Christmas flood of 1964
Encyclopedia
The Christmas flood of 1964 was a major flood that took place in the Pacific Northwest
of the United States between December 18, 1964 and January 7, 1965, spanning the Christmas
holiday.
Considered a 100-year flood
,
it was one of the worst floods to affect the Willamette River
in Oregon
, but it also had an impact on parts of southwest Washington, Idaho
, Nevada
, and especially Northern California
.
In Oregon seventeen people died as a result of the disaster, and it caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. The flooding covered 152789 acres (61,831.6 ha).
The National Weather Service
rated the flood as the fifth most destructive weather event in Oregon in the 20th century.
Next came a Pineapple Express
storm bringing large amounts of warm rain. The temperature was raised by 30 to 40 °F (-1.1 to 4.4 C), thawing the snow, but the ground remained frozen. Some places received the equivalent of a year's rain in just a few days. Albany
received 13 inches (330.2 mm) of rain in December, almost double its average rainfall of 7 inches (177.8 mm). Detroit
recorded an extra 18 inches (457.2 mm) of rain, and at Crater Lake
, where the average normal December rainfall is 12 inches (304.8 mm), there was over 38 inches (965.2 mm) of rain. As rivers and streams began to overflow and the still-frozen ground became saturated, reports began coming in from all over the state of mudslides, closed roads and reservoirs filled far over capacity. Many small towns became isolated. By the end of the flood, every river in Oregon was above flood stage and more than thirty major bridges were impassable.
reached higher flows than they had in December.
office in Portland.
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. Other deaths occurred from drowning and electrocution, and one man died when the new John Day bridge
collapsed.
Yamhill County
was severely impacted. The bridge between Newberg
and St. Paul
and the road between Newberg and Wilsonville
were closed, trapping hundreds of people.
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. The ports at Gold Beach
and Brookings
were destroyed.
At Oregon City
, Willamette Falls
was unrecognizable as a waterfall, and the city was flooded by several feet of water. In Portland
, the lower deck of the Steel Bridge
was underwater and had also been hit by a log raft
consisting of 1,000 logs. The impact of the raft severely damaged the Hawthorne Bridge
, closing it for a year. 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. At its peak, the water was at the top of Downtown Portland's seawall
.
declared 34 counties in the region disaster area
s. Together, Del Norte
, Humboldt
, Mendocino
, Siskiyou
, Trinity
, and Sonoma
counties sustained more damage than the other 28 counties combined.
Governor Brown was quoted as saying that a flood like this could "happen only once in 1,000 years," and it was later often referred to as the Thousand Year Flood. The flood killed 19 people, 4,000 head of livestock, and caused $100 million in damage in Humboldt County
alone. Twenty-six U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream gages were destroyed.
, Smith
, Klamath
, and Salmon
rivers reached flood stage simultaneously, breaking all previous records. 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. The flood also took out the region's major railroads, and many Del Norte and Humboldt county communities were left isolated. Klamath
, Orleans
, Myers Flat
, Weott
, South Fork, Shively
, Pepperwood
, Stafford
, and Ti-Bar were all completely demolished. Metropolitan
, Rio Dell
, and Scotia
were significantly damaged. Crescent City
, still recovering from the tsunami
created by the 1964 Alaska earthquake only nine months earlier, also suffered from the floods.
Over 550 millimetres (22 in) of rain fell on the Eel River basin in a span of two days. By December 23, 752000 ft3/s of water rushed down the Eel River at Scotia (still upstream from the confluence of the Van Duzen River
),
200000 ft3/s more than the 1955 Flood, and more than the average discharge of the entire Mississippi River
basin.
Just under 200000 ft3/s of water flowed down the South Fork Eel River
alone, causing severe damage along its entire length. Every single stream gage on the Eel River was destroyed.
The Smith River, located in Del Norte County
near the Oregon border, reached flows of 228000 ft3/s at Hiouchi
,
easily surpassing the 1955 flood's previous record of 165000 ft3/s. The town of Gasquet
received 26.6 inches (675.6 mm) of rain over an eight-day period, and Crescent City, California
received 9.2 inches (233.7 mm).
The Klamath River, which flows 263 miles (423.3 km) from Klamath Falls, Oregon
to Klamath
, reached flows of 557000 ft3/s.
The town of Klamath was submerged by 15 feet (4.6 m) of water.
One of the Klamath's largest tributaries
, the Trinity River
, also flooded and wrought destruction along its length. The Trinity, however, did not break the 1955 Flood's records because of the newly constructed Trinity Dam
, which stored 372200 acre.ft of runoff from the storm. Nonetheless, an impressive 231000 ft3/s of water rushed down the river at Hoopa
.
Between December 20 and December 26, a staggering 10390000 acre.ft of water flowed into the Pacific Ocean from various streams on the North Coast.
, the Yosemite Valley
was flooded, and people in Yuba City
evacuated. Many streams reached record flood stages, including the Feather River
, Yuba River
, American River
, Cottonwood Creek, and Butte Creek. The flood caused the uncompleted Hell Hole Dam on the Rubicon River
to fail, sending even more water downstream. In total, 375000 acres (151,757.3 ha) of the Central Valley was flooded.
and Longview
–Kelso
and closed Interstate 5
and all railways at flooded Kalama
for over a week. In Nevada, the Truckee River
threatened Reno
.
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
of the United States between December 18, 1964 and January 7, 1965, spanning the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
holiday.
Considered a 100-year flood
100-year flood
A one-hundred-year flood is calculated to be the level of flood water expected to be equaled or exceeded every 100 years on average. The 100-year flood is more accurately referred to as the 1% annual exceedance probability flood, since it is a flood that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded...
,
it was one of the worst floods to affect the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, but it also had an impact on parts of southwest Washington, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and especially Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
.
In Oregon seventeen people died as a result of the disaster, and it caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. The flooding covered 152789 acres (61,831.6 ha).
The National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
rated the flood as the fifth most destructive weather event in Oregon in the 20th century.
History
An atypical cold spell began in Oregon about December 13, 1964, that froze the ground, and was followed by unusually heavy snow.Next came a Pineapple Express
Pineapple Express
Pineapple Express is a non-technical term for a meteorological phenomenon characterized by a strong and persistent flow of atmospheric moisture and associated heavy rainfall from the waters adjacent to the Hawaiian Islands and extending to any location along the Pacific coast of North America...
storm bringing large amounts of warm rain. The temperature was raised by 30 to 40 °F (-1.1 to 4.4 C), thawing the snow, but the ground remained frozen. Some places received the equivalent of a year's rain in just a few days. Albany
Albany, Oregon
Albany is the eleventh largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon, and is the county seat of Linn County. It is located in the Willamette Valley at the confluence of the Calapooia River and the Willamette River in both Linn and Benton counties, just east of Corvallis and south of Salem. It is...
received 13 inches (330.2 mm) of rain in December, almost double its average rainfall of 7 inches (177.8 mm). Detroit
Detroit, Oregon
Detroit is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It was named for Detroit, Michigan in the 1890s because of the large number of people from Michigan in the community. The population was 262 at the 2000 census...
recorded an extra 18 inches (457.2 mm) of rain, and at Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Crater Lake is a caldera lake located in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a nearly deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 years agoby the...
, where the average normal December rainfall is 12 inches (304.8 mm), there was over 38 inches (965.2 mm) of rain. As rivers and streams began to overflow and the still-frozen ground became saturated, reports began coming in from all over the state of mudslides, closed roads and reservoirs filled far over capacity. Many small towns became isolated. By the end of the flood, every river in Oregon was above flood stage and more than thirty major bridges were impassable.
Late January
Heavy warm rain and melting snow caused more flooding in late January 1965, after the waters had begun to recede from the December flood. More mudslides occurred in places that had withstood the December flooding, and there were more deaths. Many streams in the northern San Joaquin ValleySan Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
reached higher flows than they had in December.
Oregon
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 ServiceNational Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
office in Portland.
Some of the worst mudslides occurred in the Mount Hood Corridor, and one man died in a mud and debris avalanche near Rhododendron
Rhododendron, Oregon
Rhododendron is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located within the Mount Hood Corridor, between Government Camp and Zigzag on U.S. Route 26...
that destroyed 15 houses. Other deaths occurred from drowning and electrocution, and one man died when the new John Day bridge
John Day Dam
The John Day Dam is a concrete gravity run-of-the-river dam spanning the Columbia River in the northwestern United States. The dam features a navigation lock plus fish ladders on both sides. The John Day Lock has the highest lift of any U.S. lock...
collapsed.
Yamhill County
Yamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
was severely impacted. The bridge between Newberg
Newberg, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,064 people, 6,099 households, and 4,348 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,599.4 people per square mile . There were 6,435 housing units at an average density of 1,282.2 per square mile...
and St. Paul
St. Paul, Oregon
St. Paul is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It is named after the Saint Paul Mission founded by Archbishop François Norbert Blanchet, who arrived in the Oregon Territory in 1838 to minister to the Catholic inhabitants of French Prairie. The population was 354 at the 2000 census...
and the road between Newberg and Wilsonville
Wilsonville, Oregon
Wilsonville is a city primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A portion of the northern section of the city is in Washington County. Originally founded as Boones Landing due to the Boones Ferry which crossed the Willamette River at the location, the community became Wilsonville in...
were closed, trapping hundreds of people.
On the Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
, downtown Reedsport
Reedsport, Oregon
Reedsport is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,154.- History :Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912...
was flooded with 8 feet (2.4 m) of water, and in Coos Bay
Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...
, a massive logjam contributed to severe flooding. The ports at Gold Beach
Gold Beach, Oregon
Gold Beach is a city in and the county seat of Curry County, Oregon, United States, on the Oregon Coast. The population was 1,897 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and Brookings
Brookings, Oregon
Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which...
were destroyed.
At Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
, Willamette Falls
Willamette Falls
The Willamette Falls is a natural waterfall on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, in the United States. It is the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest and the eighteenth largest in the world by water volume. Horseshoe in shape, it is wide and high with a flow...
was unrecognizable as a waterfall, and the city was flooded by several feet of water. In Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, the lower deck of the Steel Bridge
Steel Bridge
The Steel Bridge is a through truss, double lift bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States. Its lower deck carries railroad and bicycle/pedestrian traffic, while the upper deck carries road traffic and light rail , making the bridge one of the most multimodal in the world...
was underwater and had also been hit by a log raft
Timber rafting
Timber rafting is a log transportation method in which logs are tied together into rafts and drifted or pulled across a water body or down a flatter river. It is arguably the second cheapest method of transportation of timber, next after log driving...
consisting of 1,000 logs. The impact of the raft severely damaged the Hawthorne Bridge
Hawthorne Bridge
The Hawthorne Bridge is a truss bridge with a vertical lift that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, joining Hawthorne Boulevard and Madison Street. It is the oldest vertical-lift bridge in operation in the United States and the oldest highway bridge in Portland...
, closing it for a year. 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. At its peak, the water was at the top of Downtown Portland's seawall
Seawall
A seawall is a form of coastal defence constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation and leisure activities from the action of tides and waves...
.
California
Starting December 21, intense downpours all across Northern California caused numerous streams to flood, many to record breaking levels. California governor Edmund G. BrownPat Brown
Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown, Sr. was the 32nd Governor of California, serving from 1959 to 1967, and the father of current Governor of California Jerry Brown.-Background:...
declared 34 counties in the region disaster area
Disaster area
A disaster area is a region or a locale heavily damaged by either natural hazards, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, technological hazards including nuclear and radiation accidents, or sociological hazards like riots, terrorism or war. The population living there often...
s. Together, Del Norte
Del Norte County, California
Del Norte County is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California on the Pacific adjacent to the Oregon border. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 28,610. The county seat is Crescent City, the county's only incorporated city. Del Norte is the abbreviated...
, Humboldt
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
, Mendocino
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
, Siskiyou
Siskiyou County, California
Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. Yreka is the county seat. Because of its substantial natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Gold Rush era history, it is an important...
, Trinity
Trinity County, California
Trinity County is a large, rugged and mountainous, heavily forested county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of California, along the Trinity River and within the Salmon/Klamath Mountains. It covers an area of over two million acres , and as of the 2010 census its population...
, and Sonoma
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
counties sustained more damage than the other 28 counties combined.
Governor Brown was quoted as saying that a flood like this could "happen only once in 1,000 years," and it was later often referred to as the Thousand Year Flood. The flood killed 19 people, 4,000 head of livestock, and caused $100 million in damage in Humboldt County
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
alone. Twenty-six U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream gages were destroyed.
North Coast
The EelEel River (California)
The Eel River is a major river system of the northern Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. Approximately 200 miles long, it drains a rugged area in the California Coast Ranges between the Sacramento Valley and the ocean. For most of its course, the river flows northwest, parallel to the...
, Smith
Smith River (California)
The Smith River is a river on the Pacific coast of northern California in the United States, approximately long. It drains a rugged area of the Pacific Coast Ranges west of the Siskiyou Mountains just south of the Oregon border and north of the watershed of the Klamath River. The catchment area is...
, Klamath
Klamath River
The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
, and Salmon
Salmon River (California)
The Salmon River is a tributary to the Klamath River in western Siskiyou County, California.The river has its origins in the high mountains of the Trinity Alps, Russian Mountains, and Marble Mountains...
rivers reached flood stage simultaneously, breaking all previous records. Sixteen state highway
State highways in California
Each state highway in the U.S. State of California is maintained by the California Department of Transportation and is assigned a Route number in the Streets and Highways Code . Most of these are numbered in a statewide system, and are known as State Route X...
bridges were destroyed in California's 1st congressional district
California's 1st congressional district
California's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California and presently consists of the northern coastline and includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties and parts of Sonoma and Yolo counties.The district is currently...
, most of them on Highway 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
, and another ten county bridges were destroyed in Humboldt County. The flood also took out the region's major railroads, and many Del Norte and Humboldt county communities were left isolated. Klamath
Klamath, California
Klamath is an unincorporated, rural, census-designated place in Del Norte County, California, situated on US Route 101 inland from the mouth of the Klamath River. The population was 779 at the 2010 census, up from 651 at the 2000 census...
, Orleans
Orleans, California
Orleans , Karuk name Panamnik, is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located northeast of Weitchpec, at an elevation of 404 feet...
, Myers Flat
Myers Flat, California
Myers Flat is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California. It is located south-southeast of Weott, at an elevation of 203 feet . The ZIP Code is 95554...
, Weott
Weott, California
Weott is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California. It is located 375 km north of San Francisco, California and 40 km due west of the Pacific Ocean. Lower Weott is situated at an elevation of 100m along the Avenue of the Giants and in the flood plain of the South Fork of...
, South Fork, Shively
Shively, California
Shively is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located north-northwest of Redcrest, at an elevation of 144 feet , on the right bank of the Eel River....
, Pepperwood
Pepperwood, California
Pepperwood is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located northwest of Redcrest, at an elevation of 115 feet . Pepperwood is the northernmost community along the Avenue of the Giants. The ZIP Code is 95569...
, Stafford
Stafford, Humboldt County, California
Stafford is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located on the south bank of the Eel River southeast of Scotia, at an elevation of 138 feet ....
, and Ti-Bar were all completely demolished. Metropolitan
Metropolitan, California
Metropolitan is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located on McDairmid Prairie, on the Eel River three miles downstream of Scotia, at an elevation of 72 feet .- History :...
, Rio Dell
Rio Dell, California
Rio Dell is a city in Humboldt County, California, United States. Rio Dell is located on the west bank of the Eel River north of Scotia, at an elevation of 161 feet...
, and Scotia
Scotia, California
Scotia is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California. It is located south-southeast of Fortuna, at an elevation of 194 feet . The ZIP Code is 95565. The population was 850 at the 2010 census....
were significantly damaged. Crescent City
Crescent City, California
Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...
, still recovering from the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
created by the 1964 Alaska earthquake only nine months earlier, also suffered from the floods.
Over 550 millimetres (22 in) of rain fell on the Eel River basin in a span of two days. By December 23, 752000 ft3/s of water rushed down the Eel River at Scotia (still upstream from the confluence of the Van Duzen River
Van Duzen River
The Van Duzen River is a river on the north coast of California. It is a major tributary of the Eel River and drains , mostly in Humboldt County, with a small portion in Trinity County. The river travels from its headwaters on the west side of the North Coast Range to its confluence with the Eel...
),
200000 ft3/s more than the 1955 Flood, and more than the average discharge of the entire Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
basin.
Just under 200000 ft3/s of water flowed down the South Fork Eel River
South Fork Eel River
The South Fork Eel River is the longest and largest tributary of the Eel River, in the north-central part of the U.S. state of California. The river flows north from Laytonville to Dyerville/Founders' Grove where it joins the Eel River on the left bank...
alone, causing severe damage along its entire length. Every single stream gage on the Eel River was destroyed.
The Smith River, located in Del Norte County
Del Norte County, California
Del Norte County is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California on the Pacific adjacent to the Oregon border. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 28,610. The county seat is Crescent City, the county's only incorporated city. Del Norte is the abbreviated...
near the Oregon border, reached flows of 228000 ft3/s at Hiouchi
Hiouchi, California
Hiouchi is a census-designated place in Del Norte County, California. It is located on the Smith River east-northeast of Crescent City, at an elevation of 171 feet . Hiouchi's population is 301.-Demographics:...
,
easily surpassing the 1955 flood's previous record of 165000 ft3/s. The town of Gasquet
Gasquet, California
Gasquet is a census-designated place southwest of the Oregon border in Del Norte County, California, and northeast of Crescent City, with a population of 515. It lies at an elevation of 381 feet . The ZIP Code is 95543. Its area code is 707...
received 26.6 inches (675.6 mm) of rain over an eight-day period, and Crescent City, California
Crescent City, California
Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...
received 9.2 inches (233.7 mm).
The Klamath River, which flows 263 miles (423.3 km) from Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
to Klamath
Klamath, California
Klamath is an unincorporated, rural, census-designated place in Del Norte County, California, situated on US Route 101 inland from the mouth of the Klamath River. The population was 779 at the 2010 census, up from 651 at the 2000 census...
, reached flows of 557000 ft3/s.
The town of Klamath was submerged by 15 feet (4.6 m) of water.
One of the Klamath's largest tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
, the Trinity River
Trinity River (California)
The Trinity River is the longest tributary of the Klamath River, approximately long, in northwestern California in the United States. It drains an area of the Coast Ranges, including the southern Klamath Mountains, northwest of the Sacramento Valley...
, also flooded and wrought destruction along its length. The Trinity, however, did not break the 1955 Flood's records because of the newly constructed Trinity Dam
Trinity Dam
Trinity Dam is an earth dam on the Trinity River that forms Trinity Lake near Weaverville, California. Trinity Lake was previously called Clair Engle Lake. The earthfill dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Construction was completed in 1962. Trinity Lake has a capacity of , making it...
, which stored 372200 acre.ft of runoff from the storm. Nonetheless, an impressive 231000 ft3/s of water rushed down the river at Hoopa
Hoopa, California
Hoopa is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California. It is located south of Weitchpec, at an elevation of 328 feet . The ZIP Code is 95546....
.
Between December 20 and December 26, a staggering 10390000 acre.ft of water flowed into the Pacific Ocean from various streams on the North Coast.
Central Valley
In the Central ValleyCentral Valley
Central Valley may refer to:*Central Valley *Central Valley, New York*Chilean Central Valley **Central Valley *Costa Rican Central Valley...
, the Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
was flooded, and people in Yuba City
Yuba City, California
Yuba City is a Northern California city, founded in 1849. It is the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 64,925 at the 2010 census....
evacuated. Many streams reached record flood stages, including the Feather River
Feather River
The Feather River is the principal tributary of the Sacramento River, in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California. The river's main stem is about long. Its length to its most distant headwater tributary is about . Its drainage basin is about...
, Yuba River
Yuba River
The Yuba River is a tributary of the Feather River in the Sacramento Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is one of the Feather's most important branches, providing about a third of its flow. The main stem of the river is about long, and its headwaters are split into North, Middle and South...
, American River
American River
The American River is a California watercourse noted as the site of Sutter's Mill, northwest of Placerville, California, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush...
, Cottonwood Creek, and Butte Creek. The flood caused the uncompleted Hell Hole Dam on the Rubicon River
Rubicon River (California)
The Rubicon River is a river in the Sierra Nevada of northern California, west of Lake Tahoe. It is a tributary of the Middle Fork American River, and is long and with a watershed of about . The river's headwaters are in the Crystal Range of the Sierra Nevada, within the Eldorado National Forest's...
to fail, sending even more water downstream. In total, 375000 acres (151,757.3 ha) of the Central Valley was flooded.
Elsewhere
In southwest Washington, rising rivers threatened CentraliaCentralia, Washington
Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,336 at the 2010 census.-History:In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran came from Missouri with his...
and Longview
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
–Kelso
Kelso, Washington
Kelso is a city in southwest Washington State, United States, and is the county seat of Cowlitz County. At the 2010 census, the population was 11,925. Kelso is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 102,410. Kelso shares its long western border...
and closed Interstate 5
Interstate 5 in Washington
Interstate 5 in Washington is a highway in the U.S. state of Washington that extends from its border with Oregon to its border with Canada...
and all railways at flooded Kalama
Kalama, Washington
Kalama is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is part of the 'Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,344 at the 2010 census.-History:...
for over a week. In Nevada, the Truckee River
Truckee River
The Truckee River is a stream in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river is about long. Its endorheic drainage basin is about , of which about are in Nevada. The Truckee is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains part of the high Sierra Nevada, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great...
threatened Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
.
External links
- History of the Christmas week flood from Salem Public Library
- The '64 flood story from Mail TribuneMail TribuneThe Mail Tribune is a seven-day daily newspaper based in Medford, Oregon, United States that serves Jackson County, Oregon, and adjacent areas of northern California....
- Images of the 1964 flood from Salem Public Library
- Images of the 1964 flood in Corvallis from the University of Oregon Library digital archives
- Images of the 1964 Eel River Flood near Van Arsdale Reservoir from the Potter Valley Irrigation District