The Great Flood of 1993 Completed
Missouri River near Jefferson City Airport, July 30, 1993
Missouri River at US Hwy 54 near Jefferson City, July 30, 1993
The Great Flood of 1993 occurred from May through September along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and their tributaries. Major flooding occurred across North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Illinois resulting in over 50 deaths and billions of dollars in damages.
Photo album
The Great Flood of 1993-Recordbreaking Peaks
August 1, 2003, was the 10th anniversary of the "Flood of 1993," referred to by many as the "Great Flood" or "Record Flood of 1993." The Great Flood of 1993 constituted the most costly and devastating flood to ravage the United States in modern history. Levees were broken, farmland, town, and transportation routes were destroyed, thousands of people were forced to abandon their homes, and 47 people died as a direct result of the flood.
The Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, reported that the flood caused enormous human suffering. At least 75 towns were completely inundated, some of which have not been rebuilt. The Great Flood of 1993 inundated more than 20 million acres in nine states. Approximately 54,000 people had to be evacuated from flooded areas at some time during the flood, and approximately 50,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. Losses were estimated at 15 to 20 billion dollars.
In May 2003 ten years after the flood, the US Department of Homeland Security published a 10th-Anniversary Anthology of Stories of Hardship and Triumph.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Effects of the 1993 flood on the determination of flood magnitude and frequency in Iowa
Flood of July 9-11, 1993, in the Raccoon River basin, west-central Iowa
The chemical quality of overbank sediment deposited by the 1993 floods and streambed sediment in major streams at selected sites in eastern Nebraska
Floods of June 17, 1990, and July 9, 1993, along Squaw Creek and the South Skunk River in Ames, Iowa, and vicinity
Delineation of flooding within the upper Mississippi River Basin—Flood of June 19-July 31, 1993, in Davenport, Iowa, and vicinity
Delineation of flooding within the upper Mississippi River Basin — Flood of June 18 through August 4, 1993, in Des Moines and vicinity, Iowa
Sediment transport in the lower Missouri and the central Mississippi rivers, June 26 through September 14, 1993
Propagation and composition of the flood wave on the upper Mississippi River, 1993
Flood volumes in the upper Mississippi River basin, April 1 through September 30, 1993
Postflood occurrence of selected agricultural chemicals and volatile organic compounds in near-surface unconsolidated aquifers in the upper Mississippi River basin, 1993
Flood of 1993—Mississippi River near the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Arch), St. Louis, Missouri
Delineation of flooding within the upper Mississippi River basin — Flood of July 30, 1993, in Jefferson City and vicinity, Missouri
- Overview
The Great Flood of 1993 occurred from May through September along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and their tributaries. Major flooding occurred across North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Illinois resulting in over 50 deaths and billions of dollars in damages.
Photo album
The Great Flood of 1993-Recordbreaking Peaks
August 1, 2003, was the 10th anniversary of the "Flood of 1993," referred to by many as the "Great Flood" or "Record Flood of 1993." The Great Flood of 1993 constituted the most costly and devastating flood to ravage the United States in modern history. Levees were broken, farmland, town, and transportation routes were destroyed, thousands of people were forced to abandon their homes, and 47 people died as a direct result of the flood.
The Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, reported that the flood caused enormous human suffering. At least 75 towns were completely inundated, some of which have not been rebuilt. The Great Flood of 1993 inundated more than 20 million acres in nine states. Approximately 54,000 people had to be evacuated from flooded areas at some time during the flood, and approximately 50,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. Losses were estimated at 15 to 20 billion dollars.
In May 2003 ten years after the flood, the US Department of Homeland Security published a 10th-Anniversary Anthology of Stories of Hardship and Triumph.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 30Effects of the 1993 flood on the determination of flood magnitude and frequency in Iowa
To evaluate the effects of the 1993 flood in the upper Mississippi River Basin on the determination of flood magnitude and frequency, discharges that had recurrence intervals of 10, 25, 50, and 100 years computed from data through the 1992 water year were compared with those computed from data through the 1993 water year for 62 selected streamflow-gaging stations in Iowa. On the basis of the floodAuthorsDavid A. EashFlood of July 9-11, 1993, in the Raccoon River basin, west-central Iowa
Water-surface-elevation profiles and peak discharges for the flood of July 9-11, 1993, in the Raccoon River Basin, west-central Iowa, are presented in this report. The profiles illustrate the 1993 flood along the Raccoon, North Raccoon, South Raccoon, and Middle Raccoon Rivers and along Brushy and Storm Creeks in the west-central Iowa counties of Carroll, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, and Polk. Water-sAuthorsD. A. Eash, B.A. KoppensteinerThe chemical quality of overbank sediment deposited by the 1993 floods and streambed sediment in major streams at selected sites in eastern Nebraska
No abstract available.AuthorsA.D. Druliner, A. H. Chen, S.H. HullFloods of June 17, 1990, and July 9, 1993, along Squaw Creek and the South Skunk River in Ames, Iowa, and vicinity
Water-surface-elevation profiles and peak discharges for the floods of June 17, 1990, and July 9, 1993, along Squaw Creek and the South Skunk River, in Ames, Iowa, are presented in this report. The maximum flood-peak discharge of 24,300 cubic feet per second for the streamflow-gaging station on Squaw Creek at Ames, Iowa (station number 05470500) occurred on July 9, 1993. This discharge was 80 percAuthorsR.F. Einhellig, D. A. EashDelineation of flooding within the upper Mississippi River Basin—Flood of June 19-July 31, 1993, in Davenport, Iowa, and vicinity
The hydrologic investigations atlas shows areas in and near Davenport, Iowa, that were flooded by the Mississippi River in 1993. This atlas also depicts the Federal Emergency Management Agency 100-year flood boundary. The drainage basin upstream from Mississippi River Lock and Dam 15 at Davenport received between 100 and 250 percent of normal rainfall from January through July, 1993. The profile oAuthorsBryan D. SchaapDelineation of flooding within the upper Mississippi River Basin — Flood of June 18 through August 4, 1993, in Des Moines and vicinity, Iowa
This hydrologic investigations atlas shows the areas in and near Des Moines, Iowa, that were flooded by the Des Moines and the Raccoon Rivers and Walnut, Fourmile, and Beaver Creeks from June 18 through August 4, 1993. This map also depicts the Federal Emergency Management Agency 100-year flood boundaries. The area drained by the Des Moines River upstream from Des Moines received more than 100 perAuthorsBryan D. SchaapSediment transport in the lower Missouri and the central Mississippi rivers, June 26 through September 14, 1993
Sediment data were collected for five sediment stations on the lower Missouri and the central Mississippi rivers during the 1993 flood. During the period of June 26 to September 14, 1993, 55 million metric tons was transported past St. Louis, Missouri by the Mississippi River. Sediment was stored in the Missouri River floodplain above the Mississippi River as more than 22,000 hectares of floodplaiAuthorsRobert R. HolmesPropagation and composition of the flood wave on the upper Mississippi River, 1993
During spring and summer 1993, record flooding inundated much of the upper Mississippi River Basin. The magnitude of the damages-in terms of property, disrupted business, and personal trauma was unmatched by any other flood disaster in United States history. Property damage alone is expected to exceed $10 billion. Damaged highways and submerged roads disrupted overland transportation throughout thAuthorsJohn A. MoodyFlood volumes in the upper Mississippi River basin, April 1 through September 30, 1993
Previous maximum flows on many streams and rivers were exceeded during the flood of 1993 in the upper Mississippi River Basin. Not only were peak discharges exceeded at many streamflow-gaging stations, but flood volumes were significantly higher than previous maximums. Rainfall amounts that were greater than 50 inches were recorded in parts of Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa from April 1 through SeptemAuthorsRodney E. SouthardPostflood occurrence of selected agricultural chemicals and volatile organic compounds in near-surface unconsolidated aquifers in the upper Mississippi River basin, 1993
The historic stream flooding and intense rainfall across the upper Mississippi River Basin during summer 1993 had an immediate effect on near-surface unconsolidated aquifers by raising the water levels closer to the land surface . The objective of this study was to determine if this flooding also had immediate effects on groundwater quality . Water samples were collected during September and OctobAuthorsDana W. Kolpin, E. Michael ThurmanFlood of 1993—Mississippi River near the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Arch), St. Louis, Missouri
River-flow data have been collected on the Mississippi River at St. Louis near the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Arch) since 1861. Water at this location is excess river flow from 13 States and part of Canada (drainage area of about 697,000 square miles). Many disaster conditions, including floods and droughts, have affected this area; however, the flood of 1993 will be remembered not onlAuthorsRodney E. Southard, Brenda J. SmithDelineation of flooding within the upper Mississippi River basin — Flood of July 30, 1993, in Jefferson City and vicinity, Missouri
This report provides Missouri River flood-peak elevation data and delineates the areal extent of flooding in Jefferson City and vicinity, Missouri, for July 30, 1993. The July 1993 flood is compared with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) 100- and 500-year flood profiles. This report is one of a series of U.S. Geological Survey reports to document the flooding within the upper MissisAuthorsTerry W. Alexander