During 1950

^loods of 1950

Prepared under the direction of J. V. B. WELLS, Chief, Surface Water Branch 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1137-1

Prepared in cooperation with various 

Federal, State, and local agencies

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1954
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Douglas McKay, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. E. Wrather, Director

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office 

Washington 25, D. C. - Price 20 cents (paper cover)
PREFACE

This report on the summary of floods in the United States during 1950 was prepared by the Geological Survey, Water Resources 

Division, C. G. Paulsen, chief, under the direction of J. V. B. 

Wells, chief, Surface Water Branch.

The continuing investigation of surface-water resources in the 

areas covered by this report is performed by the Geological Survey in cooperation with State agencies, the Corps of Engineers, 

the Bureau of Reclamation, and other Federal or local agencies.

The base data and information were collected by the district 

offices of the Surface Water Branch, in those districts where the 

floods occurred.

Acknowledgement is made to the following agencies for data or 

information furnished: the Corps of Engineers; the Weather Bureau; the Tennessee Valley Authority; State, county, and municipal officials; the Red Cross; and many individuals.

Ill

CONTENTS

Page

Introduction ............................................................. 957

Summary of floods ....................................................... 957

California ............................................................ 957

Connecticut........................................................... 959

Hawaii ............................................................... 960

Idaho ................................................................ 960

Louisiana............................................................. 960

Maine ................................................................ 961

Maryland............................................................. 962

Michigan ............................................................. 962

Minnesota ............................................................ 963

Mississippi ........................................................... 963

Montana .............................................................. 9 64

Nebraska ............................................................. 964

Nevada ............................................................... 9 64

New Jersey........................................................... 965

New York ............................................................ 965

North Carolina........................................................ 969

North Dakota ......................................................... 970

Ohio ................................................................. 970

Oklahoma ............................................................ 972

Oregon ............................................................... 973

Pennsylvania ......................................................... 973

South Dakota.......................................................... 974

Texas ................................................................ 974

Vermont ............................................................. 975

Virginia .............................................................. 976

Washington ........................................................... 976

West Virginia ......................................................... 977

Summary of flood stages and discharges .................................... 977

Index ................................................................... 991

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 130. Map of the United States, showing outline of areas for which

reports on floods were prepared, 1950 ......... ............ 958

131. Relation of unit discharge to size of drainage basin ............ 979

V

FLOODS OF 1950

SUMMARY OF FLOODS IN THE UNITED STATES 

DURING 1950

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this summary chapter to the series "Floods of 

1950" is to assemble into a single volume information relating to 

all known severe floods in the United States, whether local or of 

wide areal extent. For floods that are described in previous chapters of Water-Supply Paper 1137, in other publications of the Geological Survey, or in reports prepared by other Federal and State 

agencies, only very brief mention including references to the reports containing detailed descriptions,will be given here. Local 

floods for which no individual reports have been prepared are 

briefly described.

The year 1950 was one of extensive floods throughout the country. In addition to those that are reported in the preceding chapters of Water-Supply Paper 1137, many severe and destructive 

floods occurred in small areas. According to a summary of flood 

losses preparedby the Weather Bureau from all available Sources, 

these losses in the United States in 1950 amounted to$176 million; 

93 lives were also lost.

Figure 130 is a map of the United States on which the areas 

covered by chapters in this series are delineated.

A summary of flood peaks, listed alphabetically by States, for 

the floods that are not reported in the individual chapters of Water-Supply Paper 1137 is given. (See table, p. 980-989.)

SUMMARY OF FLOODS

California 

October-November, Northwestern California

The floods of October-November in northwestern California are 

described under the section on "Oregon" (p. 973).

November-December, Central Valley Basin

The floods of November-December in the Central Valley basin 

were the greatest since the turn offhe century in most parts of the 

basin and probably were exceeded in the lower San Joaquin River 

basin only by the historic flood of 1862. Outstanding features of

957
NEB

Letters indicate the chapters of Water-Supply Paper 1137 whic

were prepared to cover major floods in areas outlined on map

A. Missouri River basin floods of April-May 1950 in North

and South Dakota 

B. Floods of 1950 in the Red River of the North and Winnipeg

River basins

C. Flood of August 1950 in the Waimea Area, Kauai, Hawaii 

D. Floods of May-July 1950 in southeastern Nebraska 

E. Floods of 1950 in southwestern Oregon and northwestern

California 

F. Flood of November-December 1950 in Central Valley basin

California 

G. Floods of 1950 in upper Mississippi River and Lake Superi

basins in Minnesota 

H. Floods of November-December 1950 in western Nevada

Figure 130.--Map of the United States, showing outline of areas 

prepared, 1950.
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 959

the floods were their unprecedented occurrence so early in the 

winter flood season, their magnitude in both peak and volume in 

most major tributaries, and the occurrence of a succession of nearpeak flows within a period of 3 weeks. A comprehensive report on 

these floods is published in Water-Supply Paper 1137-F, Floods of 

November-December 1950 in Central Valley basin, California.

Connecticut

A destructive combination of wind, rain, flood, and tide struck 

the northeastern section of the country, including Connecticut, on 

the night of November 25, 1950. The storm was described by the 

Weather Bureau in "Climatological Data" for the month of November 1950, as "a suddenly intensified disturbance from the Southern 

Appalachian Highlands [that] moved north and northwestward, becoming what was defined as the most violent storm of its kind on 

record. " The Weather Bureau stated that although the stormwinds 

were of hurricane force, the storm could not technically be termed 

a hurricane because it was not of tropical origin. Observations at 

New Haven, Hartford, and Putnam showed gust wind velocities as 

much as 77, 100, and 92 mph., respectively, and a fastest windmile at New Haven and Hartford of 57 and 77 mph. , respectively. 

An unusually high average wind velocity of 38.2 mph was recorded 

at Hartford for the calendar day of November 25.

Damage from storm and tide was extensive along the southern 

Connecticut coast, and from storm and flood at many places inland. The Weather Bureau reported that as the sustained gales 

Veered slowly from east through southeast and south, they became 

directly onshore at sometime everywhere along the coast. Coastal 

highways, seawalls, cottages, small craft, and several large vessels suffered heavy damages. Inland for several miles the gales 

were just as violent as along the coast. Power, light, and telephone 

blackouts afflicted many communities; flooding streams, particularly in the northwest quarter of the State, caused considerable 

havoc in low-lying areas. The Weather Bureau reported an estimated damage from the storm, tide, and flood in New England alone of more than $15 million, and a death toll of 9 attributable to 

the weather. Part of the State was declared a "disaster area" by 

the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, making industries eligible for rehabilitation loans.

No flood records were broken on Connecticut streams in this 

storm, but major rises occurred onthe Farmington andNaugatuck 

Rivers and most of their tributaries. Elsewhere in the State the 

floods were moderately high, except in the southeast quarter where 

they were minor only. The Connecticut River at Hartford crested 

on November 28 at 17 feet, a relatively low flood stage. The table 

shows stages and discharges at gaging stations where major rises 

occurred.
960 FLOODS OF 1950

Hawaii

A severe flood occurred in the Waimea River basin on August 

15-18 as a result of torrential rains associated with the only typhoon ever recorded in the proximity of the Hawaiian Archipelego. 

A report onthe flood, including a description of the storm, is contained in Water-Supply Paper 1137-C, Flood of August 1950 in the 

Waimea Area, Kauai, Hawaii.

Idaho

Kootenai valley drainage districts in northern Idaho suffered 

damage from high stages of Kootenai River during June. The stage 

at Bonners Ferry was above 30 feet for 11 days, June 16-26, and 

about 4, 600 acres of cropland was submerged because of dike failures on districts 2, 9, 12, and 14, and 3 small tracts.

A maximum daily discharge of 90,100 cfs occurred at Bonnerf 

Ferry on June 22 and 23, and the maximum gage height of 33. 9? 

feet (1, 776. 98 feet above mean sea level) on June 24.

The flood was caused by melting snow at high altitudes and delay of runoff that normally occurs during April and May, resulting in a concentration of runoff in June.

Louisiana 

February

Extremely heavy rains occurred over the Calcasieu River basin 

on February 12 and 13, producing serious floods throughout the 

basin. Twenty-four-hour totals of 7.70 and 5.72 inches fell at 

DeRidder and Leesville, respectively.

Many roads were blocked for short periods. Thegreatest damage was in the vicinity ofOakdale where homes and sawmills were 

flooded, and people were marooned in their homes.

New records of maximum stage and discharge were established 

at four stations in the Calcasieu River basin (see table).

June

On June 2 and 3, heavy rains fell in the western and north-central parts of Louisiana. The heaviest falls were recorded in the 

parishes along the Texas border and in Evangeline Parish at Ville 

Platte.
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 961

Several Sabine Parish towns, including Many, the parish seat, 

were almost isolated as overflow from small streams inundated 

U. S. Highway 71 and other roads in the Parish. The highway was 

under water at many locations between Many and Leesville and 

northwardto Mansfield. The town of Zwolle was almost surrounded by-floodwaters. Many highway bridges and fills were damaged 

and there was considerable overflow of agricultural land.

In the area where flooding was worst, there were only two 

stream-gaging stations: Bayou Anacoconear Leesville and Bayou 

San Miguelnear Zwolle, both having records beginning in September 1948. At these stations the peak discharge was much greater 

than that established previously during the, short period of record 

Information from local residents and precipitation and flood discharge data indicate that the flood was an outstanding event in the 

area, having a frequency of possibly once in 15 to 20 years. At 

other stations in the general area of the storm, no new maxima 

of record were approached except at Hickory Branch near Kernan, 

where the flood was the second highest in a period of record beginning in August 1945.

Maine

Heavy rainfall during the period November 26-29 produced very 

heavy runoff in all sections of Maine. Machias River atWhitneyville, a gaging station with 39 years of record, reached a peak 

discharge of 11,800 cfs on November 28, exceeding the maximum 

flood previously known by 300 cfs. Flow of Piscataquis River 

near Dover-Foxcroft approached the maximum previously established in April 1923. During the 4-day period, precipitation 

ranged from 2^ to 6 inches over the State--a maximum of 6. 59 

inches being recorded at Greenville. The total rainfall for November ranged from a low of 5.14 inches at Middle Dam to a high 

of 12. 61 inches at Woodland.

During the first 13 days of December fairly heavy general rains, 

falling on ground already wet from the November storm, caused 

additional flooding, particularly in eastern Maine. East Machias 

River near East Machias reached a discharge of 3,660 cfs on December 15, exceeding that established in March 1936 by 20 percent. Meduxnekeag and St. Croix Rivers attained flows somewhat 

less than maxima previously established. Several washouts occurred on the main lines of railroads in the eastern part of the 

State, halting traffic until water levels receded. At Woodland 

6.26 inches of rainfall was measured during the 13-day period. 

Flood stages and discharges at 4 gaging stations in eastern Maine 

are included in the table.
962 FLOODS OF 1950

Maryland

Multiple flood peaks of varying magnitude occurred at gaging 

stations in east-central Maryland as a result of a narrow storm 

belt running northwestward through Washington, D. C. , and Baltimore, Md., on September 10-11, 1950.

The initial early morning peak on September 10 and also the 

highest unit runoff resulted from a storm concentrated over the 

line between Charles and St. Marys Counties in southern Maryland. 

A rainfall reported to be 6 inches or more produced a peak discharge of 729 cfs per square mile at 1:20 a.m. on September 10, 

from the 10.7 square-mile drainage area on Chaptico Creek at the 

Chaptico gaging station. The road between Chaptico and Mechanicsvillewas closed at the Chaptico gage when floodwaters inundated 

the road for a distance of 1,000 feet and as much as 5 feet in depth. 

This peak discharge undoubtedly had a recurrence interval of 50 

years or more, and the rainfall was of record proportions. Peak 

discharge was determined by the slope-area method.

A second storm 17 hours or more later and of much lower intensity occurred in Howard and Baltimore Counties, producing 

peak-of-the-year discharges at most gaging stations onthe evening 

of September 10. At many points streams overflowed their banks; 

atone time all major highways into Baltimore were reported under 

water. Peak discharge from the 52.9 square-mile drainage area 

on Little Falls at Blue Mount amountedto 108 cfs per square mile, 

based on contracted-opening studies. Noteworthy peaks at 6 gaging stations are shown in the table.

A third but smaller flood peak occurred on the morning of September 11 in the belt south and east of Washington, D. C. , in a 

more sparsely settled region. This peakhad no outstanding characteristics and caused practically no damage.

Michigan

Heavy rains during April caused flooding in the St. Joseph River 

basin (tributary to Lake Michigan) in the southv/estern part of the 

southern peninsula. Previous maxima were exceeded at Mottville and Niles on the main stem of St. Joseph River and at Coldwater on East Branch Coldwater River (see table). These stations 

have been in operation for 26, 18, and 12 years, respectively.

On the St. Joseph River two peaks of nearly equal magnitude 

occurred during the month, the first one during the period April 5-7; 

the second, April 27-28. At the Mottville station both peaks exceeded the previous maximum experienced during 26 years of record. Another feature of the floods was the unusually high mean 

flow for the month. At the Niles station the mean flow for April
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 963 

1950 was 26 percent greater than that previously experienced. 

No information on flood damage is available.

Minnesota 

April-June, Mississippi River Basin

Floods of great magnitude occurred in Minnesota on the Mississippi River and tributaries, and on streams tributary to Lake 

Superior during the months April to June. They were caused by 

an unusual combination of high soil-moisture content, very heavy 

snow cover, delayed snowmelt, and heavy rain during the flood 

period. A detailed report on these floods is presented in WaterSupply Paper 1137-G, Floods of 1950 in upper Mississippi River 

and Lake Superior basins in Minnesota.

April-July, Red River of the North Basin

The floods of April-July in the Red River of the North basin are 

described under the section on "North Dakota" (p. 970).

Mississippi

Rains totaling nearly 10 inches fell January 4 and 5 along the 

southeast rim of the Pearl River basin in Mississippi. The storm 

was centered along a northeast-southwest axis covering Tuscolameta Creek in the upper Pearl River basin and Strong River in the 

south-central Pearl River basin. Northwest of this axis, rainfall 

was quite heavy and all parts of the State in that area received at 

least 3 inches. To the southeast, however, the intensity of the 

storm decreased rapidly; Hattiesburg, about 60 miles from the 

storm axis, received only li inches, and Shubuta, about 100 miles 

away, only 1 inch.

Widespread disruption of traffic and communications resulted 

from the storm. Because of the intense rainfall, many families in 

the Jackson area were marooned in their homes by swiftly rising 

waters of the Pearl River. U. S. Highways 80 west of Meridian, 

49 south of Jackson, and 51 near McComb were inundated on January 6. Many miles of State and county roads also were made impassable. Telephone lines in the Brookhaven area were broken 

when poles were uprooted by swift waters of some of the smaller 

streams.

New flood-stage and discharge records were established at a 

number of stations in the upper Chickasawhay and upper Pearl
964 FLOODS OF 1950

River basins, and in southwest Mississippi. Most of the stations 

have records of 12 years, beginning in 1938. New maximum flows 

established at Chunky Creek near Chunky, Tuscolameta Creek at 

Walnut Grove, and Bogue Chitto near Tylertown, were especially 

outstanding. Maxima of record at 11 gaging stations are shown 

in the table.

Montana

On June 17 a cloudburst caused flooding of Antelope Creek in 

Wheatland County in south-central Montana. One life was lost. 

Damage in and near Harlowton consisted of 1 mile of railroad track 

destroyed and some highways and homes damaged.

Indirect determinations of the peak flow of Antelope Creek indicated that the rate of runoff was 334 cfs per square mile, from 

a drainage area of 73 square miles. However, some parts of this 

area may not have contributed to peak flow because of the apparently localized nature of the severe storm.

Nebraska

Four floods occurred in southeastern Nebraska during the period May to July as a result of severe summer thunderstorms that 

reached cloudburst intensities in some localities. The dates of 

these floods and areas of greatest flooding are as follows: May 8 

and 9--Nemaha and Little Nemaha Rivers and Salt Creek (Platte 

River basin); June 2 and 3 Shell Creek (Platte River basin); July 

8 to 10--Big Blue.River (Kansas River basin) and West Fork Big 

Blue River; and July 18--Plum Creek (tributary to Loup River in 

Platte River basin). A detailed report on these floods is presented 

in Water-Supply Paper 1137-D, Floods of May-July 1950 in southeastern Nebraska.

Nevada

Record-breaking floods in the Walker, Carson, and Truckee 

River basins during November and December 1950 resulted from 

a rapid sequence of storms and unseasonably high temperatures 

that melted most of the early snow cover. Precipitation during 

the period November 13 to December 8 ranged from about 5 inches 

at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in Nevada to about 30 inches at the 

crest of the Sierra Nevada in California, near the California-Nevada 

State line; about half of it fell during the period November 16-21. 

The most concentrated and destructive effects of the flood occurred 

in Reno, where damages approached $2 million, according to estimates compiled by the Corps of Engineers. A detailed report
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 965

on these floods is presented in Water-Supply Paper 1137-H, 

Floods of November-December 1950 in western Nevada.

New Jersey

Heavy rainfall on November 25, 1950, accompanying a storm 

with winds that approached hurricane force produced high water 

in many streams in New Jersey, but the major part of the extensive 

property damage resulting from the storm was evidently due to 

the long continuance of strong-gale and whole-gale winds. However, 

the wind-driven tides, combined with heavy rains, caused flooding 

to homes in southwest Jersey. Several hundred families were 

evaluated in that area and 10 persons lost their lives by drowning.

A peak discharge at Flat Brook near Flatbrookville of 2, 370 cfs 

(previous maxima, 3, 470 cfs in 1924 and 1925) was on the fringe 

area of a record flood in southern New York (see p. 968). A peak 

discharge of more than 200 cfs per square mile from 15 square 

miles occurred on Salem Creek in southwest New Jersey from 

rains of 5 to 6 inches. The table includes stages and discharges 

at 2 gaging stations in the area.

New York 

August 1

On August 1, at about 6 p. m., an intense rainstorm of small 

areal extent caused excessive runoff in the vicinity of Cuba. The 

storm was described by observers as being a "pin-point" cloudburst. Small tributaries to Oil and Dodge Creeks in Allegheny 

River basin, and to South Branch Van Campen River in Genesee 

River basin, were particularly affected. According to county officials, the flood in that area was the worst "since the Cuba flood 

of 1916." Overflow of these small streams caused damage amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. Many highway culverts and 

one sizable bridge were washed out. The road between Nile and 

WestClarksville, in Allegany County, was inundated at many places 

and damage to it was considerable. A 40-foot concrete bridge on 

^he road was undermined. Maturing grain crops were damaged 

and some soil erosion was reported.

Indirect determinations of peak flow were made at points on 3 

\mnamed creeks, with drainage areas ranging from 1.41 to 5. 19 

square miles. Discharges ranged from 453 to 787 cfs per square 

-nile--rates of runoff considered noteworthy. Results are shown 

in the table.
966 FLOODS OF 1950

August 31 to September 1

A meteorologic disturbance of several days'duration culminated 

in heavy rainstorms over east-central New York and a few other 

localities of the State on August 31 to September 1. The storms 

were caused by the passage of the diminishing remnant of a hurricane. The most significant flood flows caused by the heavy rains 

occurred in Unadilla and upper Chenango River basins, where new 

maximum discharges were recorded at 3 stream-gaging stations. 

On August 28 and 29, before the main storm, rains of about 1 inch 

had fallen over the area. This storm had wet the ground and caused 

some increase of runoff. These antecedent conditions probably 

contributed to the intense runoff during the main storm period, 

August 31 to September 1, when precipitation averaged 2j to more 

than 5 inches in the area.

The floods caused a variety of property damage in Otsego, 

Madison, and Chenango Counties. Soil erosion was heavy in the 

hills, fences and farm buildings were damaged, and crops were 

destroyed. Parts of farm fields in low overbank areas were covered 

with sand and gravel. Damage to rural roads were considerable 

and a number of bridges were destroyed. Small losses of livestock 

were reported. Damage was probably greatest in villages. An 

area of particular interest centered about Leonardsville, situated 

on the Unadilla River, which, at that point, is the boundary between 

Madison and Otsego Counties. Much of the village was inundated 

and normal activities ceased, for most of the population battled 

rising waters of the Unadilla River. Floodwaters of Crumb and 

Wells Brooks and Button Falls Creek caused considerable farm 

damage. One farm resident stated that the flood on Crumb Brook 

was "the worst in 50 years. "

Farther to the south near New Berlin, Unadilla River reached 

a stage of 9.95 feet, or 0.15 foot higher than the previous maximum 

for26yearsof record. A local tributary, Papermill Brook, undermined a hardware warehouse, resulting in an estimated loss of 

$5, 000. Small streams in the vicinity of West Exeter and as far 

east as Cooperstown and Milford caused some damage. A 100- 

year-old bridge on the road between Milford and Laurens was reported to have been washed out. At Morris the grounds of the 

Otsego County Fair were inundated by Butternut Creek, which rose 

to its highest level in at least 12 years. Both Wharton and Butternut Creeks contributed heavily to floodwaters of the Unadilla River.

Features of the flood were similar in those parts of Madison 

and Chenango Counties in the Chenango River basin. Bridges were 

washed out by small tributaries at North Brookfield, and near East 

Hamilton. A new peak stage was established at the gaging station 

on Chenango River at Sherburne, a station which has been operated 

for 12 years. Floodwaters of Newton Creek caused extensive
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 967

damage in Bainbridge, in the southern part of Chenango County, 

when a bridge became choked with debris. Damage in Bainbridge 

was estimated to be in excess of $50, 000.

The village of Fort Plain suffered a small amount of damage 

when Otsquago Creek overflowed its west bank. Traffic was halted 

on the Barge Canal in the vicinity of Fort Plain because of swift 

currents produced in the canal by flood flows from Otsquago Creek 

and other streams.

Flood stages and discharges at 4 stream-gaging stations and 2 

indirect determinations of peak discharge are shown in the table.

In Rensselaer County, N. Y., adjacent to Bennington County, 

Vt., a moderately high but not damaging flood occurred on the 

Hoosic River. Some small tributaries of the river experienced 

fairly high stages, however. One tributary, Woods Brook, caused 

damage in Hoosic Falls, N. Y. A long culvert, which ordinarily 

carries the flow of Woods Brook beneath the business section of 

Hoosic Falls, was filled and the floodwaters overflowed an extensive area. Cellars of business establishments, homes, armory, 

arid hospital were flooded. Two determinations of peak flow at 

points on Woods Brook are included in the table.

September 10

At about 6 p.m. on September 10, heavy rains caused small 

streams in the vicinity of Frankfort and Herkimer to overflow their 

banks. According to newspaper reports, the flood in that area was 

the "worst in 40 years. " Although statewide, the storm was generally moderate. No other area of the State was greatly affected. 

The greatest 24-hour rainfall intensity was recorded at 8 a. m. at 

Frankfort, where 3. 42 inches fell during the preceding 24 hours.

A bridge was washed out in East Frankfort and several other 

bridges were made impassable. Route 5-S between Ilion and East 

Frankfort was closed temporarily because of washed-out shoulders, 

undermined pavement, and debris left by the overflowing streams. 

State officials placed damage to State-owned roads and bridges at 

$50, 000. Damage to farm and village property probably exceeded 

this figure.

In Herkimer, flow from Bellinger Creek caused considerable 

damage when it cut a new channel across the athletic field and deposited trees and stones on streets in the western section of the 

village.

Swift currents halted traffic on the Barge Canal in the vicinity 

of Saint Johnsville, 16 miles east of Herkimer.
968 FLOODS OF 1950

Three stream-gaging stations were in operation in the vicinity 

of Herkimer: West Canada Creek at Kast Bridge, East Canada 

Creek at East Creek, and Mohawk River near Little Falls. Of 

these, the only appreciable rise occurred on Mohawk River, which 

rose nearly 7 feet. Previous peaks were not approached,however. 

Indirect determinations of peak flow of Moyer Creek at Frankfort 

and McGowan Creek near Ilion indicated peak flow rates of 121 and 

469 cfs per square mile, respectively. Results of indirect determinations of flow are included in the table.

September 12

A local cloudburst occurred in Gowanda on September 12, at 

about 6 p. m. The areal extent of the storm was very small; only 

Grannis Brook, with a drainage area of 3 square miles, was affected significantly. Grannis Brook, which flows through Gowanda, 

reached a stage that was the highest in47years, according to local 

residents. Buffalo Street became a stream as floodwaters from 

the brook flowed overland to Cattaraugus Creek. Damage to property in the village was estimated at several thousand dollars by 

village officials.

An indirect determination of the peak flow of Grannis Brook, 

drainage area 2.10 square miles, gave an extreme runoff intensity 

of 752 cfs per square mile.

The nearest stream-gaging station to the storm center was 

Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda, within the village limits. This 

creek and other local streams experienced only minor rises, however, indicating the small areal extent of the storm.

November

Floods of November 25 and 26, in the Catskill Mountain region 

of New York State, rank among the highest known in the area. Damage was great as mountain creeks became destructive torrents and 

overflowed their banks. The valley bottoms were filled with floodwaters and alluvial plains were inundated extensively. Large areas 

of farmland were made unfit for agricultural use. Homes, farm 

buildings, commercial buildings, and bridges were destroyed. A 

detailed report of these floods is presented in Water-Supply Paper 

1227-C, Floods of 1950 and 1951 in the Catskill Mountain region, 

New York.
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 969 

North Carolina 

March

On March 12 and 13 a storm over Tennessee River Valley areas 

in North Carolina produced floods on most streams in the Hiwassee 

River basin. It is estimated that floods of this size have a frequency of about once in 3 years on the average; however, on the 

upper Nottely River the peak stage near Blairsville, Ga., was the 

highest since the July 1938 flood.

A description of this storm is contained in Tennessee Valley 

Authority Bulletin, Precipitation in Tennessee River basin--March 

1950.

July

Heavy rainfall accompanied storms in July along the coast of 

North Carolina between Wilmington and Elizabeth City. Belhaven 

recorded 20.10 inches during the month, and 12 to 19 inches were 

reported at other points. Generally, the storms occurred during 

three periods: July 6-9, 11-16, and 24-28.

Precipitation during the first storm, which was the most intense, coupled with that of the second storm period, caused major 

floods on most coastal streams in the area. Thousands of acres 

of flat farmland were flooded. Heavy damages to agriculture resulted.

Only three recently established gaging stations were in operation 

in the area most affected: Herring Run near Washington, Swift 

Creek near Vanceboro, and New River near Gum Branch (see 

table).

September

Floods occurred on September 1 in the French Broad and Nolichucky River basins in the western part of the State. Peak stages 

at all stations were less than previous maxima, although the crest 

stage of 11.17 feet of the French Broad at Rosman approached the 

previous maximum of 11. 86 feet established in August 1940.

Floods of September 8-10 on French Broad River above Asheville and on Mud Creek inundated farmlands, resulting in moderate 

damage to late truck crops. Heavy rain during this storm caused 

several slides along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
970 FLOODS OF 1950

December

Heavy rain along the Blue Ridge Mountains on December 7, together with melting snow, caused flooding of most streams in 

Kanawha River basin in that area. North Fork New River at Grumpier reached a flow of 15, 100 cfs, or 54. 5 cfs per square mile, as 

determined by slope-area method. The corresponding peak stage 

of 10. 72 feet was the highest since the flood of August 1940.

As a result of the same storm, there was also flooding in 

Watauga, French Broad, and Tuckasegee Rivers in the Tennessee 

River basin. Wide overflow occurred along French Broad River 

above Asheville, causing damage to roads, bridges, and 4, 000 acres 

of cover crops. Floodwaters of the Tuckasegee River destroyed 

a timber bridge near Cullowhee. Watauga River at Sugar Grove 

reached a stage of 16.40 feet, highest since the record flood of 

August 1940. Detailed report of this flood is included in Tennessee 

Valley Authority Bulletin, Precipitation in Tennessee River basin-- 

December 1950.

North Dakota 

April-May, Missouri River Basin

The floods of April-May in the Missouri River basin are described under the section on "South Dakota" (p. 974 ).

April-July, Red River of the North Basin

The floods of April-July in the Red River of the North and Winnipeg River basins were the largest that have occurred in several 

decades. A notable feature of the floods in the Red River of the 

North basin was the dual peaks --one in April and the other in May-- 

of nearly the same size; a notable feature of the floods in Winnipeg 

River basin was the lateness of the flood crest in the Lake of the 

Woods, near the end of July. These floods are reported in WaterSupply Paper 1137-B, Floods of 1950 in the Red River of the North 

and Winnipeg River basins. The report was prepared in cooperation 

with the Water Resources Division, Department of Resources and 

Development, Canada, who furnished the information relating to 

Canada.

Ohio 

January

A flash flood on the night of January 15 occurred in the town of 

Shelby. The Black Fork rose rapidly, causing damage estimated 

at about $150,000, largely to merchandise in stores. The peak
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 971

discharge, from a contracted-opening determination, was 5, 270 

cfs from 32. 6 square miles, not an outstanding rate of discharge. 

The same storm caused the highest stage (but not the highest discharge) in 21 years of record on the Sandusky River near Bucyrus.

February

Rains of February 12-14, together with snowmelt and heavy 

antecedent precipitation in December and January, produced floods 

of record proportions in the Maumee, Portage, and Sandusky River basins. Previous maxima for the period of record were exceeded at more than half of the gaging stations in these basins. 

Stages did not approach those of the flood of March 1913. More 

than 250 houses were flooded in and around Findlay, Defiance, 

Grand Rapids, Ottawa, and Fremont. Business and industrial establishments also suffered severe damage. The high-water period 

continued into May, making 1950 the highest runoff year of record 

throughout most of northwestern Ohio.

April

Williams and Fulton Counties in the extreme northwest corner 

of the State were lashed by two storms that occurred on Saturday 

night, April 22, and on Sunday night, April 23. Highest recorded 

precipitation was 3. 24 inches (both storms) caught by the U. S. 

Weather Bureau gage at Montpelier. Supplemental rainfall catches 

obtained from local residents indicated a maximum precipitation 

of about 5 inches at the storm center, about 10 miles northeast of 

Montpelier. Damage was light. A peak discharge of 6, 640 cfs on 

April 25 was recorded at the station onTiffin River at Stryker, the 

maximum of record (17 years). Peak discharge of 3,860 cfs 

(second highest of 10 years of record) was recorded at the gaging 

station on Bean Creek at Powers. Three peak-flow determinations 

were made on drainage areas ranging from 11.0 to 176 square 

rniles, the highest unit discharge being 252 cfs per square mile 

from 11.0 square miles (see table).

The same general storm settled over the Swan Creek basin. 

Precipitation of 3. 28 inches was recorded at Toledo, and other 

catches indicated at least 4 inches at the storm center about 10 

rniles west of Toledo. Damage was relatively severe in suburban 

Toledo because of flooding of homes along Swan Creek. No active 

streatnflow stations were in the area, but high-water marks higher 

than those for the short period of record (3 years) at abandoned 

stations on Swan and Ten Mile Creeks were obtained.

June

A flash flood on the night of June 16, 1950, caused extensive 

damage in Crooksville, Roseville, and nearby communities. Estimates of peak discharges were as high as 946 cfs per square
972 FLOODS OF 1950

mile from areas of less than 10 square miles. The total flood area 

was about 25 square miles. One life was lost, about half the houses 

in the area were inundated, and many highway bridges were destroyed. The damage was estimated at $10 million. Flood stages 

and discharges for this flood are included in the table.

A report entitled "The Crooksville area flood of June 16-17, 

1950, " with a section on meteorology furnished by the Weather 

Bureau, was prepared cooperatively by the Geological Survey and 

published as a bulletin by the Ohio Division of Water.

Oklahoma

As a result of torrential rains on May 9-11, 1950, floods of 

unusual magnitude occurred in the lower Washita and Canadian 

Rivers and on the Illinois River. Flash floods on small streams 

throughout south central and northeastern Oklahoma were especially severe. On the basis of both official and unofficial rainfall 

records, there were 2 unusually high storm centers at which the 

2-day rainfall was approximately 16 inches. One center was in 

the vicinity of Purcell in the Canadian River basin in central Oklahoma, and the other in the northeastern part of the State along the 

divide between the Illinois and Neosho Rivers.

The crest gage height on the Washita River at the gaging station 

near Pauls Valley was 0. 9 foot higher than any previously known 

during at least the past 40 years, and peak discharge was much 

higher than the rating curve for previous years would indicate, 

owing to a progressive enlargement of channel in recent years. 

Stages along the Illinois River were the highest ever known, exceeding 

previous maximaby 2 to almost 5 feet (see table). Tributaries of 

the lower Neosho (Grand River) were unusually high. Retention of 

flood flows by Pensacola Dam and the partly completed Fort 

Gibson Dam effectively reduced the flow of the Neosho near its 

mouth. The Arkansas River experienced a major flood below the 

mouth of the Illinois River, but stages were well below previous 

maxima.

Four persons lost their lives in the floodwaters and more than 

1,000 persons were forced from their homes. Cities particularly 

affected by floodwaters included Duncan, Comanche, Maysville, 

Pauls Valley, and Waurika in south-central Oklahoma, and Tahlequah, Gore, and Okmulgee in the east-central section. Many highways were closed and damages to roads, bridges, crops, homes 

and other property were very great.
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 973 

Oregon 

June

On June 17 at about 6 p. m., a cloudburst caused flash floods in 

an area of Morrow County east of Hardman and south of Heppner, 

in north-central Oregon. Considerable damage was done to hay 

and grain when Rhea Creek overtopped its banks and covered crops 

with mud and debris. Fences, bridges, and roads were also damaged, and one barn was reported as a total loss.

Much of the runoff in Rhea Creek was contributed by Balm 

Canyon, which is practically dry most of the time. A slope-area 

determination of the peak flow of Balm Canyon was made at a point 

three-quarters of a mile above its mouth. Results indicated a yield 

of 96.4 cfs per square mile from a drainage area of 28 square 

miles. This is an extremely high rate of runoff for this semiarid 

part of the State, where average annual precipitation is about 15 

inches.

October-November

The floods of October-November in southwestern Oregon and 

northwestern California were caused by heavy rains October 27-30, 

following a month of nearly continuous rainfall. Most streams in 

the flood area reached their peaks on October 29. Rains in midNovember caused secondary peaks, which were substantially lower 

than the October peaks. These floods are the subject of a separate 

report in this series, Water-Supply Paper 1137-E, Floods of 1950 

in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California.

Pennsylvania 

November

Following heavy rains, which averaged about 4 inches on November 25 and 26, the highest flood since that of March 1936 was 

produced in the Juniata River basin. On some tributaries, in both 

Juniata and lower West Branch Susquehanna River basins, peak 

stages approached or exceeded those of March 1936. Property 

damage in the Susquehanna River basin, as a direct result of the 

flood, was estimated at more than $3 million. One person was reported killed as a result of the flood.

These rains, which amounted to more than 7 inches in some 

locations, caused severe flooding of the Delaware River in southeastern Pennsylvania.
974 FLOODS OF 1950

December

Heavy rains on December 4, following closely those of November 

25 and 26 (see preceding page), again produced flood stages in the 

same localities affected by the November flood. In some sections, 

notably the Schuylkill River basin, stages were only slightly less 

or equal to the flood peaks attained in November.

Peak stages and discharges for the floods of November and December at 10 stream-gaging stations are included in the table. At 

9 of these stations, and 4 others (not listed), peak discharges equaled or exceeded the maxima for period of record established 

during previous floods.

South Dakota

The floods of April-May occurred on tributaries of the Missouri 

River between Bismarck, N. Dak. , and Pierre, S. Dak. The primary cause of the floods was the rapid melting of the season's 

great accumulation of snow, one of the deepest on record. The 

floods on tributaries of the Missouri River between Bismarck and 

Pierre exceeded any previously known on many of these streams. 

West of the Missouri River the floods were notable for their rapid 

rise, and magnitude of peak discharge; east of the Missouri River 

they were notable for their long duration. These floods are the 

subject of a separate report in this series, Water-Supply Paper 

1137-A, Missouri River basin floods of April-May 1950 in North 

and South Dakota.

Texas

Floods occurred on the Wichita River in Texas on August JL-6 

following rains of 4 to 10 inches that fell southwest of the city of 

Wichita Falls on August 1. Direct and indirect damages in Wichita 

Falls was estimated at $1 million. Five hundred families in low 

areas were evacuated, but no loss of life was reported.

Peak discharge of Wichita River at Wichita Falls was 9,000 cfs, 

as compared with the previous maximum of 17, 800 cfs, which occurred in 1941.

Complete information in this flood is given in the report entitled 

"Flood of August 1-6, 1950, at Wichita Falls, Tex. , " by Ivan D. 

Yost, prepared in cooperation with the Texas Board of Water Engineers and issued as Geological Survey Circular 99.
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 975

Vermont 

August 18

Cloudburst rainfall on the east side of Bald Mountain, northeast 

of Bennington, caused an intense local flood along Walloomsac 

Brook during the night of August 18. There was considerable damage in the vicinity of Bennington. In the area of heavy rainfall, 

rural roads were badly eroded by the large volume of overland 

flow. Steeply pitched ravines were also severely eroded. The 

Molly Stark Trail, Vermont State Route 9, was inundated and 

damaged east of Bennington and traffic was halted. The stream 

bed of Walloomsac Brook, composed mainly of cobbles and boulders, 

underwent considerable adjustment and change in some reaches. 

Channel improvements instituted after the flood of December 31, 

1948, had not become stabilized and large amounts of loosely piled 

material along the banks were moved.

Damage was centered principally in Bennington. One end of the 

Rutland Railroad bridge was undermined and about 75 feet of adjoining fill was washed away. Water entered the ground floors of 

a number of houses in Bennington and its environs. Vermont State 

Route 67-A was flooded at Furnace Creek at Papermill Village. 

Some of the floodwaters in Furnace Creek probably come overland 

from Walloomsac Brook in the vicinity of Rutland Railroad bridge. 

Two men were injured when struck by lightning, but no other personal injuries were reported. Property damage was sizable but 

no estimate of the total was available.

Although the rainfall area on the night of August 18 was fairly 

extensive, flood conditions developed only in the Walloomsac River 

basin. Across the State line in New York, Hoosic River, which 

receives the flow of the Walloomsac, showed only a moderate rise.

August 31 to September 1

The events described in the preceding section were repeated 

during the night of August 31, when the upper Walloomsac River 

basin experienced a second, and more serious, flood. The storm 

was described locally as one of the worst in 75 years. Molly Stark 

Trail was destroyed for a distance of several hundred feet, and 

the fill of Rutland Railroad was again washed away. Crop damage 

was severe in the valleys and some livestock was lost.

This flood was the result of heavy rainfall during the passage 

northward of the diminishing remnant of a hurricane. A noteworthy feature was the occurrence of two peaks of similar magnitude on streams in the area: the first during the night of August 31; 

the second, about noon on September 1. Determinations of flow 

shown in the table are based on data obtained during the second
976 FLOODS OF 1950

peak. At the gaging station on Walloomsac River near North Bennington, drainage area 111 square miles, the peak discharge of 

7, 800 cfs was the third highest in 19 years of record. The maximum recorded flow of 8, 450 cfs occurred during the 1938 flood.

Virginia

Intense floods occurred on September 10, 1950, at scattered 

points in Virginia. The main flood occurred on Kerrs, Buffalo, 

and Whistle Creeks in Rockbridge County, where two lives were 

lost and damage was estimated at $1, 200, 000. An open-file report 

entitled "Peak discharges for the Rockbridge County flood of September 10, 1950, " was prepared by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Highwa^a. Copies of this 

report may be examined at the Surface Water Branch, U. S. Geological Survey, in Washington, D. C. , or at the district office of 

the Surface Water Branch in Cabell Hall, University of Virginia, 

Charlottesville, Va.

Discharge at 6 points on streams having outstanding flows are 

included in the table. Unit discharges range from 48. 7 cfs per 

square mile for Maury River near Lexington, drainage area 487 

square miles, to 1,800 cfs per square mile for Whistle Creek near 

Lexington, drainage area 6.4 square miles. Discharges at 8 additional locations and a brief flood frequency study are included in 

the open-file report referred to above.

Washington

During the period June 11-18, thunderstorms accompanied by 

torrential rains swept over parts of eastern Washington, These 

storms caused several flash floods in small areas. Considerable 

damage resulted and three persons were drowned. Exceedingly 

high runoff was observed at several points, most noteworthy of 

which was 1, 710 cfs per square mile from 5. 7 square miles in the 

creek in Linfield Gulch near Pomeroy. A brief report on these 

floods appears in an open-file report entitled " Peak discharge determinations for floods in Washington, November 1949 to June 1950," 

prepared in cooperation with the Washington State Highway Department. Copies of this report may be examined at the Surface Water 

Branch, U. S. Geological Survey, in Washington, D. C. , or at the 

district office of the Surface Water Branch in Room 207 Federal 

Building, Tacoma, Wash.
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 977 

West Virginia

A flash flood during the night of June 24-25 in Middle Island 

Creek, West Fork, Hughes, and Little Kanawha River basins caused 

excessive damage.

A-"bucket survey "of precipitation made shortly after the flood, 

showed amounts higher than 14 inches in some local areas.

The flood peaks occurred at night within a few hours after the 

intense rain. Thirty-one persons lost their lives, 123 homes were 

destroyed, and 1,292 homes were damaged, according to available 

information. Damage to farm crops, buildings, highway bridges, 

railroad and business property, and public utilities was estimated 

by the U. S. Weather Bureau to be in excess of $10 million.

At several points peak stages or discharges exceeded the previous maxima of record (see table). Peak stage at Weston, on 

West Fork River, was 25. 85 feet as compared with 22. 5 feet in 

July 1888, the highest previously known.

SUMMARY OF FLOOD STAGES AND DISCHARGES

The table that follows is a summary of flood stages and discharges, listed alphabetically by States (chronologically within 

States), for local floods that are not reported in the individual 

chapters of Water-Supply Paper 1137. The table includes results 

of determinations of maximum flood flows at existing stream-gaging 

stations and other places on streams in the areas affected by the 

floods.

During major floods, the maximum stage at a gaging station 

may be so high above the stage of the highest measurement previously obtained that an extension of the stage-discharge relation 

curve is not feasible. Furthermore, during floods it is often impossible to obtain current-meter measurements for several reasons: the road to the gaging station may be impassable; many 

streams rise and fall so rapidly that there is not enough time to 

make a current-meter measurement near the crest stage; floating 

debris may make it impossible to suspend a current meter in the 

water; bridge or cableway from which the measurement would be 

made may have been destroyed or inundated. At gaging stations 

where the flood greatly exceeded the stage defined by currentmeter measurement and at miscellaneous points where measurement of the flood discharge was desired, the maximum discharge 

usually was computed by indirect methods: computation of flow 

through contracted opening, computation of flow over dams, computation of flow by critical-depth method, and computation of flow 

from slope-area observation. In the table those peak discharge
978 FLOODS OF 1950

figures for the floods of 1950 that were computed by these indirect 

methods are followed by a symbol that is explained in a headnote.

The peak discharges at most of the stream-gaging stations in 

the table were determined from an established curve of relation 

(rating curve) or from a reasonable extension of the curve. Short 

extensions of the rating curve are usually based on logarithmic 

plotting or velocity-area studies.

Gaging stations and additional points can be identified in the 

table by the entry in the column "Period of record": a period of 

record is shown for all gaging stations; leaders indicate that no 

record of discharge has been collected systematically at that point.

Pertinent information regarding stages antedating the period of 

record is available at many stations and is included in the table 

except in a few places where it is incorporated in footnotes. Explanatory footnotes on other features of the table are also included.

Figure 131 shows theflood discharges, in cubic feet per second 

per square mile, which are listed in the table, plotted against the 

corresponding drainage areas. It should be understood that except for a small number of items as indicated in the table, the discharges are given as observed and some may be affected by artificial storage, release of water at dams, or other similar factors. 

The figure provides a convenient method for comparing flood discharges from drainage basins that differ widely in size; it does not 

bring out the comparative influence of topographic or other basin 

characteristics that may influence flood discharge. Discharge for 

some stations was less than 1. 0 cfs per square mile and could not 

be plotted.

The basic data and computations for the determinations of discharge are filed in the Geological Survey district offices in the districts where the floods occurred and may be examined in those 

offices.
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 979

0 0>

JL

o 

UJ cd 

<

cd 

X!

0 CUD

c r-l

cd

"O

«*-! 

O

0

0

CUD

CUD

31IW 3dVnOS d3d QNOOSS d3d 133J 01900 Nl l 39dVHOSIQ
Summary of flood stages and discharges for local floods in the Unit

[Maximum discharges for the floods of 1950 were obtained from gaging-station records, except as oth

opening determination; D, computed flow over dam; R, critical-depth determin

No. 

on

«g. 

131

1

2

3

4

5 

6

7

8

Stream and place of determination

CONNECTICUT

Connecticut River basin

West Branch Farmington River at Riverton

Farmington River at Rainbow

Still River at Robertsville

Housatonic River basin

Naugatuck River near Naugatuck

GEORGIA

Tennessee River basin

Nottely River near Blairsville

IDAHO 

Kootenai River basin

Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry

LOUISIANA

Calcasieu River basin

Calcasieu River near Glenmora

Calcasieu River near Oberlin

Drainage 

area 

(square 

miles)

a 216

b 584

84.4

246

74. 8 

13, 000

499

753

Period 

of 

record

1929-50

1928-50

1948-50

1918-24, 

1928-50

1942-50 

1927-50

1943-50

1922-25, 

1938-50

Maximum flood previousl

Date

Sept. 21, 1938

Sept. 22, 1938 

Jan. 1, 1949

Dec. 31, 1948

November 1927 

Dec. 31, 1948

September 1898 

July 1938 

Feb. 10, 1946

May 27, 1948

Apr. 4, 1945

Apr. 7, 1923

Gage 

height 

(feet)

17.95

c 13.7 

13.83

10. 12

14 

12.40

f 14.5 

f 12 

11. 18

(g)

18. 0

e 21

Disch

(c

3

2

e 2

2

f 

f 

h 12

2

3
9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21 

22

Bundick Creek near Dry Creek

Beckwith Creek near De Quincy

Sabine River basin

Bayou San Miguel near Zwolle

Bayou Anacoco near Leesville

MAINE

St. Croix River basin

St. Croix River near Baileyville

Machias River basin

Machias River at Whitneyville

East Machias River near East Machias

Penobscot River basin

Piscataquis River near Dover-Foxcroft

MARYLAND

Bush River basin

Bynam Run at Bel Air

Quhpowder River basin

Little Falls at Blue Mount

Western Run at Western Run

Patapsco River basin

South Branch Patapsco River at Henryton

Potomac River basin

Henson Creek at Oxon Hill 

Chaptico Creek at Chaptico

238

148

113

114

1,320

457

251

286

8.8

52.9

59. 8

64. 4

16. 7 

10. 7

1939-50 || Apr. 10, 1940| 19.12

1945-50

1948-50

1948-50

1919-50

1903-21,

1929-50

1926-50

1902-50

1944-50

1944-50

1944-50

1948-50

1948-50 

1947-50

June 1, 1946

_-_

---

May 1, 1923

Sept. 30, 1909

Mar. 20, 1936

Apr. 29, 1923

July 19, 1945

August 1933 

July 13, 1949

Aug. 18, 1946

May 15, 1949

Dec. 4, 1948 

May 3, 1949

20. 8

__

-

13. 90

14. 78

k 8.29

17.67

6. 25

e 14 

11. 10

10. 62

7. 10

4. 26 

5. 03

2

2

1

m 2

See footnotes at end of table.
Summary of flood stages and discharges for local floods in the United S

No. 

on

fig 

131

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

Stream and place of determination

MICHIGAN

Streams tributary to Lake Michigan

St. Joseph River at Mottville

St. Joseph River at Niles

East Branch Coldwater River at Coldwater

MISSISSIPPI

Pascagoula River basin

Leaf River near Collins

Chunky Creek near Chunky

Chickasawhay River at Enterprise

Okatibbee Creek near Meridian

Pearl River basin

Pearl River near Lena

Pearl River near Monticello

Tuscolameta Creek at Walnut Grove

Yockanookany River near Kosciusko

Drainage 

area 

(square 

miles)

1,860

3,620

59

752

368

913

239

1,995

5,040

411

314

Period 

of 

record

1924-50

1930-50

1937-50

1938-50

1938-50

1938-50

1938-50

1936-50

1938-50

1939-50

1938-50

Maximum flood previousl

Date

Apr. 8, 9, 1947

May 26, 1943

Apr. 5, 1947

May 2, 1940 

Apr. 1, 1949

Nov. 29, 1948

April 1900 

Nov. 30, 1948

April 1938 

Nov. 29, 1948

Mar. 31, 1944

April 1902 

Feb. 21, 1946 

Jan. 21, 1947

Nov. 29, 1948

Feb. 11, 1946 

Jan. 5, 1949

Gage 

height 

(feet)

5. 34

11. 78

6.20

26. 36 

26. 39

23.73

p 37.2 

32.46

e 29.5 

24.63

28.28

q 33 

27. 66 

27. 7

19. 74

16.21 

16. 64

Disch

(cf

8

17

1 22

19

32

m 15

43

1 r 51

18

] 11
34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

Yockanookany River near Ofahoma

Strong River at Dlo

Bogue Chitto near Tylertown

MONTANA

Musselshell River basin

Antelope Creek at Harlowton

NEW JERSEY

Delaware River basin

Flat Brook near Flatbrookville

Salem Creek near Woodstown

NEW YORK

Allegheny River basin

Unnamed creek near West Clarksville,

tributary to Dodge Creek.

Unnamed creek near Cuba, tributary to

Oil Creek.

Streams tributary to Lake Ontario

Genessee River basin

Unnamed creek near Nile, tributary to

South Branch Van Campen River.

Hudson River basin

Woods Brook near Hoosic Falls

Woods Brook at Hoosic Falls

484

429

502

73

65. 1

14.6

1.41

3.82

5.19

1.32

2.15

1943-50

1928-50

1944-50

...

1923-50

1941-50

---

---

---

._-.

---

Feb. 28, 1944 

Mar. 29, 31,1944

Mar. 7, 1935

Mar. 4, 1948

...

Apr. 7, 1924

Feb. 11, 1925

Sept. 1, 1940

...

---

---

 

---

Is 18. 2

t 28. 0

23.05

..

\ 'I

>

7.98

--

--

--

--

--

2

2

2

See footnotes at end of table.
Summary of flood stages and discharges for local floods in the United 

No. 

on

fig. 

131

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

Stream and place of determination

NEW YORK--Continued

Susquehanna River basin

Unadilla River near New Berlin

Crumb Brook near Leonardsville

Butternut Creek at Morris

Chenango River at Sherburne

Mill Brook at North Brookfield

Canasawacta Creek near South Plymouth

Moyer Creek at Frankfort

McGowan Creek near Ilion

Streams tributary to Lake Erie

Cattaraugus Creek basin

Grannis Brook at Gowanda

NORTH CAROLINA

Pamlico River basin

Herring Run near Washington

Neuse River basin

Swift Creek near Vanceboro

New River basin

New River near Gum Branch

Drainage 

area 

(square 

miles)

196

2. 36

59. 6

264

2.79

58. 3

21.8

3. 37

2. 10

v 4. 4

182

74.5

Period 

of 

record

1924-50

 

1938-50

1938-50

1945-50

...

...

---

1950

1950

1949-50

Maximum flood previou

Date

Mar. 18, 1936

"-

Dec. 30, 1942

Mar. 20, 1948

...

Sept. 18, 1945

 

---

 

--- 1946

--- 1909

 1928

--- 1908

Gage 

height 

(feet)

9. 80

--

7.75

u 9. 66

"

5. 33

--

-

-

w 17

w 16

w 11.7

(z)

Disch

(cf
57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

OHIO

Muskingum River basin

Black Fork near Shelby

Streams tributary to Lake Erie

Maumee River at Waterville

Auglaize River near Defiance

Ottawa River at Allentown

Tiffin River at Stryker

Bates Creek near West Unity

Beaver Creek at Pulaski

Swan Creek at Johnston Corners

Muskingum River basin

Moxahala Creek at Roberts

Unnamed creek at Sayre

Unnamed creek at Misco Dam, near

Deavertown.

Burley Run at Crooksville

Buckeye Fork at Saltillo

OKLAHOMA

Arkansas River basin

Spring Creek near Locust Grove

32.6

6,314

2,329

168

444

11.0

32.5

176

98.0

1.92

7. 19

1.81

8.02

116

...

1898-1901,

1921-35,

1939-50

1915-35,

1940-50

1923-35,

1943-50

1921-28,

1940-50

-..

 

...

...

___

...

 

---

___

---

May 20, 1943

March 1913

May 19, 1943

Mar. 15, 1939

Apr. 11, 1944

March 1913

Mar. 18, 1945

---

...

.-_

---

---

---

 

---

May 17, 1943

-

13.9

38. 8

25. 5

10. 1

9.00

16.0

14. 80

--

"

--

-

--

--

--

-

_.

78

aa 120

48

4

7

5

26

See footnotes at end of table. 
Summary of flood stages and discharges for local floods in the United 

No. 

on

fig131

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

Stream and place of determination

OKLAHOMA -- Continued 

Arkansas River basin --Continued

Illinois River near Tahlequah

Illinois River near Gore

Canadian River at Calvin

Little River near Sasakwa

Red River basin

Cow Creek near Comanche

Willow Creek near Duncan

Washita River near Pauls Valley

OREGON 

Willow Creek basin

Balm Canyon at mouth, near Heppner

PENNSYLVANIA 

Delaware River basin

Schuylkill River at Berne

Little Schuylkill River at Drehersville

Ridley Creek at Moylan

Drainage 

area 

(square 

miles)

959

1,622

27,794

865

65

3.87

5,329

28

355

122

31.9

Period 

of 

record

1935-50

1924-26, 

1939-50

1938-42, 

1944-50

1942-50

...

---

1938-50

1947-50

1947-50

1931-50

Maximum flood previou

Date

January 1916 

May 11, 1943

Apr. 15, 1945

May 5, 1941

Apr. 15, 1945

...

...

June 10, 1941

May 1942 

Dec. 30, 1948

May 1942 

Dec. 30, 1948

July 23, 1938

Gage 

height 

(feet)

26

25. 37

25. 38

17. 0

32. 50

..

--

ab 29. 0

14.98 

10.28

10. 2 

7. 21

8. 16

Disch

(cfs

76

118

150, 

39

_

22

10

3

3, 
SUMMARY OF FLOODS 987

g

"o ffl

H 

Z

s S

w g

o o "s S

la

a« 

a s

5 e
Summary of flood stages and discharges for local floods in the United 

No. 

on

fig131

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

Stream and place of determination

VIRGINIA- - Continued 

James River basin

Maury River near Lexington

Kerrs Creek at Denmark

Kerrs Creek near Lexington

Whistle Creek near Lexington

Buffalo Creek near Lexington

WASHINGTON

Spokane River basin

Bigelow Creek at Spokane

Tucannon River basin

Creek in Linfield Gulch near Pomeroy

Skyhawk Gulch Creek near Pomeroy

WEST VIRGINIA

Monogahela River basin

West Fork River at Butcherville

West Fork River at Clarksburg

Middle Island Creek basin

Middle Island Creek at Little

Drainage 

area 

(square 

miles)

487

12. 3

34

6. 4

117

2. 0

5. 7

af 6. 9

181

384

458

Period 

of 

record

1925-50

 

1930-50

...

 

---

--_

...

1915-50

1923-50

1915-22, 

1928-50

Maximum flood previously 

Date

Mar. 18, 1936

---

Mar. 17, 1936

...

 

...

...

---

1888 

Mar. 13, 19181 

Jan. 2, 1919J

Feb. 14, 1948

August 1875 

Apr. 13, 1948

Gage

height 

(feet)

23.58

--

c 10.8

-

--

--

_.

-

ag 17 

ag 14. 00

10. 13

e 33.5 

24. 68

Disch

(cf

40

-

7,

12

9

15

22
106

107

108

Leading Creek near Glenville

South Fork Hughes River at Macfarlan

Hughes River at Cisco

144

210

452

1938-50

1915-22, 

1938-50

1915-22, 

1929-31, 

1939-50

Apr. 17, 1939

(aj) 

Aug 5, 1943

Apr. 13, 1948

ai 27. 5

e 29 

27. 91

30.91

(

e 13

11

27

a Effective drainage area, 199 sq mi.

b Effective drainage area, 481 sq mi.

c From floodmarks.

d Discharge, 29, 900 cfs at Tariffville Dam 4 miles upstream, by

computation of flow over dam. 

e About.

f Estimated on basis of profile study, 

g Maximum elevation, 1, 778. 32 ft May 28, 1948. 

h Daily mean discharge; instantaneous, 139, 000 cfs affected by

dike breakage downstream.

i Maximum elevation, 1, 776. 98 ft June 24, 1950. 

j Daily mean discharge, 

k Present datum, 

m Revised, 

n Not determined.

p From floodmark; from reports of U. S. Weather Bureau, 

q About; from reports of U. S. Weather Bureau, 

r A discharge of 66, 900 cfs was measured by Corps of Engineers,

Apr. 8, 1938, gage height, 30. 15 ft, from floodmark. 

s Maximum gage height observed, 18.8ft Jan. 7, 1949, discharge,

10, 600 cfs.

t Site and datum then in use.

u Maximum stage known, 10. 

U. S. Weather Bureau.

v Estimated; drains a large p

w From information by local r

x Occurred July 9; from grap

y Observed, 

z Reached a stage 2 ft higher 

local resident.

aa From rating curve extended 

ab Approximate gage height, p

in use.

ac Affected by backwater.

ad Occurred Mar. 19, 1936, b

ae Estimated, 

af According to local residents 

about 2 sq mi.

ag Former site, present datum

ah Gage height referred to outs

ai Affected by backwater from 

aj Date unknown, but before 19

INDEX

Page 

California ......................... 957, 959

Connecticut........................... 959

Flood stages and discharges, summary

of.............. 977,978,980-989

Allegheny River basin, New York..... 983

Arkansas River basin, Oklahoma... 985, 986 

Bush River basin, Maryland ......... 981

Calcasieu River basin, Louisiana .. 980, 981 

Connecticut River basin, Connecticut.. 980 

Delaware River basin. New Jersey .... 983

Pennsylvania ................. 986, 987

Genessee River basin, New York. ..... 983

Gunpowder River basin, Maryland .... 981

Housatonic River basin, Connecticut. .. 980 

Hudson River basin, New York........ 983

Vermont ........................ 987

James River basin, Virginia ......... 988

Kootenai River basin, Idaho.......... 980

Lake Erie tributaries, Ohio.......... 985

Lake Michigan tributaries, Michigan .. 982 

Lake Ontario tributaries, New York .. 983 

Machias River basin, Maine ......... 981

Middle Island Creek basin, West

Virginia ................ 988, 989

Monogahela River basin. West

Virginia ................... 988

Muskingum River basin, Ohio......... 985

Musselshell River basin, Montana..... 983

Neuse River basin, North Carolina ... 984 

New River basin, North Carolina ..... 984

Pamlico River basin, North Carolina.. 984 

Pascagoula River basin, Mississippi .. 982 

Patapsco River basin, Maryland...... 981

Pearl River basin, Mississippi. ... 982, 983

Penobscot River basin, Maine........ 981

Potomac River basin, Maryland ...... 981

Rappahannock River basin, Virginia .. 987 

Red River basin, Oklahoma .......... 986

Texas........................... 987

Sabine River basin, Louisiana........ 981

St. Croix River basin, Maine ........ 981

Spokane River basin, Washington ..... 988

Susquehanna River basin, New York ... 984 

Pennsylvania .................... 987

Tennessee River basin, Georgia...... 980

Tuscannon River basin, Washington... 988 

Willow Creek basin, Oregon ......... 986

Page 

Floods, summary of ................ 957-977

Hawaii ............................... 960

Idaho................................. 960

Introduction. .......................... 957

Louisiana.......................... 960,961

Maine ................................ 961

Map of the United States. ............... 958

Maryland ............................. 962

Michigan .......................... 962,963

Minnesota ............................ 963

Mississippi........................ 963, 964

Montana.............................. 964

Nebraska............................. 964

Nevada............................ 964,965

New Jersey........................... 965

New York.......................... 965-968

North Carolina ..................... 969,970

North Dakota.......................... 970

Ohio .............................. 970-972

Oklahoma. ............................ 972

Oregon............................... 973

Pennsylvania....................... 973, 974

Relation of unit discharge to drainage

979

South Dakota.......................... 974

Summary of flood stages and discharges. ........ 977,978,980-989

Summary of floods.................. 957-977

Texas ................................ 974

Vermont........................... 975, 976

Virginia .............................. 976

Washington ........................... 976

West Virginia......................... 977

991

*U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1954 O - 295167