Floods in the United States until 1900

Floods in the United States are generally caused by excessive rainfall, excessive snowmelt, and dam failure. Below is a list of flood events that were of significant impact to the country, through 1900.

Prehistoric events

Maumee Torrent

This event refers to the draining of Glacial Lake Maumee, the ancestor of present-day Lake Erie, which to this day is marked by a small regional river in Indiana.

Missoula Floods

These ice age floods swept through the interior of the Pacific Northwest periodically as the glaciers were retreating.

ixteenth century

Flood of March 1543

Hernando DeSoto's party was passing through a village at the confluence of the Mississippi River and Arkansas River on March 18. The ensuing flood only allowed passage by canoe and inundated fields surrounding the town.Brad Edmondson. [http://www.epodunk.com/top10/diaspora/1927-flood.html 1927 Mississippi River flood.] Retrieved on 2006-11-30.] The flooding reportedly lasted for 40 days. [World Meteorological Organization. [http://www.apfm.info/pdf/case_studies/cs_usa_mississippi.pdf The Associated Programme on Flood Management.] Retrieved on 2006-11-30.]

eventeenth century

Eighteenth century

New Hampshire Flood - 1740

The Merrimack River flooded in December. It is the first recorded flood in the state's history.NewHampshire.com [http://newhampshire.com/about-nh/nh-floods-history.aspx NH Floods.] Retrieved on 2007-05-05.]

New Hampshire/Maine Flood - October 1785

In New Hampshire, a significant flood struck the Cocheco, Baker, Pemigewasset, Contoocook and Merrimack rivers on October 23 which established records at Lowell which held until 1902. The Androscoggin River flooded significantly, which destroyed many homesteads in what would become Bethel, Maine. Those that survived the flood moved uphill into less valuable, 100-acre plots. Turner's first mill was destroyed during this inundation. [http://abacus.bates.edu/acad/depts/environ/projects/AndroscogginTimeline.html Environmental History of the Androscoggin River, Maine and New Hampshire ] ]

Great Pumpkin Flood - October 1786

Received its name due to the pumpkins that were washed away in the flood on October 5. It was a major flood in the Susquehanna River basin. Stephen F. Miller Jr. [http://www.ncpenn.com/disasters_chrono.html The Chronological History of Natural Disasters in North Central Pennsylvania.] Retrieved on 2006-11-30.]

=Red River of the South Flood - 1800=

According to the Caddo tribe, a "great flood" moved down the river and reinforced the "Great Log Raft" on the river. This raft was a natural dam that increased water levels on some of the Red River tributaries. This process formed Caddo Lake. [http://www.srh.noaa.gov/shv/hydro.htm WFO SHV - Hydrology Information ] ]

Early Nineteenth century

=Androscoggin Flood - 1806=

A significant flood along the river destroyed the first dam built in the town of Turner, Maine. [http://abacus.bates.edu/acad/depts/environ/projects/AndroscogginTimeline.html Environmental History of the Androscoggin River, Maine and New Hampshire ] ]

Androscoggin Flood - 1811

River flood carries away the toll bridge in Durham, Maine.

Androscoggin Flood - 1814

A large flood of the river destroyed all the mills in Turner, Maine.

Waterville, Maine Freshet - May 1832

This flood washed away a portion of the Ticonic bridge and the Redington saw mill. [http://www.watervillemaine.net/history/history.html The History of Waterville, Maine ] ]

Androscoggin Freshet - 1843

A flood along the Androscoggin swept the town of Jay's sawmill downstream.

Great Flood of 1844

The Great Flood of 1844 is the biggest flood ever recorded on the Missouri River and Upper Mississippi River in terms of discharge. This flood was particularly devastating since the region had little or no levees at the time. Among the hardest hit were the Wyandot who lost 100 people in the diseases that occurred after the flood. The flood also is the highest recorded for the Mississippi River at St. Louis. After the flood, Congress in 1849 passed the Swamp Act providing land grants to build stronger levees.

Androscoggin Flood - 1846

A flood along the river carried away the bridge in Durham, Maine. This reinstituted ferry service across the river.

Potomac River Flood of October 1847

A significant flood struck the Potomac basin, part of a major flood event which encompassed Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and Virginia. Damage along the C&O Canal was worst between lock #7 and Widewater, from Great Falls to Pennyfield Lock, Point of Rocks to Dam #4, and surrounding Dam #5. Damages to the canal for the year, which included another flood that November, totaled US$48,000 (1847 dollars). [http://www.potomacriverkeeper.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=43 Potomac Riverkeeper - Flood History ] ]

Sauvé's Crevasse (1849)

This was the last of the annual spring Mississippi River floods to swamp New Orleans.

=Red River of the South Flood - August 1849=

A flood that appears to have been caused by a tropical cyclone led to the flood of record on the Red River of the South. This flood shifted the river to its present course, moving out of Natchitoches. A remnant of the river known as Cane River extends from Grand Ecore to Colfax.

Late Nineteenth century

California's Great Flood - 1861-1862

Beginning on December 24, 1861, it rained for almost four weeks. The largest flood in California's recorded history occurred from January 9-12, 1862. The entire Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys were inundated for an extent of 400-480 km (250-300 mi), averaging 32 km (20 mi) in breadth. The rain created an inland sea in Orange County, lasting about three weeks with water standing 1.3 m (4 ft) deep up to 6 km (4 mi) from the river. cite web|url=http://fpmtaskforce.water.ca.gov/Historical%20Events/Historical%20Events.PPT|title=Historic Rainstorms in California|publisher=California Department of Water Resources|accessdate=2007-10-23]

Northeast Flood - April 1852

In New Hampshire, the Winnipesaukee, Pemigewasset, Contoocook, Blackwater and Ashuelot Rivers went into flood. The Merrimack River at Concord reached its highest levels in nearly 70 years. A flood with higher waters than 1847 surged down the Potomac River. The worst damage was witnessed between Georgetown and Seneca, with breaches at the abutments of Dams 3 and 4 in Maryland, and Dam 6 in Virginia. Damage was estimated at US$80,000 (1852 dollars).

Susquehanna River Flood - September 1861

Torrential rain and a logjam initiated the flood on September 28. Debris in the flood waters swept the Keating railroad bridge away. Sinnemahoning cemeteries were flooded, and some of its bodies moved downstream.

Androscoggin River Flood - 1863

A large flood along the river destroys the bridge in East Turner, Maine.

Mill River Flood - May 1874

It rained significantly on May 16, 1874 in western Massachusetts. The earthen dam suddenly gave way. A large section of the east bank slid away and was sent downstream. The dam's gatekeeper mounted a horse and rushed down the valley to warn Williamsburg of what was to come. The gatekeeper's wife watched from their cabin as the dam exploded upward. Four riders galloped down the valley as fast as possible to warn people of the oncoming flood. Some residents fled to higher ground, while others refused to believe the awful news. Many never heard the warning. A 6-meter (20 ft) tall flood swept everything away. Damage totaled US$1 million and 144 people died. [http://www.nesec.org/hazards/Floods.cfm NESEC - Floods ] ]

Mill towns petitioned Boston for assistance. The legislators eventually granted $120,000 to rebuild bridges and roads, which set a precedent for a state government to provide direct assistance after a natural disaster. The disaster led to improvements in public safety. The Massachusetts legislature imposed standards for the construction, maintenance, and inspection of dams. Engineering of large-scale public projects had to meet state mandates. Engineers became academically-trained professionals. Four-fifths of the businesses in the Mill Valley were eventually rebuilt on their original locations. The mill owners gradually regained their financial standing and their place as pillars of society. Factories powered by the rushing Mill River continued to dominate life in the valley for another quarter century, until steam, and then electricity, replaced water power. [http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=145 Mass Moments: Dam Breaks, Causing Catastrophic Flood ] ]

Potomac River Flood of November 1877

Higher than the event in 1852 by several feet, this flood affected the whole length of the C&O Canal. Since Conococheague and Antietam Creeks were flooding as well, the worst damage was done to the middle of the canal. Damage totaled US$200,000 (1877 dollars). Navigation could not resume until the following April. A result of this flood was a telephone network being installed along the canal, which was the longest telephone circuit in the world at the time.

Great Flood of 1881 - April 1881

The Great Flood of 1881 struck Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa between April 6 and April 27, when waters began to recede. Causing millions of dollars in damage, it crested two feet higher than ever-before measured on the Missouri River. [ [http://www.dnr.ne.gov/floodplain/mitigation/mofloods.html "Historic Floods on the Missouri River Fighting the Big Muddy in Nebraska"] , Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 3/31/08.]

Parkersburg, West Virginia Flood - February 1884

The level of the Ohio River in the city reached 54 feet, about 34 feet above its normal stage. [http://www.parkersburg-wv.com/pages/floodhistory.htm The City of Parkersburg, West Virginia | Flood History ] ]

East Texas Flood - May 1884

This significant flood affected the Neches, Angelina, and lower Sabine River basins. Record stages were set during this event, roughly 2-3' or almost a meter higher than records from the 1900s.

Johnstown Flood (1889)

In the nineteenth century, dams were maintained privately. The Conemaugh Dam was maintained by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, and had been recently rebuilt in 1881. However, on May 31, 1889 after a night of heavy rain, the Conemaugh Dam broke and flooded the surrounding valley. [ [http://www.johnstownpa.com/History/hist19.html Johnstown Flood of 1889 - Historic ] ] Damage was extraordinary, and the dam was never rebuilt. [ [http://www.nps.gov/jofl/ Johnstown Flood National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service) ] ] Also known as the Conemaugh Calamity, after the name of the dam, this flood claimed 2,209 lives. [ [http://www.drought.unl.edu/risk/us/compare.htm A Comparison of Drought, Floods, and Hurricanes in the US ] ] Five days after the event, Clara Barton and her doctors and nurses arrived in Johnstown to tend to the survivors. It took 5 years for the town of Johnstown to recover.

To the east, it was also a major flood for the Susquehanna and its tributaries. The towns of Renovo, Lock Haven, Williamsport, and Sunbury were severely damaged. Damage was not limited to Pennsylvania, however. The flood eclipsed all previous records for water levels on the Potomac, which caused US$300,000 (1889 dollars) to the C&O Canal. The canal would not recover from this flood until 1891.

Androscoggin River Flood - March 1896

A spring flood removed the East Turner bridge.

ee also

*Floods in the United States since 1900
*Great Flood of 1844

References