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<br />PASTFIOOPS <br /> <br />in the other area it ..as reported to Mve been as much as nine inches <br />in six hours. The rainfall in the upper IIrea """5 reported to have <br />occurred first so that runoff cOfllbinedwith that below to produce <br />the largest flood of record at Pueblo. The peak discharge of 103,000 <br />CUbic feet per second occurred at midnight on June 3. ~ve La <br />Junta the effect of valley storage on peak attrition was obscured <br />by the inflow from tributary streams and the peak discharge at La <br />Junta was 200,000 cubic feet per second. North La Junta was flooded; <br />water Was 4 to 6 feet deep on Second Street and reached the Otero <br />County Jail. It was reported that 13 persons w<lre drowned although <br />some of the bodies were not found until June 9. ~reas in the Huer- <br />fano and Purgatoire Rivers and in Timpas, Adobe, and Norse Creek <br />were flooded. Neavy rains occurred on the main stem of the Arkansas <br />River ft'Ofll La Junta toLa/rlar. Below La Junta tributary inflow waS <br />small. <br /> <br />Historical records reference many floods in the Arkansas <br />River Valley above John Martin Reservoir. The earliest known in the <br />area occurred in 1826. The next notable flood was in 1844. Other <br />reported floods, floods in the 1800's occurred in 1859, 1864, 1669, <br />and 1894. These floods were generally confined between Pueblo and <br />the present John Martin Oam. Major tloods were axp<!rienced at various <br />localities in the ~ubbasin in 1921, 1935, 1942, 1955, a~d 1965. The <br />flood of 1921 was the greatest flood of record on the Arkansas River <br />at La Junta. <br />In addition to flooding fro~ the Arkansas River, King and <br />Anderson Arroyos hav.. t'looded La Junta. Floods are reported to have <br />occurred in 1886, 1965, 1969 and 1972 on these arroyos. Specific <br />data concerning these floods is not available. <br /> <br />Flood Oescriptions <br />following are descriptions of ~e1ected floods that caused <br />d"mageat La JU[lta. <br /> <br />May 1955 <br /> <br />JulY 1886 <br /> <br />It <br />I <br />I <br />, <br /> <br />Ourinq the period ot May 17.20. heavy precipitation oc. <br />curred over the lower mountains and plains of eastern COlorado. north- <br />eastern New Mexico and western Kansas. Precipitation over the <br />lOOuntainous areas was principally in the form of wet SflOW. The sto.... <br />began on the afternoon of May 17 over the entire area and continued <br />through the 19th in New Mexico and Kansas. At Lake Moloya, near <br />Raton, New ~xico, 1~.S9 inches occurred in 48 hours, with 11.26 <br />inche" measured during the 24.hour period ending at 4 p.m. on the <br />19th. <br /> <br />A large flood occurred in thO) valley below the confln.mco> <br />of the Purgatoire River during the period of July 20-25, 1886. This <br />flood was produced by rainfall with heavy amounts occurring in the <br />vicinity of LaS Aninas and La Junta. At Las Animas there were 3.36 <br />inches of rainfall on July 24 and 25. At La Junta water reportedly <br />came down King Arroyo in a l2.foot wave. In Anderson Arroyo water <br />was at least 20 feet do>ep and overtopped the AT&SP Railway bridge. <br /> <br />Junel92l <br /> <br />Major flooding occurred in the Arkansas River watershed <br />from Pueblo to John Martin Reservoir. The Arkansas River at Pueblo <br />peaked at 11,100 cubic feet per second and produced very little <br />flooding. AS the flood progressed downstream. the peak increased to <br />50,000 cubic feet per second at La Junta and caused major flood <br />damage to North La Junta. <br />There were 236 residents, five bu~inesses, one school, and <br /> <br />Two areas of intense rainfall were observed above Pueblo. <br />one of these waS mostly north of the towns of Florence and Canon City. <br />Tho othtlr Ml,s t."irlywe11 di..trlbuted on hoth.....nks ot' th.. IIrkansas <br />HI'lnrb"t"""onl'"rtL,,,,d..ndPuoblo. Pr""lpitatJonlnlhiH l<lll,'r <br />aT"" is reported to h<l'l" ooen as mu~h IlH 11 im;ht's In six hOllr>! ..hU" <br /> <br />one church in the flooded area of North La Junta. Streets and public <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />" <br />