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.:rune 1864 and May 1876 were severe and much valley farmland was flooded. The flood of Hay 31, 1894, inundated the entire lower part of town. Although 20 homes at Lyons were washed away, no lives were lost. This flood had an estimated peak discharge of 9,800 efs at Lyons, with most of the flow coming from South St. Vrain Creek. In late July 1919, a series of severe thunderstorms caused flash flooding along St. vrain Creek. The following is from the Lyons Recorder~ dated August 2~ ~919: "The heaviest and most destructive cloudburst. . in the memory of the oldest inhabitant visited Lyons on Wednesday, JUly 30, between 2:30 and 3:45 P.M. It took out all the bridges on the North St Vrain for about 5 miles up and 5 miles downstream. The Longmont and Lyons water mains up the canyon were torn out along the narrow canyon." The people living . along the banks of the river were flooded out, and many abandoned their homes for higher ground and safety . . . homes (in the lower part of town) . were in a roaring sea of water 2 and 3 feet deep." Another crest on the following day flooded houses again in the lower areas of town and washed out 300 yards of railroad track east of Lyons. The peak discharge on July 30 was later computed to be 9,400 efs. The right bank of North St. Vrain Creek was flooded to a width of 300 feet (Reference 20). The largest peak discharge of record on St. Vrain Creek at Lyons was 10,500 cfs on June 22, 1941. This flood originated mostly on Soutb St. Vrain Creek, and the creek peaked very rapidly with floodwaters receding quickly. It is asswned that aD extremely localized cloudburst occurred over South St. Vrain Creek a short distance upstream from Lyons. The effects of the JUne 4, 1949, flood were felt largely downstream of Lyons. Prolonged rainfall and heavy snowmelt kept St. Vrain Creek out of its banks in rural areas during most of the month of June. Bridges, roads, and irrigation headworks were damaged. Lyons received 6.3 inches of rain from a cloudburst storm that began about 6 p.m. on August 311' 1951. This combined with generally heavy rains over the basin to cause flooding from Lyons to the mouth of St. Vrain Creek. The flood lasted for less than 12 hours. Severe damage resulted to Colorado Highway 7 along South St. Vrain Creek. In the rural areas dOWDstre~ fram Lyonsl many grain shocks were washed from. the fields. 26