Summary of Floods in the United States during 1963 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1830-B Prepared in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies Summary of Floods in the United States during 1963 By J. O. ROSTVEDT and others FLOODS OF 1963 IN THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1830-B 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 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 60 cents (paper cover) CONTENTS Page Abstract ___-___--_--_---_---_--__---_--__-_____________-___-___-- Bl Introduction..____________________________________________________ 1 Determination of flood stages and discharges._________________________ 4 Explanation of data.-__--_--__--_---__-___-___-__-___-___-_---_-__ 5 Summary of floods of 1963____.____.___.__-__--__________-_-___--_ 6 January-February in California and Nevada._____________________ 6 January-February in southern Idaho, by C. A. Thomas.___________ 8 January 31-February 5 in eastern Oregon, by D. D. Harris..___.____ 16 February 1 at Vivian Park, Utah._______________________________ 20 February 3-7 in southeastern Washington, by L. L. Hubbard.______ 21 March from Alabama to West Virginia and Ohio, after Harry H. Barnes, Jr. (1964), and William P. Cross (1964)___...________... 28 Kentucky ________________________________________________ 49 Ohio._____--__-____-_----__-____________-__-______-____-- 50 West Virginia.____________________________________________ 52 Tennessee.____--_--__--_-_-_-_____-__-____---__-_-__-__-- 53 Virginia._____-_-______---_______________-_________--_-_-- 54 North Carolina________---_--_____-_____-_____-___-_____-_- 55 Alabama.___----_--_---__-______-___--________--____----_ 55 Georgia.__-____-__-___-___-__-______________-_--____-_--- 56 Flood damage..___________________________________________ 56 March 4-7 in southern Indiana________________________________ 56 March-May in Hawaii, after Walter C. Vaudrey (1963) ____________ 60 June 1 near San Jose, N. Mex., by G. L. Haynes, Jr.______________ 68 June 4-6 in the vicinity of Cambridge, Ohio, after William P. Cross (1964). 69 June in southwestern Idaho and northeastern Nevada, by C. A. Thomas.--_-_-____-_____-_____-__--._-----_--_-_----------- 73 June in Nebraska, by H. D. Brice.________________.______---__-- 75 June 15-17 in north-central Wyoming, by Kenneth B. Rennick______ 80 June 16 in upper Duchesne River, Utah________________________ 84 June 29 on Giant of the Valley Mountain near St. Huberts, F.Y., by F. Luman Robison and Charles L. O'Donnell._______________ 86 July 16-17 in the vicinity of Hot Springs, Ark., after R. C. Gilstrap and R. C. Christensen (1964)_____.__-_--_---.-.-_---_-------- 87 July 23 at Hartselle, Ala___---__----._-.__--.---_------ ------ 91 August 7 in Buffalo, N.Y., by F. Luman Robison._________-_-_-_- 92 August 10 at Albuquerque, N. Mex., by G. L. Haynes, Jr__________ 94 August 14-22 in central Arizona, by B. N. Aldridge______________ 98 August 16-17 in Glendale-Maryvale area.______________-_---_ 99 August 16 and 19 in Prescott__--__-_----_------------------ 101 August 22 near Payson____________________._____-_--_-----_ 104 August 20 in Fairfax County, Va., by Daniel G. Anderson___------- 106 September 17 in southwestern Arizona, by B. N. Aldridge---------- 109 September 17-19 in southeastern Texas.------------------------- HI September 23 in southeastern Washington________________---_---- 113 References cited___________________________________________________ 115 Index..-__--___..__.-_-_______.____.---.____-_-_--_-------------- 117 IV CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 1. Map of the conterminous United States and Hawaii showing areas and months of flood occurrences in 1963_ B3 2-3. Maps of flood areas: 2. January-February, in California and Nevada____ 7 3. January-February, in southern Idaho._________ 8 4. Graph of weather conditions for December 1962-Feb- ruary 1963 at Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho._-_-_---__-_----_-_____-_-________-_---___ 10 5. Map of flood area, January 31-February 5, in eastern Oreeono ~~ _ _ _ __________ ___________ ___ _ _ ___ 16 6. Graph of weather conditions for January 27-February 5 at Baker, Oreg___________________________________ 17 7-8. Maps of flood areas: 7. February 1, at Vivian Park, Utah_ _ ____-__-__ 20 8. February 3-7, in southeastern Washington-.--__ 22 9. Map showing area flooded in March, from Alabama to West Virginia and Ohio__ _________________________ 29 10. Map of flood area for March from Alabama to West Virginia and Ohio_________-____-_____-_-__----____ 30 11-12. Discharge hydrographs: 11. Guyandotte River for March 1963.___________ 52 12. Clinch River above Tazewell, Tenn., for March 1963_______-_____----_-___----_--_------_ 54 13-16. Maps of flood areas: 13. March 4-7, in southern Indiana.,__-______-.__ 57 14. March 6 and April 15, on Kauai, Hawaii------ 60 15. March 6, April 15, and May 14, on Oahu, Hawaii- _________________________________ 61 16. March 13, on Maui, Hawaii.__---_---_-----__ 62 17-18. Graphs of magnitude and frequency of flood peaks: 17. April 15, on South Fork Wailua River and on Hanapepe River, Kauai, Hawaii__-----__-_- 64 18. April 15, on North Fork Kaukonahua Stream above Right Branch near Wahiawa, Oahu, Hawaii. _________________________________ 65 19-20. Maps of flood areas: 19. June 1, near San Jose, N. Mex_------__--_--_- 68 20. June 4-6 in vicinity of Cambridge, Ohio. ______ 70 21. Graph of accumulated rainfall at Cambridge sewage plant for June 4-5________________________________ 71 22-23. Maps of flood areas: 22. June 1963, in southwestern Idaho and north­ eastern Nevada.__________________________ 74 23. June 5 and June 24-25, in east-central Nebraska, 76 24. Isohyetal map for storm of June 23-24 in east-central Nebraska.______________________________________ 77 CONTENTS FIGURES 25-28. Maps of flood areas: 25. June 15-17, in north-central Wyoming__ ..___ B80 26. June 16, in upper Duchesne River, Utah__.__ 84 27. June 29, on Giant of the Valley Mountain, IT . Y_ 86 28. July 16-17, in the vicinity of Hot Springs, Ark__ 88 29. Graph of cumulative precipitation, Hot Springs, Ark__-_ 89 30-32. Maps of flood areas: 30. July 23, atHartselle, Ala-__------___-_--_--_ 92 31. August 7, at Buffalo, N.Y_______...____._.. 93 32. August 10, at Albuquerque, N. Mex__________ 95 33. Graph of accumulated rainfall at two locations, August 10, in northeastern Albuquerque, N. Mex_______________ 96 34-40. Maps of flood areas: 34. August 16-17, in Glendale-Maryvale, Ariz____- 99 35. August 16-19, in Prescott, Ariz_ _._-_.___.____ 102 36. August 22, near Payson, Ariz____--.__________ 105 37. August 20, in Fairfax County, Va__._-___-_.__ 107 38. September 17, in southwestern Arizona___--_-_ 110 39. September 17-19, in southeastern Texas.______ 113 40. September 23, in southeastern Washington----- 114 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Flood stages and discharges, January-February, in southern Idaho____----_-_-_--_------__-_-______-_ Bll 2. Flood damage, February 1963, in southern Idaho____-_- 16 3. Flood stages and discharges, January 31-February 5, in eastern Oregon._________________________________ 18 4. Flood damage, February, in the Palouse River basir____ 23 5-11. Flood stages and discharges: 5. February 3-7, in southeastern Washington. _ _ . _ 24 6. March, from Alabama to West Virginia and Ohio---------_--_-----._...________ 32 7. March 4-7, in southern Indiana____________ 58 8. March 6, on Kauai and Oahu, Hawaii-..----- 63 9. March 13, on Maui, Hawaii.-_-_____--_-____ 63 10. April 15, on Kauai and Oahu, Hawaii. _______ 65 11. May 14, on Oahu, Hawaii_________________ 67 12. Flood damage, March-May, in Hawaii_--__-_--_-____. 67 13. Flood discharges, June 1, near San Jose, N. Mex_______ 69 14-19. Flood stages and discharges: 14. June 4-6, in the vicinity of Cambridge, Ohio__. _ 72 15. June, in southwestern Idaho and northeastern Nevada._--___--_-_-________--__________ 75 16. June, in east-central Nebraska.___.-_--_-___- 78 17. June 15-17, in north-central Wyoming____---_ 81 18. June 16, in upper Duchesne River, Utah__-___ 85 19. June 29, on Giant of the Valley Mountain, IT. Y. 87 VI CONTENTS Page TABLE 20. Precipitation, July 12-17, in the vicinity of Hot Springs, Ark.....---------------------------------------- B88 21. Flood stages and discharges, July 16-17, in the vicinity of Hot Springs, Ark_____________________________ 90 22. Peak discharges, July 23, at Hartselle, Ala_---------- 91 23. Accumulated rainfall, August 10, in Albuquerque, N. Mex--.--_----------------------------------- 96 24. Flood stages and discharges, August 10, at Albuquerque, N. Mex-----_---------------_------------------- 98 25. Flood damage, August 16-17, in Glendale and PI oenix, Ariz.___-_---------_--------------___.--_-_-_- 100 26. Flood stages and discharges, August 19, in Pr^scott, Ariz____---._---_-----______--__---_-_-__--_ 103 27. Flood damage, August 16 and 19, in Prescott, Aris___-_ 104 28-31. Flood stages and discharges: 28. August 22, near Payson, Ariz_________________ 105 29. September 17, in southwestern Arizona____--_- 116 30. September 17-22, in southeastern Texas-______ 111 31. September 23, in southeastern Washingtor-__-_ 112 FLOODS OF 1963 IN THE UNITED STATES SUMMARY OF FLOODS IN THE UNITED STATES DURING 1963 By J. O. ROSTVEDT and others ABSTRACT This report describes the most outstanding floods in the United States during 1963. The three most destructive floods occurred in March from Alabama to West Virginia and Ohio, in June in Nebraska, and in August in Buffalo, N.Y.