FLOODS OF APRIL 1979, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND GEORGIA Report prepared jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1319 Floods of April 1979, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND GEORGIA FRONTISPIECE. Sequence of photographs showing the destruction of the bridge on State Highway 50 over the Tallapoosa River below Martin Dam near Tallassee, Ala., about 1630 CST, April 14, 1979. Photographs courtesy of H. H. Weldon, Electic, Ala. FLOODS OF APRIL 1979, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND GEORGIA By GEORGE W. EDELEN, JR., K. V. WILSON, and JOE R. HARKINS, U.S. Geological Survey, and JOHN F. MILLER and EDWIN H. CHIN, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1319 Report prepared jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1986 UNITED STATES UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE DONALD PAUL MODEL, Secretary MALCOLM BALDRIDGE, Secretary NATIONAL OCEANIC AND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION Dallas L. Peck, Director Anthony J. Calio, Administrator Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Main entry under title: Floods of April 1979, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia (Geological Survey professional paper; 1319) "Report prepared jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration." Bibliography: p. 45 1. Floods Mississippi. 2. Floods Alabama 3. Floods Georgia I. Edelen, George W. II. Geological Survey (U.S.) III. United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. IV. Series. GB1399.4.M7F55 1984 551.48'0976 84-600097 For sale by the Books and Open-File Reports Section, U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, CO 80225 CONTENTS Glossary VIII Reservoirs 28 Abstract 1 Major river basins of eastern Gulf of Mexico 29 Introduction 1 Coosa River basin 29 Acknowledgments 3 Tallapoosa River basin 29 Meteorological setting 4 Alabama River basin 29 Antecedent conditions 4 Tombigbee River basin 30 Early spring storms 4 Tombigbee River upstream from Gainesville, Ala 30 March 3-4 4 Tombigbee River downstream from Gainesville, Ala 31 March 10-11, 14, and 21 5 Pascagoula River basin 33 March 23-24 5 Pearl River basin 33 April 1-4 7 Lower Mississippi River basin 39 April 8-9 9 Big Black River basin 39 Major storm event: April 11-13 11 Flood-crest stages 39 500-mb features 11 Streamflow velocities 40 850-mb features 11 Velocity changes during peak discharges 40 Surface weather features 14 Velocity distribution through bridge openings 40 Satellite imagery 15 Flood hydrograph data 41 Precipitation distribution 17 Ground-water fluctuations 42 General description of floods 19 Numbering system for wells 44 Magnitude of floods 23 Salinity and temperature data, Mobile Bay and Gulf of Mexico - 44 Flood damages 23 Aerial photography 44 Flood frequency 24 Selected references 45 ILLUSTRATIONS FRONTISPIECE. Sequence of photographs showing the destruction of the bridge on State Highway 50 over the Tallapoosa River below Martin Dam near Tallassee, Ala, about 4:30 p.m., April 14,1979. FIGURE 1. Area affected by floods on the Alabama, Big Black, Chattahoochee, Chickasawhay, Coosa, Pearl, and Tombigbee Rivers and their tributaries in April 1979 2 2. Significant meteorological features associated with the storm of March 3-4,1979 5 3. Isohyetal analysis of storm rainfall March 3-4,1979 6 4. Significant meteorological features associated with the storm of March 23-24,1979 7 5. Isohyetal analysis of storm rainfall, March 23-24, 1979 8 6. Significant meteorological features associated with the storm of April 1-4,1979 9 7. Isohyetal analysis of storm rainfall, April 1-4, 1979 10 8. 500-mb analyses: A. 0600 CST, April 11,1979 12 B. 1800 CST, April 11,1979 12 C. 0600 CST, April 12,1979 12 D. 1800 CST, April 12,1979 12 E. 0600 CST, April 13,1979 12 F. 1800 CST, April 13,1979 12 9. 850-mb analyses: A. 0600 CST, April 11,1979 - B. 1800 CST, April 11,1979 - C. 0600 CST, April 12,1979 - D. 1800 CST, April 12,1979 - E. 0600 CST, April 13,1979 F. 1800 CST, April 13,1979 VI CONTENTS FIGURE 10. Surface analyses: Page A. 0600 CST, April 11,1979 16 B. 1800 CST, April 11,1979 16 C. 0600 CST, April 12,1979 16 D. 1800 CST, April 12,1979 16 E. 0600 CST, April 13,1979 16 F. 1800 CST, April 13,1979 16 11. Analysis of hourly observations at 1500 CST, April 12, 1979 17 12. GOES visual image for 0730 CST, April 12,1979, with major features of surface weather map superimposed 18 13. Enhanced GOE S infrared images (Mb curve): A. 0000 CST, April 12,1979 20 B. 0230 CST, April 12,1979 21 14. Radar summary map: A. 0535 CST, April 12,1979 22 B. 1435 CST, April 12,1979 22 15. Rawinsonde plot, 1800 CST, April 12,1979: A. Jackson, Miss. 23 B. Centreville, Ala. 23 16. Isohyetal analysis of storm rainfall, April 11-14, 1979 24 17. Rainfall mass curves 25 18. Map showing location of flood determination sites - 26 19. Comparison of April 1979 peak discharges with maximum known flood peaks in Mississippi and Alabama -- 28 20-23. Hydrographs of discharge at selected gaging stations: 20. Coosa River basin in Alabama, April 1-16,1979 29 21. Tallapoosa River basin in Alabama, April 3-22,1979 30 22. Cahaba River basin in Alabama, April 10-22, 1979 30 23. Noxubee River at Macon, Miss., and near Geiger, Ala., and Sucarnoochee River at Livingston, Ala., April 2-23, 1979 31 24. Photograph showing overflow of Tombigbee River at Demopolis, Ala., April 19,1979 32 25-27. Hydrographs of discharge at selected gaging stations: 25. Valley Creek in the Black Warrior River basin in Alabama, April 2-21, 1979 33 26. North River and Black Warrior River in Alabama, April 2-21,1979 34 27. Pearl River basin at and upstream from Jackson, Miss., March 2 to April 28,1979 34 28-31. Photographs showing: 28. Housing development in flooded area along Hanging Moss Creek in northern part of Jackson, Miss., April 16, 1979 35 29. Inundated residential area in the vicinity of Westbrook Road in northern part of Jackson, Miss., April 16, 1979 36 30. Business district of Jackson, Miss., inundated by Pearl River overflow, April 16,1979 37 31. Flooded fairgrounds enclosed by levee, Jackson, Miss., near crest of Pearl River flood, April 16, 1979 38 32, 33. Hydrographs of discharge at selected gaging stations: 32. Pearl River near Monticello, Miss., and near Bogalusa, La., April 1-30, 1979 39 33. Big Black River at West, Miss., and near Bovina, Miss., April 1-30,1979 39 34. Graph showing changes in point velocity, mean velocity, stage, and discharge of Alabama River near Montgomery, Ala., April 13-20, 1979 40 35-43. Graphs showing velocity distribution and cross sections: 35. Alabama River at U.S. Highway 31 north, near Montgomery, Ala., April 15,1979 41 36. Mulberry Creek at highway bridge at Jones, Ala., April 14,1979 41 37. Hashuqua Creek near Macon, Miss., April 12,1979 41 38. Noxubee River at U.S. Highway 45 bypass near Macon, Miss., April 14,1979 42 39. Noxubee River at State Highway 17 near Geiger, Ala., April 15,1979 42 40. Tombigbee River at Gainesville, Ala. (main channel), April 15, 1979 42 41. North River near Samantha, Ala., April 13, 1979 43 42. Pearl River at Interstate Highway 55 at Jackson, Miss., April 17, 1979 43 43. Zilpha Creek at State Highway 35 near Kosciusko, Miss., April 12,1979 43 44, 45. Hydrographs of water levels in observation wells: 44. At Centreville, Ala. (Centreville Gin and Cotton Co.), March-April 1979 44 45. Near Pickensville, Ala., in the Tombigbee River basin, March-April 1979 44 46. Map showing location of specific-conductance sampling sites along the Intracoastal Waterway at the mouth of Mobile Bay, April 28-29, 1979 -- 45 47. Map showing location of flight lines along streams where aerial photographs were obtained on or near the crest of the flood, April 1979 - - 46 CONTENTS VII TABLES [All tables appear at end of report] Page TABLE 1. Supplementary rainfall data, storm of April 11-13, 1979 49 2. Summary of flood stages and discharges 54 3. Summary of flood damages on main streams and principal tributaries, March 1979 and April 1979 floods 67 4. Summary of stages and contents of storage reservoirs 69 5. Flood-crest stages^^> iii 6. Streamflow velocities, Alabama River near Montgomery, Ala, April 12-20, 1979 7. Gage height, discharge, and accumulated runoff, flood of April 1979 8. Ground-water levels in selected observation wells in Alabama and Mississippi, April 1979 197 9. Specific conductance and temperature of samples at selected sites along the Intracoastal Waterway at the mouth of Mobile Bay, April 28-29, 1979 209 10. Aerial photographs obtained at or near the crest of the flood, April 1979 212 CONVERSION OF INCH-POUND UNITS TO INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS (SI) Most units of measure used in this report are inch-pound units. The following factors may be used to convert inch-pound units to the Inter­ national System of Units (SI). Inch-pound to SI SI to Inch-pound Length inch (in.) 25.4 mm millimeter (mm) 0.03937 in. foot (ft) 0.3048 m meter (m) 3.2808 ft mile (mi) 1.6093 km kilometer (km) 0.6214 mi Area square mile (mi2) 2.5900 km2 square kilometer (km2) 0.3861 mi2 acre 4046.86 m2 square meter (m2) 0.000247 acre Volume cubic foot (ft3) 0.0283 m3 cubic meter (m3) 35.3147 ft3 acre-foot (acre-ft) 1233 m3 m3 0.00081 acre-ft Velocity mile per hour (mph) 1.6093 km/h kilometer per hour (km/h) 0.6214 mph foot per second (ft/s) 0.3048 m/s meter per second (m/s) 3.2808 ft/s Flow rate cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 m3/s cubic meter per second (m3/s) 35.3147 ft3/s (ft3/s)/mi2 0.01094 (m3/s)/km2 (m3/s)/km2 91.40768 (ft3/s)/mi2 Pressure [The National Weather Service uses millibar (mb) as customary unit for atmospheric pressure.] inch of mercury at 32°F (in.