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

E60

FLOODS OF 1'965 IN THE UNITED STATES

SUMMARY OF FLOODS

Eo1

30.
>5'

102045'

FLOOD OF JUNE 15 IN THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN NEAR
GLENDIVE, MONT,
By-MELVIN V. JOHNSON

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Local raIns of high intensities caused severe flooding in a sparsely
settled area northeast of Glendive, Mont. (fig. 26) . Weather Bureau in-
.formation from unofficial gages shows that precipitation for the storm
area ranged from 3.5 to 13,5 inches, A rancher wha lives about 1 mile
upstream from che flood-determination point an Griffith Creek stated
."Seven inches of rain fell in about half an hour." Precipimtion at the
Weather Bureau station 'at Glendive on June 15 was only 0.56 inches.

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Are~o~re~

2 0 2 4
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MILES EXPLANATION
6 -4-
I Isoliyet, showing precipitation,
in inches

104040'

30'

104"20'

Drainage divide

EXPLANATION
.
Flood-determination point

'1
'"

Flood-determination point

FIGURE.25.-Loeation of flood-determination points and isobyets for June 10--11,
floods of June 11 in Sanderson Canyon, Tex. Isohyets from U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (unpU!b. data).

Three Mile Draw was 22,400 cfs, and the peak discharge from a 151-
sq-mi basin on. Sanderson Canyon was 76,400 cfs. Although Three
Mile praw peaked slightly earlier than Sanderson Canyon, the peak
discharge through Sanderson was about equal to the sum of the two
peaks, about 100,000 cfs. This, the maximum knawn flood at Sander-
S\>ll, greatly exceeded the previaus maximum known discharge, cov-
ered the valley floor, and inundated about 230 acres of the community.
Longtime residents stated that the greatest flood previously known,
in 1935, slightly exceeded the channel capacity (about 20,000 cfs) , The
statistical probability that a flood of similar magnitude will reoccur
in Sanderson is very small because the peak disCharges an Three Mile
Praw and on Sanderson Canyon, respectively, were about 4.1 and 5.4
times that of a 50-year flood.
At least 24 persons were killed. Acbout 85 persons were injured, 10
of whom were hospitalized, Property damage consisted of destruction
of '54 houses and 13 trailer houses; majar damage to 36 houses, 8 trailer
houses, and 27 businesses; and minor dam"-ge to 106 houses. Three
bridges 'Of the Southern Pacific Lines were destroyed, and more than
20 miles of U.S. Highway 90 was damaged. Pamage in Sanderson
(estimated 1965 popnlation, 2,189) and vicinity was estimated at
$2,664,000.

47"10'

47"00'

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SMILES
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FIGURE 26.-Location of flood-determination point. :flood of June 15 near
Glendive, Mont.