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<br />Cloudburst storms generally cause flooding on the streams having <br /> <br /> <br />small tributary areas. These high-intensity, short duration type <br /> <br /> <br />rainstorms usually occur during the summer months. Floodflows <br /> <br /> <br />resulting from cloudburst storms are characterized by high peak <br /> <br /> <br />flow, short duration of flow and small volume of runoff. <br /> <br />FLOOD HISTORY <br /> <br /> <br />1. San Juan County <br /> <br />Rainstorms alone generally cause severe flooding in the Silverton <br /> <br /> <br />area. In the past, four major floods Gccurred in the Animas River <br /> <br /> <br />basin for which definite information is available. <br /> <br />The 1884 flood was the first known flood on the Animas River. In <br /> <br /> <br />Silverton, the bridge at Reese Street, across Cement Creek, was <br /> <br /> <br />washed out and nearby houses were threatened with being swept <br /> <br /> <br />away. The highest flood ever recorded on the Animas River occurred <br /> <br /> <br />in 1911. On Cement Creek, high waters broke over its banks just <br /> <br /> <br />above the highway bridge and flooded the main street. Bridges <br /> <br /> <br />at Gladstone Depot and two on upper Greene Street were destroyed. <br /> <br /> <br />Railroad tracks and bridges in the general area were washed away, <br /> <br /> <br />and roads were blocked by mud and rock slides in many places, so <br /> <br /> <br />that the entire town of Silverton was isolated from the outside <br /> <br /> <br />world. The 1927 flood was the second highest. The railroad along <br /> <br /> <br />the Animas River was flooded up to Howardsville and railroad tracks <br /> <br /> <br />and roadbed were washed out. It took four weeks to restore train <br /> <br /> <br />service. The 1970 flood caused railroad damage up to a half million <br /> <br /> <br />dollars. The floodwaters ripped up railroad track and demolished <br /> <br />-7- <br />