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

E84

FLOODS OF 1965 IN THE UNITED STATES

Flood damage was widespread and extensive, Washout of a culvert
on a stream draining less than 1 sq mi caused " train wreck on the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad near Highland. Most of the roads in the
vicinity were closed because of washouts, and several bridges were
washed out or seriously damaged. The bridge at the upper end of
Rocky Fork Lo.ke lost a. centsr pier, The greatest dllJIlage was to road
shoulders, pavements, and embo.nkments. The Agricultural Stabilizo.-
tion and Conservation Service estimated costs for clearing fences,
ditches, and levees at $144,000. Some cattle and sheep were lost. A small
amount of corn o.nd toba.cco was wo.shed out; however, this was esti-
mated to have been less than 2 percent of the total crop. The sto.ge of
Rocky Fork Lake, although not the highest of record, was the highest
during o.ny summer recreo.tion season, o.nd this high stage was respon-
sible forextensi ve do.mo.ge to boats and docks, The Leesburg water-
supply system was out of operation for a few days,

FLOOD OF JULY' 24 IN SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY

By C. H. HANNuM

The bet that two-thirds of the total rainfall for July in the Middles-
boro'area fell on July 23 and 24 co.used severe flooding along tributo.ry
streams of Yellow Oreek (fig. 39). Precipitation during June at Mid-
dlesboro wo.s about 1.9 inches below the normal of 4.45 inches. Rainfall
during the period July 1-22 toto.led 4.84 inches. The Weather Bureau
reported 7,16 inches of rainfall between midnight of July 23 and
0800 hours on July 24, of which 6.67 inches fell between midnight and
0400 hours at the recording precipitation station at Middlesboro. Local
residents 4 miles north of Middlesboro reported co.tchb:1g up to 10
inches of rain in tubs. Heavy rainfo.ll was also reported in the Bennetts
Fork basin south of the Kentucky-Tennessee State line. .
Extreme floods were confined to Bennetts Fork, Straight Creek, and
Yellow Creek, and the most severe flooding occurred in the head-
wo.ters of Bennetts Fork and Straight Creek o.nd their tributaries. For
example, the peak discharge for Yellow Creek bypass ~t' Middlesboro
(sta. 2) was 1.4 'times tho.t of the 50-year flood, o.nd the peak discharge
for Yellow Creek near Middlesboro (sto.. 3) ho.d a reourrence iritervo.l
of 50 years (table 29), . .. . .

.

SUMMARY OF FLOODS

E85

~
. Area of
report

X7.24
Fourmile
(utility park)

36'
45'

EXPLANATION
.,3
Flood-determination point
Nu:mbereorrespondsto
tJw.tin.ttWk39
x7.24
Precipitation measurement site
Number indica.tBs total storm
precipita,twn,in ifU:MS

KENTUCKY
TENNESSEE-

<:>c..y-~"
..,,~ /
;-~
I I
. I ~
, , ;'
tcJf.l<1 __- _J ~__ VIRGINIA
~..." ...._-....._.....// ,/ TENNESSEr--
FERN LAKE __J

5
I

o
1

5 MILES
I

FIGURE 39.-Location of flood~determination points and precipitation sites. flood
of July 24 in southeastern Kentucky,

Floodwaters backed up in Yellow Creek into Middlesboro and
flooded some of the business district. The Corps of Engineers estimaJted
damage in Middlesboro as follows; .
Type of damage Losses
Business ___.,-_____________________ $25.000
Dwellings (150) __________uu____ 30,000
Kentucky Utility Co___:...___________ 7,000
Southern Bell Telephone Co________ 3.500
Per~ ~pe 00____________________ 30,000
Sewage system____________________ 1,000
Water COn__~_________________n_ 1,000

Total __________________________ 97,500