306
St. John ................ CaIgate .................. Marysville.. ................ OmvlUe.. ............... Folsom City.. .......... Kennett.. .............. Red Bluff ................... Monroeville.. ............... Colusa ......................
Sacramento.. ............... Rio Vlsta.. .................
Knights Landing.. ..........
MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW.
RIVERS AND FLOODS, FEBRUARY, 1911.
By Prof. H. C. FBANKENFIELD, in charge of River and Flood Division.
ItlCh8.
Stony Creek .................. Yuba ............... 28.49 .do.. ............ 13.55 Feather.. ........... 14.32 Amerlcan.. ......... Zl. OB Sacramento. ........ 14.84 .do.. ............ 9.08 .do.. ............ 9.36 .do.. ............ 7.68 .do.. ............ 12.22 .do. ............. 12.72 .do.. ............ 12.45
Duiing the month of Januaiy, 1911, rainfall and snow- fall over the State of California were practically continu- ous and abnormally heavy, and by January 1s a eneral rise had set in over all the rivers of 'the State. A &scrip- tion of the antecedent conditions as well as cletailed data for the month of January will be found in the report of District No. 11 in the Monthly Weather Review for that month and need not be repeated here. It is well to note, Lowever, that the aver e recipitatioii in the
13.20 inches, or 7.79 inches above the normal amount, while snowfall to the amount of 400 inches was reported at Tamarack, Cal., with a total water precipitation for the month of 39.80 inches.
State of California for the mont T Y 1 o January, 1911, was
'official in charge of the loca Y ofice of report on the floods was pre ared by
at sacramento, Cal.:
Until about January 12 all streams in the central valleys of California showed little departure from the unprecedentedly low stages that had been general during the st few months, but on the date referred to the Sacramento River b z w Redding, and the eastern tributaries of this stream, began responding to the rains that revailed throughout the Sacramento watershed from the 9th to 15t1, inclusive. While the rains of the San Joaquin watershed were practical1 identical with those of the Sacramento little effects were noted in t i e stages of the rivers in the section first named. By January 17 a general fall was in progress throughout the rivers of both watersheds. but the heavy, warm rains that occurred between January 18 and 21 resulted in rapid rises in the Sacramento, American, Feather, and Yuba rivers, and increased the run-off of the tribut,ariee of the San Joaquin. 20 advisory messages were telegraphed to points on the Sa%i%?%iver between Colusa and Knights Landing indicating the approach of a heavy rise in the river during the next two or three days. By the morning of Januar 31 the Sacramento at Colusa had risen to a stage of 19.4 feet, a rise otover 14 feet in 34 hours, and by the mornin of January 22 the river at Knights Landing had risen to 13.4 feet. Aeavy rises also occurred in all the eastern tributaries, except Pitt River, with fresheta in many of the smaller forks of the Feather- Yuba system. h m January 24 until February 1 general and heavy rains occurred mer both watersheds, and during the greater part of this period rain fell heavil along the western flanks of the Sierra Nevadas as high as the 5,000-&ot level, melting a large amount of the snow t.hat had accumulated since January 9.
On January 24 warnings of heavy rises were telegraphed t,o Bel1ot.a and Stockton for distribut.ion to points along Mormon Slough, a.nd by the evenin of January 25 this stream had overflowed it.R banks between Linden an8 Bellota, inundating several thousand acres of farm land The Government Draina e Canal, which diverts t,he wat,er of Mormon Slough back into the Ca%veras River below Stockton, protected the cit of Stockton from overflow.
8n J a n 7 28 advisory meam s were tele phed Colusa to the effect that a1 new levees should r e watched E n g the next two or three days, and on January 29 this advice was also telegraphed our observer at Knighta Landing and @veri verball to the official in chrvge of the Sacramento levees. This advice was Lllowed in all cases, and it haa been stated that some of the new levees, that had not been tried since their construction after the floods of 1909, were probably saved aa a result of the warnings. On January 30 it became evident that the heavy rains and rapidly melting mows would result in critical conditions in the lower Sacra- mento Valley between Colusa and Walnut Grove and that serious floods would occur in the valley of the Son Joaquin. On the morning of this date advisory messages were telegraphed to points on t,he Sacra- mento indicating heavy rises between the mouth of Stony Creek and Sacramento City, and warnings were wired to Stockton. Bellota, and Galt to the effect that dangerous floods would occur in the vicinity of Stockton, along Mormon Slough, between Linden and St,ockton, and over a large sect.ion of the country contiguous to the junct.ion of the Mokelumne and bsumnes rivers. During the afternoon of January 30 general flood warnings were imsued for the San Joaquin River from the mouth of the Calaveras northward to Mendota and Firebaugh indicating heavy and dama.ging floods for all lande eubject to overflow between those points. By the morning of January 31 the Sacrament.0 River waa dangerously high from Monroeville to the mouth of the American, and critical stages were reported from many points in thc
Bet. 4.2 10.2 20.0 13.3 19.8 8.9 18.5 14.8 34.3 17 3 36:9 10.1
FEBBUABY, 1911
JSn. 30 Jan. 31 ... do .... ... do .... ... do .... ... do .... .. .do.. .. ... do .... Feb. 1 Feb 3 3 Feb: '2 Feb. 5
Feather and Yuba above Marysville, and in the American above Fair Oaks. By the afternoon of this date over 10,OOO acree of land were overflowed in the vicinity of the junction of the Mokelumne and Coeumnee riverR with the combined overflow of these streams rapidly backing up along the east Ride of the Sacraniento River, and it has been eRtiniated that an area ctiinprising 76,000 acree was under water between the junction of the C'alaveras and Mormon Slough and the city of Stockton. At this time the flood waters of the MerceJ, Stanislaus, and Tuo- lumne rivers had reached the San Joaquin River and an immenbe flood wave was moving rapidlv down this stream. This flood reached the lowlands in the vicinity of Lathrop and San Joaquin Bridge by the morning of February 1, and by night of that date many levees had given way and man thousands of acres were flooded. The river observer's house. 1ocateJnear San Joaquin Bridge. waa washed away, and many other residences in that vicinity were either washed from their founda- tions or else undermined by the water. By romptly spreadin the warnings sent from this station the Lathrop oEserver saved hunireds of head of valuable stock. About 10,000 acres.were flooded in the vicinity of Firebaugh and Mendota, mostly the property of the Millex & Lux Co., but the warnings sent to the agent of this company gave am le time for the saving of all stock.
8~ the morning of February 3 the flood had spread over a large territory between San Joaquin Bridge and Roberta Island, destroying many miles of levees and inundating thousands of acres of reclaimed land. and considerable water had backed into Stockton from the lower Calaveraa and from the overflow of Mormon Slough. canal, mentioned in another art of this report, undoubtedly save! Stockton from a damaging floocf aa the floods in the surrounding country were the most disastrous and widespread ever recorded in the San Joaquin Valley. It is estimated that nearly 300,000 acres of land were under water from the night of Januar 31 until February 3. On the morning of Felruary 2 the water had commenced to subside, but it was not until February 5 that normal conditions prevailed. Advisory mesaages were sent to the lower island districte indicating that all levees should be gatrolled, but with the exception of a rise of about 3 feet the delta Ian s showed little effects of the floods that pre- vailed above, which is probably due to the fact that the flood waters spread over such a large area and that much of the overtlow waa im- pounded, so that the run-off was gradual, especially between the mouth of the Calaveraa and Antioch. It is gratifying to be able to state that warnings were received a t all oints affected by the floods in ample time to guard against danger and f;amage. and that many thousands of dollars' worth of stock were saved and levees protected aa a result of the warnings.
The following table gives hhe precipitation for the
The divertin
month of Januar
stages a t the various stations of observation:
1911, the highest river sta dates during trhe J' oods, and the departures from
SACRAMENTO WATERSHED. . . - . - . . __
I I P d D 1 -1 I ' I Above
*9.l Jan. 31 *!27.0 ... do .... 14.0 ... do ..... S14.0 ... do .... t22.0 ... do .... 9.3 ... do .... 13.0 ... do .... 13.5 Feb. 2 W.5 Feb. 1
tathi Highest Date. or below Jan&, stage. River.
I 1911. I I I :e.
Statim.
.
Jenny Lind.. ........... BeIIota.. ................ Ektra.. ................ Pollasky.. .............. Flrebaugh .................. Lathrop ....................
Calaveras.. ......... Mormon Slough.. ... Mokelumqe.. ....... San Joaqun.. ...... .do .............. .do.. ............
Feet.
- 7.8
- 3.8
- 5.0 -11.7
-14.1
- 4.5
- 7.2
- 3.7
- 0.8
- 2.1
- 1.9
.........
S.4N JOAQUIN WATERSHED.
Merced Falls ............ Mereed .............. JarksonvlIIe ............. Twlumne .......... Melones ................. StanlsIaus ...........
11.05 18.78 31.68 14.63 13.91 22.96 7.61 3.48 7.95
........ + 7.0
+ 4.0
+ 2.0
- 2.7
+ 2.0
+ 0.5
+ 5.5
........
*Highest of record. t Estimated.
FIBRUABY, 19 1 1. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 303
So far as could be learned, the estimated losses from the floods were as follows:
Property, including railroads, but excluding crops. .......... $435,000
crop .................................................... 35,000 Damage to farm lands. .................................... 75,000 Suspension of busine es... .................................. 25,000
Total ................................................ 550,000
Value of property saved through Weather Bureau warnings, estimated, $230,000.
The eneral ap reciation of the value of the service rendere % by the %eather Bureau was indicated by the number of fetters received from those especial1 interested.
of January 27, 28, and 29, and the first warnings were issued a t Pittsbu , Pa., on the evening of January 39,
for a staae of 25 7 eet, or 3 feet above the flood stage. On the Pollowin da warnings were issued for a still hi her stage at %itts%urg and for tl. stage of 39 feet at deeling, W. Va., but the freezing temperatures 'that set in during the afternoon checked the rise from the tributaries, and the crest stage at Pittsburg was but
25.2 feet, or 3.2 feet above the flood stage, at 7 a. m., January 31. At Wheeling the highest &age was 35.2
feet, 0.8 foot below the flood stage, at midnight, January
32.
The flood was very severe along the Monongahela River, and has been esceecled but once during the winter months. Some crest stages were as follows: Fairmont, W. Va., 29.2 feet, 4.2 feet above flood stage; Greensboro, Pa., 32 feet, 14 feet above flood stage; and Lock No. 4,
Pa., 36.7 feet, 8.7 feet above flood stage. .The warnings proved to be very timely, and the esti- mated losses from the flood were consequently quite small. They were about as fallows:
Fhperty, excluding crops ................................... $50, OOO
Crops ..................................................... None. Damage to farm lands ...................................... None. Suspension of business ...................................... 15, 000
Total ............................................... 65,000
Value of property saved through Weather Bureau
Under date of January 31,191 1, the Pittsburg Dispatch
The flood in the Ohio River was caused tl: y the rains
warnings, estimated, $250,000.
commented as follows:
WARNINQS VALUABLE.
Never wm the value of warnings from the b'eather Bureau more apparent than those which were given to the public through the news- papers esterday morning. Almost before the rise began everyhodv who h d access to a newspaper and who had interests which niight b'e affected was on the alert.
In the Parkersbur district tlie crest st es were 36.3
and 45.4 feet., 6.4 feet above the flood stage at Point Pleasant, W. Va., on Februa 1, and a t the latter place
February 3, inclusive. The usual warnings were issued, and no damage was done in the district. From Huntington, W. Va., to Louisville, Ky., flood stages were not reached although they were closely a proximated, except at Madison, Ind., and Louisville, I&. Below Louisville flood stages were exceeded as
far down as Shawneetown, Ill., but no damage was done. The usual warnings were issued at the proper time, and the highest stage reached was 3S.S feet at Evansville, Ind., 3.8 feet above the flood stage. The river remained above the flood stage from February 4 to 11, inclusive.
feet, 0.3 foot above % ood stage, a t Parkers ?? urg, TIT. Va.,
the river was above the flooc r9 stage from January 31 to
At Paducah, Ky., about 7 feet below The Wabash Ri the mouth of the
and Cairo, Ill., the crest stages were the flood stage. .ver was above the flood stage below White River from'February 1 to 6,
inclusive, with a crest stage on February 4 of 16.7 feet a t Mount Camel, Ill., 1.7 feet above the flood stage. Wsm- ings were first issued on January 30, and .no damage occurred. A410ng the Ohio River, below the mouth of the Wabash, the estimated losses were about as follows:
Property, exclusive of crope ................................ None. crops ..................................................... s10,OOO
5, 000 25, OOO
Total ........................................ : ...... 40,000
Value of property saved by tlie Weather Bureau warnings, estimated, $25,000.
There waa a inoderate flood in the lower Tennessee River, due to heavy rains from February 6 to 9, inclusive, and warnings were first issued on Februar 11. The
little or no damage was done. The crest of the Ohio River rise passed into the Mis- sissippi River on February 14, and reached New Orleans, La., on March 3 with a stage of 11.8 feet. Severe floods occurred in the smaller streams of north- western Illinois and northeastern Iowa from February
14 to 18, inclusive. There were from 8 to 10 inches of moist snow on the frozen ground, and high temperatures from February 10 to 12, inclusive, followed by heavy rains on February 13, 14, 16, and 17, sent most of the snow into the rivers. The trouble was confined prin- cipally to the rivers that have their outlets between Dubuque and Daven ort, Iowa. The Galena River of
1892, while in the Maquoketa River of Iowa the rise was the most rapid ever known, with a crest stage at Maquo- keta, Iowa, short1 after midnight on February 13-14,
about 8 inches hig Y ier than the high-water mark of June,
1592. The waterworks plant was put out of commission and several small bridges were washed away. The most serious damage occurred in the bottoms. along the Wapsipinicon River. One human life and 73
head of cattle were lost and several bridges were carried
a-w~~y. These floods caused a marked rise in the Mis- sissippi River, and flood stages were almost reached
between The mid (i! and rainy weather that prevailed during the early part of the month carried awa
rises in both the Saginaw and Grnncl River watersheds. For a few da s conditions were quite threatening, as
were feared. A gorge 4 niiles in length formed in the Grand River during the afternoon and night of February
20 just below tlie city of Portland, Mich., and the back- water reached the flood stage on the following morning. Some clamage was done to basements, but the gorge was successfully dynamited during the afternaon, and the waters afterward receded rapidiy. There were also fears that cold weather would form a gorge in the low stretches of the river just below Grand Ra ids, and on
Weather Bureau a large boom was stretched wrow the river just above the city on February 21. This stopped
Damage to farm lands by erosion, et,c ....................... Lwmithrough suspension of business .......................
crest stages were but slightly above the floo (9 stage, and
Illinois was liigher on P ebruary 14 than at any time since
uincy, Ill., and Hannibal, Mo.
snow from the lower eninsula of Mic i igan, and all the the conibined run-off of me P ted snow and rain caused sudden
heavy sheets o 9 rotting ice covered both rivers, and gorges
the advice of the official in charge of the loca P office of the
308 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. FJEBBUARY, 1911
the running ice, and allowed the formation of a sheet of surface ice.
ICE.
At the end of the nionth the Mississippi River re- mained frozen as far south m Prairie du Chien, Wis. The ice moved out below the drawbridge at Dubuque, Iowa, during the afternoon of February 17, and above the bridge on February 26, the earliest opening of the Mississip i River at Dubuque in 29 years. The previous earliest a ate was March 3, 1S92. At Davenport, Iowa, the ice moved out on February 15, and at Keokuk, Iowa, on Februmy 1.
The Missouri River remained closed from Omaha northward, and the rivers of New England and New York also remained frozen.
MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL.
As a whole, conditions improved materially during the month, only a limited number of localities reporting a probable deficiency in water supply during the coming spring and summer. Estimates are of course based upon the assumption that the spring temperatures will not be unusually high. Hydrographs for ty ical points on several principal I. The stations selected for charting are Keokuk, St. Louis, Memphis, Vicksburg, and New Orleans, on the Mississippi; Cincinnati and Cairo, on the Ohio; Nashville, on the C!umberland; Johnsonville, on the Tennessee; Kansas City, on the Missouri; Little Rock, on the Arkansas; and Shreveport, on the Red.
rivers are shown on Ciart P
RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE WEATHER BUREAU LIBRARY.
C. FITZHUQH TAIXAN, Librarian.
The following have been selected from anion the titles
likely to be useful to Weather Bureau officials in their meteorological work and studies. Anonymous publica- tions are indicated by a -.
hgenheister, G.
of books recently received as representing t a ose most
Wolkenbeobachtungen in Samoa. [Gottingen.] [1909.] 8 6". (Separatabdruck: Nachr. k. Gesell. Wiss., Gottingen, bath.- Physik. Kl., 1909.). Austria. K. k. Zentralanstalt fur Meteorologie und Geodynamik. Allgemeiner Bericlit und Chronik der im Jahre 1908 in Oesterreicli beobachteten Erdbeben. Wien. 1910. vi, 281 p. SO. Bavaria. K. Bayerischen meteorologische Central-Station. Deutaches meteorologisches Jahrbuch: Bayern, 1909. Munchen. 1910. v. Brillmann, Reu&ari:' Unterauchungen uber das diffuse Wandlicht. Emden. 1910. 39 p. 80. (Dim.-Kiel.) Capodimonte. Reale osservatorio. Osaervaaioni meteoriche, 1907, 1908, 1909. n. p. n. d. 8 O .
Riwunto delle mervazioni meteoriche . . . 1907, 1908. n. p.
Average annual rainfall of Port0 Rico [and other papers]. Wash-
n. d. 8".
Fassig, Oliver L[anard].
ington, etc. 1909, 1910. v. p. 4O.
Fourier, uean Baptiste Jose 1.
planbtaires. Germany. K. Mar AFE!. $;servatorium in Wilhelmshaven.
. . . Erdmagnetismus, 1910. Berlin. 1911. 6p. fo. Golitsyn, B.
der Bodenbewegung. St. Petersbnrg. 1910. 31 p. 4". Greece. Observatoire national d'Athenes.
24.1 p. 569-604. 4 O .
MBmoire s u les temp &h ratures du globe terrestre et des espaces
Ver6ffentlichungen . . . Neue Folge, Heft 1, 2. Ubersicht iiber
Ueber einen neuen Seismographen fur die Vertikalkomponente
Annales . . . Tomes. Athhes. 1910. 592p. f".
Hedges, Killingworth. Modern lightning conductors; . . . Report of the Lightning re- search committee of 1905, also the Phoenix fire office 1910 rules, with notes as to the methods of protection and specifications . . . Sd ed. London. 1910. v. p. So.
Ueber die Strahlen der Nordlichter. Heidelberg. 1910. 9 p. 8".
Uehw die Wirlrunaen sehr kurzwelligen ultravioletteu Lichte~ auf Cime und iiher &le sehr reiche Qiielle dieses Lichtes. Heidei- berg. 1910. v. So.
Lenard, P.
Lenard, P., & Ramsauer, C.
Lisbon. Observatorio to Infante D. Luiz. Aniiaes . . . 1907, v. 45. LidJoa. 1910. 131 p. Io. M€ mery, Henri. IGt6orologie et ph6nnmhnes solaires. Bordeaux. 1910. 63 p.
S". (Xor. d'oceanographie do Ciolfe de Gascogiie.) Russia. Ministry of Agriculture. Meteorological bureau. hnnaleii der Landwirthschnftlichen Meteorologie. [T. p. Rus- sian and German. Text in Ru~sian.] Bd. 1, Lfg. 1-Winter- getreide. (Roggeii und Reizen.) 8t. Petersburg. 1910. x,
33 1). f". Solvay, Ekest.
Strub, Walter.
Wiesbaden. Meteorologische Station.
De la, eondensation 6lectriyue dans 1 'atmmphhre. Brurelles.
Teniperaturverhiiltnisse von Basel. Basel. 1910. 139 p. So.
Beobachtungen, 1909. Wieshaden. 1910. 54 p. So. (S.-Abdr.:
1907. 19 p. 8 O . (Repr.: Ciel et terre, 1907. T. Zd.)
( Dim.-Bnsel.)
Nassauer Vereiii fur Naturkunde.)
RECENT PAPERS BEARING ON METEOROLOGY AND SEISMOLOGY.
0. FITZHUQH TALMAN, Librarian.
The subjoined titles have been selected from the con- tents of the periodicals and serials recently received in the Library of the Weather Bureau. The titles selected axe of papers or other communications bearing on meteorology and other cognate branches of science. This is not a complete i n d s of the meteorological con- tents of all the journals from which it has been compiled; it shows only the articles that appear to the compiler likely to be of particular interest in connection with the work of the Weather Bureau. Unsigned articles are indi- cated by a -.
Journal of geology. Chicago. v. 19. JanuarpFebmy, 1911. Coleman, A. P. Climate and the physical conditions of the Kee-
Meteorological society of Japan. Journal. Tokio. 30th year. Jan- my, 1911. Fujiwara, S. On kites and kite lines. (2d report. English.)
Nature. London. v . S5. February 9. 1911. Colliery ,yarni s. p. 437-438. [Signed "The author of ReTy by H. Louis. Royal society of E%nburgh. Proceedings. Adinburgh v. 81. 1911. Wedderburn, E. Y., & W i l l i i , A. Y. The temperature Reiche
Royal society of Edinburgh. Transactions. v. 4.4, p!s. 1 ,d . 1904. Buchan, Alexander, & Omond, Robert Tra~l. The Ben Nevib
Royal society of London. Proceedings. London. Ser. A. v. 85. No.
Schuster, Arthur. The origin of magnetic ,dorms. p. 44-50.
~Sdool s&nce a i d muthemafiw. Chicago. v. 9 . March, 1911. Brown, Robert M. The humidity of the air in school rooma.
Science. New Ymk. v. 38. March S, 1911. Gulick, Luther H. The air we breathe in buildings. p. 326-328. Scientific AntPrioan. New York. v. 104. March 4, 1911. The southernmost meteorological station of the world
watin. p. 1-14.
p. 1-7.
the warnin
p. 257-255. [Abstract from Transactions.]
observations. 1898-1904 and appendix. p. 1-714.
A 575.
p. 252-256.
- p. 219.
McAdie.]
countries. p. 188.
Fog and fog signals. p. 227. [Abstract of paper by A. G.
The worl s d d y weather maps. Syetems used in various
Brieiitijic Ammcan s u ~p l e n m t . v. 71. March 15, 1911.