Great Flood of 1951

Flood

The 1951 flood in Kansas began in May with the flood of the Big Creek, (a tributary of the Smoky Hill River) in Hays after 11 inches (280 mm) of rain in two hours. The creek overflowed, flooding Hays (the location of Fort Hays State University) to a depth of 4 feet (1.2 m) in most locations inhabited by the students on campus, necessitating a midnight evacuation of the barracks by families on the G.I. Bill and dorms to the Stadium's third floor, which was still dry. Dr. Charles F. Wiest, Professor of Philosophy and Religion, and his seven-year-old daughter perished when their home caved in under the weight of the water while he was attempting to save prized texts in his basement. All records at the college were ruined and no graduation was held on the appointed date of May 23. Graduates were mailed their diplomas one month later.

At the time, there were no warning sirens in Hays. Two police officers drove the low riding streets with their sirens blaring, shouting to evacuate. They are credited with saving many lives.

The flooding continued into June 1951 with heavy rains. The flooding reached its zenith when between 8 and 16 inches (410 mm) fell on the region between July 9 and July 13. The flood levels reached their highest point since the Great Flood of 1844 and Flood of 1903. July 13 experienced the single highest levels of flood, leading to the greatest destruction by flood in the Midwest as of then.

The specific flood-levels are not accurately known for the Kansas River, as the water crested above all official flood gauges. However, between Manhattan and Bonner Springs flood levels were between 4 feet (1.2 m) and 6 feet (1.8 m) above all previous records. The Marais Des Cygnes River, Verdigris River, and Neosho River crested more than 9 feet (2.7 m) above previous records.

The heaviest initial damage by the flood crest was to Manhattan and Fort Riley. Barracks at the Fort were destroyed, and in Manhattan the downtown business district was deluged under 8 feet (2.4 m) of water and two people were killed. Then, Topeka and Lawrence were damaged by the same crest. Approximately 24,000 people were evacuated from Topeka.

In the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the flood began running over the top of the levees protecting the Argentine and Armourdale areas, resulting in the evacuation of 15,000 people. Water reached the rooftops of houses in Armourdale. The flood devastated the Kansas City Stockyards in the West Bottoms at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. The Stockyards never fully recovered. The flood destroyed the TWA overhaul base at Fairfax Airport in Kansas City, Kansas prompting the city of Kansas City, Missouri, to relocate TWA to a new airport in Platte County, Missouri that later became Kansas City International Airport.

On July 13, a total of 1,074,000 acres (4,350 km²) in Kansas and 926,000 acres (3,750 km²) in Missouri were flooded.

The crest continued downstream passing through Boonville, Missouri on July 17, Jefferson City, Missouri on July 18, Hermann, Missouri on July 19, and St. Charles, Missouri on July 20, resulting in further flooding.

On July 17, President Harry Truman toured the damage by airplane, as far west as Manhattan, and declared the disaster "one of the worst this country has ever suffered from water".