<br />G.
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<br />WAHOO CREEK AND TRIBUTARIES NEBRASKA
<br />(Tributary or Salt Creek)
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<br />Flood of 31 May 1951
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<br />1. Cause.- Between 10:00 p,m" 30 May and 7.00 a.m., 31 May,
<br />. a general and rather heavy. rainstorm occurred cver the watershed
<br />of Wahoo Greek apd adjacent areas. The center of intensity, of
<br />the stormappear~ to have covered the upper reaches of Cottonwood,
<br />Sand;.and the North Fork of Wahoo Creeks. Total pre6ipi.tatfon"'"
<br />within the rainfall area ranged from 0.37 inch at Wahoo, Nebra.sKli.,
<br />to 5.25 inches at Linwood and Prague, Nebraska. The gr~ater
<br />portion or the' rainfall ocourred wi thi~ a' period of apout. 3' hours.
<br />'Ifuhiif'f' tr~m this storm caused severe. floodingoh Wahdo:Creek:' arid
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<br />2, Extent. - Overbank floWoceurr'ed' thr ouo-hout' 'the"en'tif'e/.'
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<br />, '. Jengtl1 of., Wahoo Creek llnd all of its tribut.aries.
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<br />:; "":S~,. Nii'!;:i.'oii;- Floodini beg~ii about m.i.dnlghtof 3o::':3'1ME!.y;'
<br />rei6hed ~'..cree1r"li. t Wah?o ,'N~ ~rll ska., .:d ur i~g the' '&.~ernoon(oi:t\'r, ",.,
<br />311\!tl.y'~ and the ll'tream'was'backinbanks at Wahoo the night of.'.
<br />1 June. ' ,. .,' c.' ..,
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<br />.;f~'; Staiesandc <iischii:ries.. ~ . stream'litli.ges:ie3ierywhere' in
<br />wah:b'O' Cre~kBi>.sin:; excepting 'ori'W""hoo'ereeka't We,it:on; Nebt:ll.S'ki';'
<br />and upstream therefrom, were the highest exper'ienced' to' date'," C'.
<br />..aocording, to 19n9 tinle re~idents of th~ are!;i,' On 1 Junl(l a crest
<br />;'s'/;a6''6f,~:2;5 reet and, "i~;600'C.f.s.indii,ateda~,!l'chai:se were .
<br />obs'erve:d'olf \Va~bocree1c li.'j;: the It/laO!1 gagi~g stIlH~i1.'ii.i/ ti:iWPli:
<br />an\i Me~~h~'~;.~ NebZ:'~~kll>:'t~llst~ges' :bny!ahoo. ~ll~'k: ~~~:e.. a~6iit,~: 'fll:~t
<br />alld, l~~; 'fee,t;, resp~ot~v:eJY, h1gh~r ~liali tho~e. ,~f-.:P,r'f,rio~s; .ex,P~t~~nce.
<br />It is p'o1ntedout;' however, tha ttlrese'stages were 1nflueno-ed ]:>y'
<br />, l,evee'salcing the" str.s8.ln which'more 'or less' oonfine'd: th'E>1'l6W," ,'::
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<br />, ...:'.' 5'~" .,' Dliinai!;es'~'.A, tOtal~r~a.ellt'i~t~dar22,,9~b~cr~'~we:~:.'
<br />,.tlboded'; A. breakdowIl' iif thill'!;irea by II1li.'jot.stteai)'uiJ is':as f611Owe:
<br />Wli.h(,lo.C;eeJi:,. 9,555 acres;' q.~lirCreeii. li988;.Silv~r' ctekil:,;3,'06I3i
<br />Sadd creef,. 4,922; Cottonwood' Greek,!; 965; !:lUcl{"cTilelC:''il4b;'iiiid.
<br />North Br!,-nchof'Wahoo Cre'ek';l;:344 acres;:Riither 'seirei'e d1~gif.
<br />resulted'to theiran'spo:rtation 'system. About dne"-!ullf'iil:tle" of.
<br />Union 'Pe.ci'fic Rliilrl:>'itd' mainl:ti1e . tracks waS washedo(,t"and' ap'p'rox:i..
<br />mately,6 miles of branchline tracks sustained washouts,.loss of
<br />ballast, and erosion damage. Approxilnatali'~5.:inU-es : 'Of p&:'Ved
<br />highway, 22 miles of gravel-surfaced county l"o!;ids /.. and ~l miles
<br />of graded-earth county roads were overtoppeaY'a.hd.::~UstlJ.li1ed erosion
<br />damage and olosure for yar~ous perio<;ls of time... 97 county road
<br />bridges Were damaged, 27' of w111chrequ:i.red'.iMJor'f'epairs,and 2
<br />complete replacement. Crop damages were not exe!l~.siv,e):>eeause
<br />previous wet weather had delayed planting of constd<!o1"!lble areas.
<br />The ,O.9o.!iwater.ii.'.Ui:t).gt;ed 24,;.!llnn$teads, and one farm famiJy moved
<br />out of,. ~.ts hOllle: for one day. . J;t is reported.,:th!;it.,me.py of the
<br />isol~~~~(f-arm h.om~snad wate!t.tg shallow dep1:h,:.9n.t!}~,:~~rst floors
<br />but the, :residents', thereof elected to rllllmin:F ..F,l0'cding':occurred
<br />in p~;;H()I.1.~ of :'~~, towns or:.'I(ti,hpo~ Ithaca, Memphis,ande'Ashland,
<br />'" -. ',-. \:)C::_":'~"'. '~i:' .,. .,;. .l ;_,.1 ,;":
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