Summary of Floods in the United States During 1967 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1880-C Prepared in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies RECEIVED WAV S W7 ' u s GeoiugKal Survey TaUahasa*. Florida Summary of Floods in the United States During 1967 By J. O. ROSTVEDT and others FLOODS OF 1967 IN THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAFER 1880-C Prepared in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1972 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. A. Radlinski, Acting Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. GS 65-319 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printir^ Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 75 cents (paper cover) Stock Number 2401-1139 CONTENTS Page Abstract..---.-___-___--__----_---------------------------_------- Cl Introduction,- _______________________-____-_________--__---------_- 1 Determination of flood stages and discharges._________________________ 4 Explanation of data.._________.______-_-__-_-_-_-___-__--_---_-__-- 4 Summary of floods of 1967-_______-_____-__-__-------__---___---___- 5 March 7, in southeastern Kentucky, by C. H. Hannum_______-_-_- 5 March 27-April 4, in northwestern and west-central Wisconsin, by Donald C. Hurtgen..__.___-_____________-______.___-_---_--- 7 April 13-15, in southwestern Mississippi, by B. E. Wasson__-_--_--- 10 April 13-17, in southern Louisiana, by Fred N. Lee________________ 12 April 30-May 15, in Kentucky, by C. H. Hannum_-___--__-__-__ 14 May 13, in Maury County, Tenn., by William J. Randolph.________ 18 May-July, in the Big Lost River and Big Wood River basins, Id".ho, by C. A. Thomas -_----_-_---____-_--_--------_---_ ----- 20 June 1, in southwestern Jackson, Miss., after Kenneth V. Wilson (1968) _-_----__-_---_--_---__--_-------------------___-_- 23 June 7, in the Wapsinonoc Creek basin, Iowa, after Harlan H. Schwob (1968) ___--__-___-_-___--___--___-__---__------___-_-__.- 25 June, in south-central Montana, by Melvin V. Johnson and F,. J. Omang_ ____________________________________________________ 27 June, in Nebraska, by H. D. Brice_-___.__---__----___-___-__._ 33 June 21, in northern Boise, Idaho, by C. A. Thomas. ______ ________ 41 June and July, in north-central Wyoming, by Stanley A. Druse_____ 42 June to September, in southern Nevada, by R. D. Lamke_ __._____. 48 July, in the vicinity of Oliver Springs, Tenn., by Charles R. GamHe_ _ 52 July 9-12, in northeastern Missouri, by L. D. Hauth_____________ 54 August, in east-central Alaska, from J. M. Childers, J. P. Meckel and G. S. Anderson (1971)__________________________________ 56 August 11-13, in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico, by Alberto Condes de la Torre.__________________________________ 58 August 18, near Apache Lake, Ariz., by H. W. Hjalmarson.________ 62 August, in Maryland and Delaware, from D. H. Carpenter and R. H. Simmons (1969)___-_-_________..__..__.___.__.____ 64 August 24-25, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, in Virginia, from E. M. Miller and F. P. Kapinos (1968)__________________ 77 August 25-26, in northeastern Alabama, by G. H. Nelson, Jr., and J. F. McCain__________________________________--_-__--.___- 80 September 2-5, in southwestern Arizona, by L. L. Werho_-__-____-- 83 September, in Salmon River in southeastern Alaska, by C. W. Boning. 87 September 15, in the Lynn Canal area of southeastern Alaska, by C. W. Boning.-.-_-----_____-_-______________- 89 September-October, from Hurricane Beulah in southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, from R. U. Grozier and others (1967) ____ 91 September 27-29, in western New York, by F. Luman Robison____. 93 December 18-19, in northern Alabama, by J. F. McCain___________ 97 December 19-23, in central and southern Arizona, by B. N. Aldridge.- 101 References cited_______-_____-___-___-___-___--__-__-_-__--_---_--- 106 Index. _-_________-___._______-.._-_-.__-_____.. 109 ni IV CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 1. Map showing areas and months of flood occurrence in the conterminous United States and Alaska.__ _______ C3 2-11. Maps of flood areas: 2. March 7, in southeastern Kentucky,___________ 6 3. March 27-April 4, in northwestern and west- central Wisconsin. _-_--__-__--__--____-____ 8 4. April 13-15, in southwestern Mississippi_--_---_ 11 5. April 13-17, in southern Louisiana_-__--__-_____ 13 6. April 30-May 15, in Kentucky_________________ 16 7. May 13, in Maury County, Tenr)______________ 19 8. May-July, in the Big Lost River and Big Wood River basins, Idaho._______________________ 21 9. June 1, in southwestern Jackson, Miss_ _________ 24 10. June 7, in the Wapsinonoc Creek basin, Iowa. _ _ _ _ 26 11. June, in south-central Montana---_--__-----__ 28 12, 13. Isohyetal maps of south-central Montana: 12. June 6-7__________________________________ 29 13. June 13-15.______.__-__--__-_-__________ 30 14-16. Maps of flood areas: 14. June 6, in Horse Creek basin, Nebraska.________ 33 15. June 14, near Norfolk, Nebr________--___--____ 35 16. June 15-16, in central Nebraska.______________ 36 17. Graph of accumulated rainfall, May 25-June 15, in central Nebraska-________________________________ 36 18. Graph of daily mean discharge and accumulated runoff, March-April 1960 and June 1967, Wood River near Alda, Nebr_______________________.______________ 38 19-22. Maps of flood areas: 19. June, in the Blue River basin, Nebraska____ 39 20. June 19, in northeastern Nebraska_____________ 40 21. June 21, in northern Boise, Idaho______________ 41 22. June and July, in north-central Wyoming_______ 43 23. Discharge hydrographs (June 5-July 10) for selected stations in the Bighorn River basin, Wyoming-______ 46 24. Map of flood area, June to September, in southern Nevada-________________________________________ 48 25. Discharge hydrographs, Amargosa River near JVatty, Nev. (August 30-31), and Muddy River near Moapa, Nev. (September 7-8)___________________________ 51 26-31. Maps of flood areas: 26. July, in the vicinity of Oliver Springs, Tenn_____ 52 27. July 9-12, in northeastern Missouri. ___________ 54 28. August, in east-central Alaska.________________ 57 29. August 11-13, in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico.____________________________ 58 30. August 18, near Apache Lake, Ariz_____________ 63 31. August, in Maryland and Delaware.___________ 65 32-35. Isohyetal maps of Maryland and Delaware: 32. August 3-5_____-__________-_-_--_--_---_ 66 33. August 9-10______-______-_--____________ 67 34. August 23-25-________-_-__-__-_-__-_-------- 68 35. August 25-28_______-____________-____---_--_ 69 CONTENTS V FIGURES 6-38. Maps of flood areas: Page. 36. August 24-25, in Washington, D.C., metro­ politan area in Virginia.___________________ C78 37. August 25-26, in northeastern Alabama______-_ 81 38. September 2-5, in southwestern Arizona.______ 84 39. Graph of unit discharges for floods in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California________________ 86 40-43. Maps of flood areas: 40. September, in Salmon River in southeastern Alaska_________________________________ 88 41. September 15, in the Lynn Canal area of south­ eastern Alaska____________._______________ 90 42. September-October, from Hurricane Beulah in southern Texas and northeastern Mexico_____ 92 43. September 27-29, in western New York______ 93 44. Stage hydrograph for Van Campen Creek at Friendship, N.Y., September 27-29_________________.__________ 94 45. Map of flood area, December 18-19, in northern Alabama. 98 46. Graph of accumulated rainfall at selected ESSA Weather Bureau stations in northern Alabama, December IT- IS. _____________________________________________ 99 47. Map of flood area, December 19-23, in central and southern Arizona.________________________________ 102 48. Discharge hydrographs (December 18-21) for selected stations in central and southern Arizona._____________ 105 TABLES TABLES 1-9. Flood stages and discharges: Page 1. March 7, in southeastern Kentucky,_____________ C7 2. March 27-April 4, in northwestern and west-central Wisconsin. __________________________________ 9 3. April 13-15, in south western Mississippi.- _________ 11 4. April 13-17, in southern Louisiana._______________ 14 5. April 30-May 1, in west-central Kentucky.________ 15 6. May 7, in northeastern Kentucky._______________ 17 7. May 14-15, in central and western Kentucky______ 18 8. May 13, in Maury County, Tenn_____._-________ 20 9. May-July, in Big Lost and Big Wood Rivers basins, Idaho_._______-_______________-___--_ 22 10. Average discharge of highest 30-day period during 1967 and prior highest 30-day period of record for the Lost River b?sin_ 22 11-16. Flood stages and discharges: 11. June 1, in southwestern Jackson, Miss____________ 25 12. June 7, in the Wapsinonoc Creek basin, Iowa_ _ _____ 27 13. June, in south-central Montana__________________ 31 14. June, in Nebraska_____-_______________-________ 34 15. June 21, in northern Boise, Idaho._______________ 42 16. June and July, in north-central Wyoming-________ 44 17. Rainfall, in inches, June 5-lb and 20-24, in north- central Wyoming--___-_-_______--__--_---_-_--_-_-__- 45 VI CONTENTS Pace TABLES 18-21. Flood stages and discharges: 18. June to September, in southern Nevada______ C49 19. July, in the vicinity of Oliver Springs, Tenn____ 53 20. July 9-12, in northeastern Missouri.__________ 55 21. August 11-13, in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico______-__-_-__-__-_--_-_______ 60 22. Summary of flood damages, August 11-13, in eastern Arizona.________________________________________ 62 23-25. Flood stages and discharges: 23. August 18, near Apache Lake, Ariz__________ 64 24.