FLOOD04656

• County: Statewide
• Community: United States
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Summary of Floods in the United States During 1965
• Date: 1/1/1970
• Prepared For: US Department of the Interior
• Prepared By: Federal, State, and Local Agencies
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Documentation Report

E30

FLOODS OF 1965. IN THE UNITED STATES

SUMMARY OF FLOODS

E31

TABLE lO.-Flood stages and discharges in the Belle Fourche River basin, May 14-15.
in the northern Black Hills, S. Dak.

FLOODS OF MAY 22 IN SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA

By H. D. BRICE

No,

Stream and place of
determination

Ma.x1mum floods

Drainage
area Known before
(sq mi) May 1965
Period Year

May
1966

Gag.
height
(feet)

Discharge
Recur-
Cis rence
in,,,,,,,,
(yom)

Several severe storms hit southeastern and south-central Nebraska
during the night of May 21-22 and caused much flood damage at or
near the communities of Louisville, Cedar Creek, Deweese, Sutton, and
other places (fig. 14). Some of the rainfall amounts reported by the
Weather Bureau and the Lincoln Telephone Co. are shown in table 11.
The largest amount, 6,80 inches, was observed at Louisville. An amount
of 5.95 inches was recorded at the Weather Bureau gage 6 miles north-
west of Weeping Water and near the head of Mill Creek; the first inch
fell between 0400 and 0500 hours on May 21 and created conditions that
contributed to the rapid runoff during and following the 4,75-inch
downpour that began about 2400 hours on the same day (fig. 15).
Because the two points or observation are several miles apart, it may
be assumed that 5 or more inches of rain fell on an area of several
square miles during the storm. The recurrence interval for a storm of
this magnitude in this area is estimated to be about 100 years. Runoff
from the storm caused Mill Creek to overflow and necessitated the
evacuation of 18 families from their homes in Louisville. Inflow to'

1 Spearfish Creek near
Cheyenne Crossing_nun__
2 Spear1ish Creek at Spea.rfish_
3 False Bottom Creek near
4 p~~~k-n-ear-whii6wOOd==
5 Redwater River above Belle
Fourche__. .___n____ _H_.._
6 Whitewood Creek at
Deadwoodu_____ __n n__ ___
7 Bear Butte Creek near
Galena__ _ _ __ ____...._______
8 Bear Butte Creek near
Sturgis____..*........_....__

73.6'__.________________ 14__.____n.
168 1947-65 1964 ______m. 7.97
n.m__mm_____ 15 10.53
14.3 __~._______________ 14 __________
10.61956-65 1964 m__u___ 3.77
mm__n____n.__ 14 4.10

920

1946-65 1962 u_u_u__
__nnh'__h_"__: 15

lC69
10.53

673 15
3,040 .______n.
4,240 12.1
2,310 16.7
794 ______..__
1,060 13.8
16,400 "'nn__'
8,480 11.3
8.030 12.5
4,9S0 11.4
12,700 nunun
2,660 6

41.4 u_.uuuuu...__
47.6.n_n__..n____n_

14__uu__u
14________n

t Ratio of peak: discharge to 5().year llood.

Streams in the Black Hills have steep slopes and flow at high veloci-
ties through deep, narrow canyons, Many roads and highways that
occupy part of the canyon floors adjacent to streams were severely
eroded during the flood; their destmction accoWlts for most of the
rural damage. The most extensively damaged highway was U.S. High-
way 14A in Spearfish and Boulder Canyons. The South Dakota De-
partment of Highways estimated that in Spearfish Canyon alone there
were at least 30 complete road-grade washouts, some of which were
about a quarter of a mile in length. Boulder Canyon Road sustained
heavy damage from Bear Butte Creek and was closed to traffic for a
week Throughout the flood area, mora than 30 bridges were destroyed
or damaged.
The towns of Spearfish, Deadwood, and Sturgis received most of the
urban damage. In these three towns, 10 houses were destroyed, and
an additional 90 houses and 20 commercial properties were flooded to
some degree. Many utility lines were broken after being exposed by
channel erosion, The high-velocity streams carried a very large debris
load of rocks and boulders in addition to tree limbs that had been
broken off by the heavy snow. Debris that lodged at the Nash Street
bridge in Spearfish caused most of the flow in Spearfish Creek to be
diverted into Third Street, which parDllels the creek, Large sections of
concrete curb and gutter were torn out, and the roadway was exten-
sively eroded. A local engineer estimated that erosion had doubled the
width of the Bear Butte Creek channel in Sturgis. Total damage from
the flood was estimated by the Corps of Engineers to be $4.5 million.

192 1946-1)5 1962 __m_____ 12.63
....__n.__........ 15 ~85

41'

~"

~BRASK~ta of
ewitt ,report

'<le

EXPLANATION
.2
Flood-determination point
Nwmber corresprm4a to
that io!. table. IJ!
-----

Bt..

&Publican Guide Roek

10 0 10 20 30MllE$
I I I I I

FIGURE 14.-Location of flood-determinatiQn points, floods of May 22 in south*
eastern Nebraska.