[1], The Southern Pacific (SP) rail line between Portland and San Francisco was out of service for eighteen days as crews repaired damage from landslides near the 4,885-foot (1,489 m) Cascade Summit; and the parallel Willamette Pass highway was blocked for several days. [7], In southwest Washington, rising rivers threatened Centralia and Longview–Kelso[1] and closed Interstate 5 and all railways at flooded Kalama for over a week. [1] Many streams in the northern San Joaquin Valley reached higher flows than they had in December. The Christmas flood of 1964 was a major flood in the United States' Pacific Northwest and some of Northern California between December 18, 1964, and January 7, 1965, spanning the Christmas holiday. Today, the USGS helps mitigate flood hazards by developing real-time flood inundation mapping capabilities and providing critical information about the nation’s rivers and streams. [1][7] Together, Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Trinity, and Sonoma counties sustained more damage than the other 28 counties combined. The flood caused record-breaking peak streamflows, transported large amounts of sediment, and inflicted extensive flood damage. Metropolitan, Rio Dell, and Scotia were significantly damaged. [5] According to the National Weather Service, over the past 30 years, nationwide annual flood damages averaged $8.2 billion with 89 fatalities per year. [12], The Smith River, located in Del Norte County near the Oregon border, reached flows of 228,000 cubic feet per second (6,460 m3/s) at Hiouchi,[13] [1] Many streams reached record flood stages, including the Feather River, Yuba River, American River, Cottonwood Creek, and Butte Creek. The flooding occurred from December of 1861 until January of 1862, drowning the state in water and leaving much of the Northern Valley unlivable until the summer months of 1862. Landslides covered 700 feet (210 m) of SP track near Oakridge, and swept away 130 feet (40 m) of the Noisy Creek bridge 20 miles (32 km) north of Crescent Lake. [7], The Trinity River, one of the Klamath's largest tributaries, also flooded and wrought destruction along its length. The photo at far right shows the marker that stands at the old site of Weott, indicating the 1964 flood level. 1982. Agencies from federal, state and local governments will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Pacific Northwest 1964 Christmas flood … [3] By the end of the flood, every river in Oregon was above flood stage, and more than 30 major bridges were impassable. We cannot allow a dam to overfill.”. The 1862 flooding was due to an atmospheric river, a long, narrow column of vapor that brings massive amounts of rain with it. “If a control point spikes, decisions are made that specifically address the needs of a population area. The flood caused the uncompleted Hell Hole Dam on the Rubicon River to fail, sending even more water downstream. Torrential rains hammered the Humboldt Coast in late December. [9], Starting on December 21, intense downpours all across Northern California caused numerous streams to flood, many to record-breaking levels. The 6 days from December 19-24, 1964, were the wettest ever recorded at 101 northern California stations. The state hired an excellent team of men from Yale, including Josiah Whitney and William Brewer, for a long term in-depth investigation of the state’s resources. Floods—Sacramento under Water—The Money Question—A Muddy Journey to San Jose—Results of the Floods—The Chinese. The same areas are expected to be flooded again if another ARkStorm was to impact California … View photos of significant California flood events from 1862-2017. [7], The Christmas flood of 1964 was "the most severe rainstorm to ever occur over central Oregon, and among the most severe over western Oregon since the late 1870s", according to the National Weather Service office in Portland. “In addition to the rain, there were already several inches of water from the melting snow, so it was a big runoff event across a wide area.”. A diagram of the flood areas of the December 1861-January 1862 California Megastorm. p. 1998 - L.C. However, in many areas storage in reservoirs and operation of flood-control facilities prevented far greater damage. During this holiday season, the 1964 Christmas flood reminds us that flooding is a national problem and can happen anytime, anywhere. 200,000 cubic feet per second (5,660 m3/s) more than the 1955 flood, and more than the average discharge of the entire Mississippi River basin. [7] The flood destroyed 37 miles (60 km) of track with multiple stream and river crossings of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad through the Eel River canyon, the region's only major railroad. It also affected parts of southwest Washington, Idaho, and Nevada. The Christmas flood of 1964 was a major flood in the United States' Pacific Northwest and some of Northern California between December 18, 1964, and January 7, 1965, spanning the Christmas holiday. [7], The Klamath River reached flows of 557,000 cubic feet per second (15,800 m3/s),[14] And it'll probably happen again. On 10 January 1862, the day California’s new governor elect, Leland Stanford, was to be inaugurated, a massive flood broke through the levees surrounding Sacramento, covering the city in 10 feet (3 metres) of brown, debris-filled water. [7], Over 22 inches (550 mm) of rain fell on the Eel River basin in a span of two days. The Great Flood of 1862 was the largest ever recorded in Oregon, Nevada and California’s history. [11] [citation needed] In Nevada, the Truckee River threatened Reno. It was at the top of the pole: the flood crest was 46 feet at Miranda, 11 miles south. [7], The Eel, Smith, Klamath, Trinity, Salmon, and Mad rivers, as well as other rivers and large streams, all went well beyond flood stage and peaked nearly simultaneously around December 21 and 22, breaking previous records (notably those set in the "hundred year" flood of 1955 in most cases). The Willamette River at Wilsonville Bridge, Oregon, December 1964. The Christmas flood of 1964 encompassed about 200,000 square miles, or roughly the size of France, resulted in 47 deaths, left thousands homeless and caused more than $540 million ($3.9 billion today) worth of damage. it was the worst flood in recorded history on nearly every major stream and river in coastal Northern California and one of the worst to affect the Willamette River in Oregon. p. 1997 - The Great California Flood of 1861 - 1862, from Taylor brothers, above. Agencies from federal, state and local governments will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Pacific Northwest 1964 Christmas flood starting Dec. 10. The term "100-year flood" is used to describe the recurrence interval of floods. “USGS streamgages are vital for flood risk management,” said Mary Karen Scullion a Willamette Valley reservoir regulator with the Army Corps of Engineers in Portland. [3], Heavy warm rain and melting snow caused more flooding in late January 1965, after the waters had begun to recede from the December flood. During December of 1861 and January of 1862, storm after storm pounded the state. [1], "Willamette River Basin Planning Atlas - Flood Inundations/FEMA Floodplains", "Oregon's Top 10 Weather Events of 1900s: Floods of December 1964 to January 1965", Tillamook Burn of 1933, 1939, 1945, and 1951, "11477000 Eel River at Scotia, California", "11532500 Smith River Near Crescent City, CA", "11530500 Klamath River Near Klamath, CA", Images of the 1964 Eel River Flood near Van Arsdale Reservoir, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christmas_flood_of_1964&oldid=995738679, 1964 natural disasters in the United States, 1965 natural disasters in the United States, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from September 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2010, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 December 2020, at 16:59. This melted the snow, but left the soil frozen and impermeable. Streamflow data are vitally important for USGS partner agencies to forecast flood magnitude and timing, operate flood control systems, and manage emergency response. [3] The Highway 219 bridge between Newberg and St. Paul, and Wilsonville Road between Newberg and Wilsonville were closed, trapping hundreds of people. Branch's personal experiences, from L. C. Branch , History of Stanislaus County , Elliott & Moore, 1881 The Trinity, however, did not break the 1955 flood's records because of the newly constructed Trinity Dam, which stored 372,200 acre feet (459,100,000 m3) of runoff from the storm. The Flood of 1861-1862. In Oregon, 17 or 18 people died as a result of the disaster, and it caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. “It was a classic rain-on-snow event,” said Marc Stewart a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. The worst flood in California history went from December 1861 to January 1862. California experienced major floods in 1850, 1862, 1955, 1964, 1995, and 1997. Southern California Flooding – Jan 1862 Antecedent conditions very wet for a month – 35” in LA Major storm ~ Jan 20th Santa Ana river peak January 22, 1862. [1] Office of Communications and Publishing12201 Sunrise Valley DriveReston, VA 20192United StatesPhone: 703-648-4460. [3][8] [7] The flood crest at Miranda was 46 feet (14 m). [1] More mudslides occurred in places that had withstood the December flooding, and there were more deaths. [1][3], Yamhill County was severely affected. American River Data (second item)-estimated peak of the 1862 flood (265,000 CFS) assumed to be the largest instantaneous peak discharge since 1848. In other words, the chances that a river will flow as high as the 100-year flood stage this year is 1 in 100. Standing water up to four feet deep created an inland sea in Orange County, and it lasted for three weeks. [4] [3], On the Oregon Coast, downtown Reedsport was flooded with 8 feet (2.4 m) of water, and in Coos Bay, a massive logjam contributed to severe flooding. [3] Other deaths occurred from drowning and electrocution, and one man died when the new John Day bridge collapsed. The January 1997 event was the largest flood disaster in the state’s history (defined by damage to human structures, rather than quantity of runoff water flow-ing over floodplains). [7] Nonetheless, an impressive 231,000 cubic feet per second (6,540 m3/s) of water rushed down the river at Hoopa. This was followed by a record amount of rain from January 9–12, and contributed to a flood that extended from the Columbia River southward in western Oregon, and through California to San Diego, an… THE GREAT CALIFORNIA FLOOD OF 1862 BY W. LEONARD TAYLOR M.D. Just under 200,000 cubic feet per second (5,660 m3/s) of water flowed down the South Fork Eel River alone, causing severe damage along its entire length. California Flood. 1980. Remembering California's Great Flood Of 1862. USGS The Great Flood of 1862: The Great Flood is the largest recorded flood in California's history. [5], Some of the worst mudslides occurred in the Mount Hood Corridor, and one man died in a mud and debris avalanche near Rhododendron that destroyed 15 houses. 1969. The Christmas flood of 1964 was driven by a series of storms, known as atmospheric rivers or “pineapple expresses,” that battered the region producing as much as 15 inches of rain in 24 hours at some locations. The North Coast had the worst flooding experienced in that region on record. [15], Between December 20 and December 26, a staggering 10,390,000 acre feet (12.82 km3) of water flowed into the Pacific Ocean from the combined rivers and streams on the North Coast. was located at the South Fork of the Eel River. Subsequently, an atmospheric river brought persistent, heavy, warm rain. “Changes at a gage upstream of our dam tells us how much more water is flowing into the reservoir. Communities use these maps to help protect lives and property. This time, it was rebuilt on higher ground. [3] Detroit recorded an extra 18 inches (460 mm) of rain, and at Crater Lake, where the average normal December rainfall is 12 inches (300 mm), there was over 38 inches (970 mm) of rain. [clarification needed][3] As rivers and streams overflowed and the soil became saturated, mudslides occurred, roads closed, and reservoirs overflowed. [7] Twenty-six U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream gauges were destroyed. ... which has led hydrology researchers like Dave Reynolds to have to argue the case for the Great Flood of 1862 being a 200-year flood … Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), Mapping, Remote Sensing, and Geospatial Data, federal, state and local governments will commemorate, atmospheric rivers or “pineapple expresses, Hydrologic Information Center – Flood Loss Data, U.S. Geological Survey Flood Inundation Mapping Science. Archival U.S. Geological Survey photograph. [1] The flood killed 19 people, heavily damaged or completely devastated at least 10 towns, destroyed all or portions of more than 20 major highway and county bridges, carried away millions of board feet of lumber and logs from mill sites, devastated thousands of acres of agricultural land, killed 4,000 head of livestock, and caused $100 million in damage in Humboldt County, California, alone. And, at least one year, it was enough to flood large swathes of the state. [3] The impact of the raft severely damaged the Hawthorne Bridge, closing it for a year. California State Library The Great California Flood of 1861-1862 was a series of four floods: Dec. 9, 1861; Dec. 23 to 28, 1861; Jan. 9 to 12, 1862 and Jan. 15-17, 1862… Areas in Oregon, Idaho, California, Washington and Nevada experienced record-breaking floods caused by three storms between Dec. 19 and Jan. 31. Every major stream in this North Coast produced new high values of extreme peak flows; 34 counties in California were declared disaster areas. It wasn't at the sign that says "High Water Dec 1964." C-130 - 3.7.3 Historic Floods [Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region] An epic 43-day rainstorm that began in December 1861 put regions of central and southern California underwater for how many months? The Willamette River washed out 300 feet (91 m) of SP track between Portland and Albany. A. FLOODS. And while it looks bad right now, experts are predicting that this might just be the beginning - the historical record indicates that California endures widespread flooding every 100 to 200 years, and based on the state's last 'mega flood', this could be it. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. easily surpassing the 1955 flood's previous record of 165,000 cubic feet per second (4,670 m3/s). This December marks the 50th anniversary of the “Thousand Year Flood” in Northern California, which officially began on Dec. 21, 1964 — reaching its … [1][3] More from 1964 Rivers and streams began to overflow and still-frozen ground became saturated Mudslides all over the state closed [8] Some places received the equivalent of a year's rain in just a few days. On page 19 of the Taylor brothers' book: "The Great California Flood of 1862" published on March 2, 2006, they refer to data tabulated in START Comparison What Happened Christmas Flood of 1964 Was it preventable? Learn more about how to prepare for a potential flood emergency. The USGS also coordinates collection and dissemination of geospatial imagery and map products used for flood response and evaluation. Many of the new, heavier levees constructed after the 1862 flood are now 150 years old. The atmospheric rivers that have been linked to the 1862 flood still wreak havoc on California regularly — though thankfully not on the scale of 1862. [3] The flooding on the Willamette covered 152,789 acres (61,831.5 ha). 1964 (Reference to Flood of 1862) Cameron Chugg, Jake McKean, Andrew Miller, Eliana Ramirez Nunez, Clay Riggs, Whitney Scott Introduction The 1964 flood in California. [3], At Oregon City, Willamette Falls was unrecognizable as a waterfall, and the city was flooded by several feet of water. [10] Crescent City, still recovering from the tsunami created by the 1964 Alaska earthquake only nine months earlier, also suffered from the floods. [3] At 12 feet (3.7 m) above flood stage, the flooding of the Willamette River at Portland in 1964 was second only to the 1948 flood that wiped out Vanport City. All Californians should know their flood risk and be prepared. The combination of heavy rain, melting snow, and frozen ground caused extreme runoff, erosion and flooding. Santa Cruz received 25 inches of rain in 36 hours. “Water managers from state and federal agencies manage river flows near major population areas like Salem or Portland as a system of control points and each control point has a specific target,” said Scullion. 10-40 reported dead 20 drowned Thousands of livestock deaths THE END!!! [6] Every single stream gauge on the Eel River was destroyed. [7] The town of Gasquet received 26.6 inches (676 mm) of rain over an eight-day period, and Crescent City received 9.2 inches (230 mm). [6][7], An atypical cold spell began in Oregon on December 13, 1964, that froze the soil, and it was followed by unusually heavy snow. It was preceded by weeks of continuous rains and snows in the very high elevations that began in Oregon in November 1861 and continued into January 1862. [3] The ports at Gold Beach and Brookings were destroyed. The flooding lasted 45 days, and it affected an area stretching 300 miles, including all of Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley. Actually, it was a series of floods. The first flood of record occurred in December 1861 and January 1862. 1. It put entire cities underwater and formed an inland sea across the middle of California. [7] The Pacific Lumber Company sawmill at Scotia lost 40 million board feet (94,000 m3) of logs and lumber washed downstream. Salt Creek washed out 25 miles (40 km) of Oregon Route 58 and undermined the SP viaduct footings. The Great Flood of 1862 was the largest flood in the recorded history of Oregon, Nevada, and California, occurring from December 1861 to January 1862. California Governor Pat Brown was quoted as saying that a flood of similar proportions could "happen only once in 1,000 years," and it was often referred to later as the Thousand Year Flood. 1964. It was preceded by weeks of continuous rains (or snows in the very high elevations) that began in Oregon in November 1861 and continued into January 1862. [3][8] The temperature increased by 30 to 40 °F (17 to 22 °C). The National Weather Service rated the flood as the fifth most destructive weather event in Oregon in the 20th century. Considered a 100-year flood,[2] Massive flooding killed 47, injured 161, and caused $300 million in damages. Tsunami caused by an Alaskan earthquake caused $16 million in damage and left 14 dead. At high tide, the breakers forced themselves over "drift-wood, bulk heads, and break water, into the streets of … Devastating floods ensued. The "Great Flood" of 1861-1862 was remarkable for the exceptionally high stages reached on most streams, repeated large floods, and prolonged and widespread inundation in the San Joaquin Valley. In the entire State, the floods resulted in 67 deaths and total damage estimated at $166 million by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Hofmann and Rantz, 1963). In Oregon, 17 or 18 people died as a result o… Areas of severe flooding from December 1964 and January 1965, which encompassed about 200,000 square miles, resulted in 47 deaths, left thousands homeless and caused more than $540 million ($3.9 billion today) worth of damage. Snow built up at unusually low elevations in the Sierra Nevada foothills. [7], In the Central Valley, the Yosemite Valley was flooded, and residents of Yuba City were evacuated. submerging the town of Klamath under 15 feet (4.6 m) of water. The flood was the biggest in California history. If those levees were to fail, the vast California Water Project of the 1960s might be cut in half. The rains continue, and since I last wrote the floods have been far worse than before. San Francisco. Areas in Oregon, Idaho, California, Washington and Nevada experienced record-breaking floods caused by three storms between Dec. 19 and Jan. 31. [3] Many towns were isolated. This flood occurred right. [3] In Portland, the lower deck of the Steel Bridge was underwater and had also been hit by a log raft consisting of around 1,000 logs. [1][7] Sixteen state highway bridges were destroyed in California's 1st congressional district, most of them on Highway 101, and another ten county bridges were destroyed in Humboldt County. California Governor Brown declared 34 counties in the region disaster areas. [3] At its peak, the water was at the top of Downtown Portland's seawall. Signs were later placed on top of tall poles to mark the unusual height of the water. The USGS partners with local communities to assist in the development and validation of flood inundation map libraries. [7] In total, 375,000 acres (152,000 ha) of the Central Valley was flooded. Weott was essentially washed away. The Christmas flood of 1964 encompassed about 200,000 square miles, or roughly the size of France, resulted in 47 deaths, left thousands homeless and caused more than $540 million ($3.9 billion today) worth of damage. Flooding on the Rogue River, Oregon, December 1964. The USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Program focuses its efforts at state and local levels to help communities understand flood risks and make cost-effective mitigation decisions. That’s when we need to decide how best to protect the region.”. [10], Many communities of Del Norte and Humboldt counties suffered massive power outages and were left isolated (or completely cut off from the rest of the state for a period), including the region's larger populated areas around Humboldt Bay, such as Eureka and Arcata, despite the fact that those cities were located on higher ground and not in the path of raging rivers. Riverside communities like Klamath, Orleans, Myers Flat, Weott, South Fork, Shively, Pepperwood, Stafford, and Ti-Bar were completely destroyed by flood waters; some of them were never rebuilt and none regained their former status. It also affected parts of southwest Washington, Idaho, and Nevada. Sunday, January 19, 1862. By December 23, 752,000 cubic feet per second (21,300 m3/s) of water rushed down the Eel River at Scotia (still upstream from the confluence of the Van Duzen River),[6] AND ROBERT W. TAYLOR Ph.D. SUMMARY In 1860 California had been a state for 10 years. Albany received 13 inches (330 mm) of rain in December, almost double its average December rainfall of 7 inches (200 mm). "Geologic evidence shows that truly massive floods, caused by rainfall alone, have occurred in California about every 200 years. The Great Flood of 1862 was the largest flood in the recorded history of Oregon, Nevada, and California, occurring from December 1861 to January 1862. Visit MyHazards, a service provided by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and enter your address to know your flood risk. The floods of December 1964 (water year 1965) resulted from meteorological conditions similar to those of the December 1955 floods. Considered a 100-year flood, it was the worst flood in recorded history on nearly every major stream and river in coastal Northern California and one of the worst to affect the Willamette River in Oregon. Flooding caused 18 deaths and $350 million in damages. The 100-year recurrence interval means that a flood of that magnitude has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year.

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