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<br />S. MINOR,,'rn'IaP'l'.(\IUES OF SO:urH PLATTE RIVER
<br />'BETWEEN JULES BURG , COLORADO. AND OGALLALA. NEBRASJI'.A
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<br />'Flood of 20 May
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<br />1., Cause.- On 20 Yay, between 1 :30" and ,2 :30 p.m., a torrential
<br />rainstcrm centered in the hi'lls and table'lands to the 'n,orth of
<br />Julesburg, Colorado, and extended in an easterly direc~ion to the
<br />vicini'ty cf Big Springs.. Neb'raska'. The hour-long stOrnl vms accompanied
<br />by light hail and,tliunder' and li'ghtning.-' Jl.\st prior to ,the rain ,:6ccurrence,
<br />several small tornadoes were observed whirling through the sky north-
<br />west of Julesburg. Several hours ot,~~gn~'precip1t~ti0n foll~ed the
<br />period or heaviest rainfall. A "bU<lk'e-t survey" aonducted' jointly by
<br />the Corps of Engineers'iind the 'U. "~So Bureau 01' Recltima'tiol1t, 'revealed
<br />that 'a't'otal of 9.45 indhes of.,pl'ecipitation occUrred at the centeJ"
<br />,of the s'tcrm, approxime:tely'l:l,miles'northwest ofBig'Springs,e:nd
<br />that 2 'inches or more ocourred, over apprc;lxima~ely',l60;,s'quare miles.
<br />Extremely h6a'"y'runofff 'of' exoes~ sur'fa'ce 'waters f'al:lowed, which"eaused
<br />floodirig on practically all of 'thewaterco1.lrses'draining 'the area.
<br />Severe' i'l<'Joding also re~ur~edinmariy places from,'sidehill r1olt1af:U.,
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<br />2. 'Extent.- Pt'a;c't ieally ,'all of ,thebottomlands and low..ly1~g
<br />areas wtthina'rclUghlytrtallgular 'region-"with apexes intl'JliF:vicinitles
<br />of Chappell, Nebraska, Julesburg, Colorado, and Ogallala, Nebraska,
<br />were flcoded to varying depths.
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<br />,1 3.' DUratlon.':": ,Iii most places thll' flocidwatershad. drained into
<br />'the South ,Platte :River'within 12 hoUrs a1'ter,the,'storm. ' Several:large
<br />areas: on the Scuth i'latte Riverbclttofnbtids',were'much',S1ower: in drain-
<br />.. ing beo8.use' of 'poordraiRagefa6Uities, ' ,'. ,,'
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<br />4~ Sta~es and dischar/l:es.- The drainage system for this storm
<br />ares.oonsists' of a. large number, of norirtillly" dry draws and gulches:; on
<br />which no gaging stations are maintained. The runoff on these water-
<br />courses cccurred with iiuch rapid1 t.y -th~:\t:i,1:jvas',: iJi\pr!iet1cable to
<br />set highwater marks. On the South Platte River bottcmlands the
<br />flo6dlng was',so, widespraad',j;-hat no runoff determinations of value
<br />coul!i, be made.
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<br />Damages. -
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<br />" , !,. JUlesburg'8:nd"vicinity.-Runo:t'f' from'Q"Neil Draw,
<br />numero,:!-s gu~tie~1 and from' ~he sidehills caused'mode'l'ate" flooding in
<br />Jule sbilrg at" appl-oxima:t'e'1yl:30 p.m., 20 May ; ""A lar'ge: portion of
<br />'tne"t,own wa:s,_inWl.dateq;;1;O:,l!.,d~pth of ab'out, ohe:.f\oot.'."', Damages were
<br />sustained to lawns of 200 residences, 50 Of Which'ha~basements filled
<br />with' water and, 'mud,. S~i,;re.r.e.l(business places' 'had,"two; feet of water
<br />in the basements., A large amount of ballast was washed from tracks
<br />in the Union Pacific Railroad yards, and the area was littered with
<br />debris and mud. To the north and east of Julesburg, about 600 acres
<br />cf oroplands sustained heavy damage from water, erosion, and sedimentation.
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