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<br />HISTORY 0, nOODrNG
<br />
<br />Date
<br />Ausu~t 11, 19%
<br />May1,1958
<br />Ju~e 30-Ju1y 1, 1962
<br />Ju"e17&18,1965
<br />
<br />Rainfall
<br />(inches)
<br />1.55
<br />3.1Q
<br />1..88
<br />1.47
<br />
<br />Remarks
<br />
<br />the city of Way is known ~o have h.ad a very ~hort hbtory of floodtn~. Infor_
<br />[""ti01\ on the carlier ~lsto.ical floods that have oee"rred iot th~_ study "n'a is
<br />very li~ited because operation of the gaging ~tatio~ at Wray ~as dLscontinued during
<br />nLl periods of hea\cy raLnfall. the only other gage in the area i~ at the Colorado_
<br />N<<brask3 S~ate line, and it showed only One flood event in its 37_year history.
<br />For these two reasons; newspaperfl1es, historical documents, 10 cslresideni:s,anJ
<br />re~ards were used to obtsin all available infoc~ation.
<br />
<br />Extc_., rainfal.1arnounts of up to H inches
<br />recorded in basiets to ~he <lest
<br />
<br />July2.8&2.9,1966
<br />
<br />3.61
<br />
<br />tbemaximutr.rainfallrecordfor\"ray,thesto,"",ofApr1l27,1947,isdOCu-
<br />mented in t:,e followingexcerpc from the "J1;>nt"-lyWl'.atherRevie<l" published by t\le
<br />Weather Bllrellu:
<br />
<br />There are two gaging stations maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey on the
<br />"::orth Fork Republican Rivernear;,'ray, TheC.olorado-"ebraskaStatelinestatioo,
<br />located about 10 miles cast of '~ray, was established in March 1931, and has b"~.n
<br />L>jleratlngconti..n"ously sInce tnat time. Ti'" station ls 5icuatedon the. right bank,
<br />100 feet east a, th" Colorado_:<ebrasks State line and approxJ."lla tely one_half milo.
<br />north of t.S. fUghway 34. Intermittent I:ecords are also available fOI: the ,,'ra,'
<br />gaging ststion, located approximately five ~Lles east of Wray. This "tetlon was
<br />"stablish"J in 'breh 1937 nn.d operated until Octob"r 1946, In October 1951, th~
<br />Hatlon ",,8 reest"bLished at a location three-quarters mile downsaea!R of the ori_
<br />ginallocatJ.onandoperated..".cilOctober1957. Rcestablish","ntof the ststion<l"s
<br />again made far a t""'_year peri"d rcom IXlober J962 to October 1964. The Ha~ion L~
<br />present ly di~continued. TIle. following clate~ and "ceoun~s of rainfalls and flooding
<br />hav~ been taken from varIous Sources as listed.
<br />
<br />"Oneafthewrststortllsinrnanyyears. 6,60 inches of rain recorded. ~y
<br />persons forced to leave home and flee fro", high <later <ihich poured. off sur_
<br />roundlnghillsandranthr<>ughto"",. 6-8inchesofhail,Il"",easuredonthe
<br />level, <las carried by floodW3tera and huilt Into bank$ 5-6 feet deep again.t
<br />obstructions, Holes pounded 1n roofs; cellar~ flooded a few inches up to 8 Or
<br />nore feet. Som" homes flooded with several feet of water, hail, an<i debris.
<br />Almo.t no home in Wray escaped entirely from damage. Autonobilea parked at
<br />curbs <<ere floated up a block, carried Over curbs, and al~d aga~at tr~e~,
<br />Llgh:service'Wasnotaffected."
<br />
<br />Eydro10gic studies of ~h!.s event indica"" that the ate r::> di<i not Occur in the
<br />North Fork basin above ;,'ray, but was cone"-ntrated in a slllSIl area directly "ver t~.e
<br />cIty. Ihis event, however, La a good examp1 e of the cloudb"rst_~ype acth- ity ,..hieh
<br />isprevel,mt in this regJ.on.
<br />
<br />Re",ark"
<br />
<br />A uturrence of an event of ~his magnitud" cen~ered on the North Fork basin
<br />above Wray could have disasrro"" cons"'luence~ in ~he flood pl..in are2. g"cerpts
<br />from the Wray Gazette are included belo~ as an indication of other flood exp~rtnnces,
<br />
<br />Dat"
<br />
<br />Sunmary of Historical Storm ~.infalls
<br />Rainfd1
<br />(inche,,)
<br />
<br />Wr..y, Colorado
<br />
<br />~y 14, 1951. Deluge of rain at Wray, starting MOnday night &~'ut 7 p.m. ~ith
<br />" cloudburst ""d continuing intermittently throughout ~he night. The Govern_
<br />men~ ratn gage reg istered 3,56 inch"" of rain, most of which fell within to;;,
<br />first 30 minutes. The bridle fUl on th<e l<l<ler part of AdaOls Street ",as <I;;,sb~d
<br />out. Water "ent ove_r LO<lerMain Street ..nd flooded the b..Udiat'l1Ond. No <later
<br />entered any buildtngs and d=ge was conf1nedl:lOstly to the street at ~h"north
<br />s.tdeo!:theGardnerl.c>ckerllui1ding.
<br />
<br />J\l1y21,1932
<br />H.lylD,1935
<br />
<br />3.50
<br />
<br />1.15
<br />
<br />Rainfalls up ~o 9 inche~ in 2 hours
<br />reeorde_d in k'Si" t" thu scu~fl
<br />
<br />.rulyll.l941
<br />September 22, 1~4L
<br />S"p~nnlber 1&2, 1942
<br />.'-I-,d127.19"7
<br />
<br />1.60
<br />
<br />Yu~~ stat lor. recorded 1.58 inc~cs
<br />Four to 5 inch ~e"ters Ln adjac~nt basins
<br />3.34i:\chesrce<>rd"-datYuma
<br />
<br />SePt"...""r 7,1951. High ".(lters covered the lo'Wer part of town from he.....y ra1:16 ,
<br />'.',He,. reached fl"od pmp"rti.Qos 'W"st and s",,~h of 'lira:'. 1~~ ,.aL.. b~gan ~ !. a.m.
<br />,,~ T~..,y "nd ca..e in a J"""pour. 1.25 inch.",~ w~s r@~ister~d at ~.ray, ',.'est .,nd
<br />south the rai" was .mth heavier ",ith,,~ ro"co. as .~b: inches reported. Water
<br />r~ach"-d ~he da<>r'Aay at HUh .'lotor, ~he lOra)' L"'ple:nent ('Jlll1p;my. $t@d"",lh, 3.l'l,d
<br />Gardn"'rs, hut Jld n"c enter any buildings.
<br />
<br />2.68
<br />1,.3J
<br />6,60
<br />
<br />!)..,HlgC to ("roi'S aue huiLdir.~3 J"",.sne.:,u
<br />n ~ ;:r~v r"porT","
<br />
<br />~:" y ,4. 1 951
<br />
<br />3,';(,
<br />
<br />S~?te~ber 7, 195.1
<br />
<br />l.~)
<br />
<br />S:" ~n~h ~cnt~r5 r.~,ort"d to t~,~ W~8t ~TlJ
<br />south
<br />
<br />;
<br />
<br />e
<br />
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