 40. September 21 in southeastern Utah_________ 107 41. September 21-24 in southwestern Florida , _ _ 109 42. Graph showing accumulated rainfall, September 19-21 in southwestern Florida__-______--_-_-__-___-___-_ 110 43. Rainfall frequency curves for southwestern Florida.__ __ 111 44. Discharge hydrographs, September 15-October 10 in southwestern Florida____________________________ 115 45. Map of flood area, September 26-28 in southern Arizona. 117 46. Map of inundated area, floods of September 26-28 in southern Arizona_----_---------_----_-_-_---,_-__- 120 47. Map of flood area, October 12-15 in northern California- 122 48. Discharge hydrographs, October 12-15 in northerr Cali­ fornia.-.-.-_________________________ 123 49. Map of flood area, November 19-25 in southwestern Washington______________________________ 127 VI CONTENTS TABLES TABLE 1-3. Flood stages and discharges: Page 1. February in southern Idaho and northern Nevada and Utah___________________________ 19 2. February-March in Kentucky and Tennessee_ _ 28 3. March 22 and 24 in central Nebraska._________ 33 4. Depth of snow on ground and water equivalent in central Nebraska._______________________________________ 34 5-6. Flood stages and discharges: 5. March 27-29 in southeastern Minnesota. _______ 36 6. March-April in southeastern South Dakota and adjacent areas_____________________________ 43 7. Daily precipitation associated with the floods of May 20-21 in northwestern Nebraska and southwestern South Dakota -_-_--___-___-._-_-_-_----___---__ 47 8-12. Flood stages and discharges: 8. May in northwestern Nebraska._______________ 48 9. May and June in northeastern Wyoming______ 50 10. May 28-29 in northeastern Kansas___________ 53 11. June 7-8 in northwestern Kansas._____________ 55 12. July 1-10 in northwestern Kansas____________ 57 13. Daily precipitation associated with the floods of June 6, 7, and 16 in central Nebraska______________________ 59 14. Flood stages and discharges, June 6-7 and 16 in contra! Nebraska.--_____________________________________ 60 15. Daily precipitation associated with the floods of Jure 10- 11 in Elkhorn River basin, Nebraska______________ 62 16. Flood stages and discharges, June 10-11 in Elkhorn River basin, Nebraska__________________________________ 65 17. Daily precipitation associated with the floods of Jur e 11- 12 in northwestern Nebraska_____________________ 65 18-19. Flood stages and discharges: 18. June 11-12 in northwestern Nebraska._________ 66 19. June 30-July 1 in northwestern Nebraska_____ 70 20. Daily precipitation associated with the floods of Jure 30- July 1 in northwestern Nebraska.__________________ 70 21. Rainfall, May and June in northwestern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota____________________________