 Flood waters inundated parts ofJefferson City, Missouri, and limited access to theMissouri State Capitol during the Great Flood of 1993. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | April – October 1993 |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 38[1] – 50[2] |
| Damage | $12–16 billion[1][2] |
TheGreat Flood of 1993 (orGreat Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993) was aflood that occurred in theMidwestern United States, along theMississippi andMissouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993.
The flood is among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in theUnited States, with 50 dead andUS$12–16 billion in damages (equivalent to $23–30 billion in 2023). Thehydrographic basin affected an area approximately totaling 320,000 square miles (830,000 km2), of about 745 miles (1,199 km) in length and about 435 miles (700 km) in width.[2] Within this zone, the flooded area totaled around 30,000 square miles (78,000 km2)[3] and was the worst such U.S. disaster since theGreat Mississippi Flood of 1927, as measured by duration, area inundated, persons displaced, crop and property damage, and number of record river levels. In some categories, the 1993 flood even surpassed the 1927 flood, at the time the largest flood ever recorded on theMississippi River.
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Avolcanic winter is thought to have started with the1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. It has been suggested that excesscloud condensation nuclei from the eruption were responsible for the Great Flood of 1993 in theMidwestern United States.[4]
Above-normal rainfall and below-normal temperatures beginning in the summer of 1992 resulted in above-normal soil moisture and reservoir levels in theMissouri and UpperMississippi River basins. This weather pattern persisted throughout the following autumn. During the winter of 1992–93, the region experienced heavy snowfall. These conditions were followed by persistent spring weather patterns that produced storms over the same locations. Soils across much of the affected area were saturated by June 1, with additional rainfall all running off into streams and rivers, instead of soaking into the ground.[2] These wet-weather conditions contrasted sharply with thedroughts andheat waves experienced in the southeastern United States.
Storms, persistent and repetitive in nature during the late spring and summer, crowded the Upper Midwest with voluminous rainfall. Portions of east-central Iowa received as much as 48 inches (120 cm) of rain between April 1 and August 31, 1993, and many areas across the central-northernplains had precipitation 400–750% above normal.[2] In theSt. LouisNational Weather Service (NWS) forecast area encompassing easternMissouri and southwestIllinois, 36 forecast points rose aboveflood stage, and 20 river-stage records were broken. The 1993 flood broke record river levels set during the 1973 Mississippi and the 1951 Missouri River floods.
Civil Air Patrol crews from 21 states served more than 5,000 meals to flood victims and volunteers, and their pilots logged more than 1,500 hours in the air inspecting utility lines and pipelines.[5]
Over 1,000 flood warnings and statements, five times the normal, were issued to notify the public and need-to-know officials of river levels. In such places asSt. Louis, river levels were nearly 20 feet (6.1 m) above flood stage, the highest ever recorded there in 228 years.[6] The 52-foot (16 m)-high St. Louis Floodwall, built to handle the volume of the 1844 flood, was able to keep the 1993 flood out with just over two feet (0.61 m) to spare.[7] This floodwall was built in the 1960s, to great controversy, out of interlocking prefabricated concrete blocks.[citation needed]
Emergency officials estimated that nearly all of the 700 privately built agricultural levees were overtopped or destroyed along theMissouri River. Navigation on theMississippi andMissouri River had been closed since early July, resulting in a loss of $2 million (1993) per day in commerce.
James Scott, a 23-year-oldIllinois man, was convicted in 1994 for "intentionally causing a catastrophe" and sentenced tolife imprisonment for his role in causing some of the flooding across the river fromQuincy, Illinois. In an attempt to strand his wife on the other side of the river so he could continue partying, Scott allegedly removed several sandbags from a levee holding back the water. The breach flooded 14,000 acres (57 km2) of farmland, destroyed buildings, and closed a bridge.[8][9] His conviction was overturned in 1997, but reinstated in 1998. He maintains his innocence behind bars.[10]
TheRedwood River inMinnesota began experiencing severe flooding in May.[11] On May 22,Sioux Falls, South Dakota, received 7.5 inches (190 mm) of rain in a three-hour period. From May through July,Sioux Falls, South Dakota received 22.55 inches (573 mm) of rain, the wettest three-month period in its history.[12]
As noted above, rains inSouth Dakota contributed to flooding downstream. In June, flooding occurred along theBlack River inWisconsin, with flooding also starting to occur along theMississippi,Missouri, andKansas rivers.[11] Starting as early as June 7, reports of levees being overtopped and levee breaks became common. These breaches acted to delay the flood crests, temporarily storing excess water in the adjacent lowlands, but the rain kept falling.
In the beginning of June, theMissouri andMississippi rivers dropped below flood stage and were receding. During the second week of June, river levels rose to near flood stage before yet again beginning their slow recession. By the end of June, theMississippi River was four feet (1.2 m) below flood stage atSt. Louis, while many other river locations in the region were near flood stage. Precipitation for the month averaged from one inch (25 mm) above normal inKansas City, to nearly four inches (100 mm) above normal inSpringfield, Missouri.
July brought more heavy rain to the Missouri and upperMississippi River basins inMissouri,Iowa,Kansas,Nebraska, North andSouth Dakota,Illinois, andMinnesota. Rainfall amounts of 5 to 7 inches (130 to 180 millimetres) in 24 hours were common.Precipitation for the month averaged from one inch (25 mm) above normal atSt. Louis andSpringfield, to between six and seven inches (150 and 180 mm) above normal atColumbia andKansas City, Missouri.[citation needed]
InIowa, the flood waters brought mass destruction. On July 9, four buildings onIowa State University's campus flooded; resulting in over 1.4 million dollars in estimated damages and six weeks of construction to reopen.[13] The college's indoor sports arena,Hilton Coliseum, was flooded with as much as fourteen feet of water.[14] From July 11 until July 22, theDes Moines Water Works was flooded by theRaccoon River. This resulted in the plant being powered down, unable to provide running water for that period. On July 13, electricity returned to more than 35,000 residents. That same day PresidentBill Clinton touredIowa's capitol and neighboring cities alongside GovernorTerry Branstad. He later declared a state of disaster forIowa,Minnesota,Wisconsin,Illinois andMissouri and asked Congress to approve 2.5 billion dollars in Federal disaster relief.[15] During this time theArmy National Guard andAmerican Red Cross set up water stations, and the localAnheuser-Busch distributor contributed water in whitesix-packs with their logo on it. Once running water was restored, there was enough pressure for people to bathe and flush toilets, but the water was not certifiedpotable until July 29. The final usage restrictions were lifted in August.[citation needed]
Majorsandbagging activities took place along the higherMissouri River, theRiver des Peres inSt. Louis, theMississippi River south ofSt. Louis, and on many other tributaries acrossMissouri andIllinois. Some of these efforts were successful, while others were not. The copious rain during July sent record-setting crests down the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, causing river gauges to malfunction along the way. The record crests met within days of each other at their confluence nearSt. Louis. Navigation on the Mississippi and Missouri River was closed in early July, resulting in a loss of $2 million (1993) per day in commerce.[16]
Mississippi River levels stabilized for a few days at April 1973 record stages. When the crest from the Missouri River arrived, levels rose again. The Mississippi River broke through levees, drove people and their possessions to higher ground, and caused havoc through the floodplains.[citation needed]
The crests, now combined as one, moved downstream through St. Louis on the way to the Upper Mississippi's confluence with theOhio River atCairo, Illinois. Only minor flooding occurred below Cairo due to the Lower Mississippi's larger channel below that point, as well asdrought conditions in the eastern U.S. If the Ohio River watershed had not been in drought while the Missouri and Upper Mississippi were in flood, the 1993 flood might have rivaled the 1927 flood in overall damage on the Lower Mississippi, beyond Cairo.[citation needed]
On August 1, levee breaks nearColumbia, Illinois, flooded 47,000 acres (190 km2) of land, inundating the Illinois towns ofValmeyer andFults. The released water continued to flow parallel to the river, approaching the levees protecting historicPrairie du Rocher andFort de Chartres. On August 3, officials decided to break through the stronger Mississippi River levee to allow the water back into the river. The plan worked and the historic areas were saved, although some residential areas were flooded in counties abovePrairie du Rocher.
The Mississippi River at St. Louis crested at 49.6 feet (15.1 m) on August 1, nearly 20 feet (6.1 m)[17] above flood stage. It had a peak flow rate of 1,080,000 ft3/s (30,600 m3/s). At this rate, a bowl the size ofBusch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis would be filled to the brim in 70 seconds.
Some locations on theMississippi River flooded for almost 200 days, while various regions by the Missouri neared 100 days of flooding. On the Mississippi,Grafton, Illinois, recorded flooding for 195 days;Clarksville, Missouri, for 187 days;Winfield, Missouri, for 183 days;Hannibal, Missouri, for 174 days; andQuincy, Illinois, for 152 days. TheMissouri River was above flood stage for 62 days inJefferson City, Missouri, 77 days atHermann, Missouri, and for 94 days atSt. Charles in the St. Louis metropolitan area. On October 7, 103 days after the flooding began, theMississippi River atSt. Louis finally dropped below flood stage. Approximately 100,000 homes were destroyed as a result of the flooding, 15,000,000 acres (23,000 sq mi; 61,000 km2) of farmland inundated, and the whole towns ofValmeyer, Illinois, andRhineland, Missouri, were relocated to higher ground.[2]
Reports in 1994 set the deaths due to the flood at 38,[1] though this had been revised to 50 deaths by 1996.[2] The fiscal cost is estimated at $12–16 billion (equivalent to $23–30 billion in 2023).[1][2] Even after the water was gone, large amounts of sand still covered the farmlands and homes.[18]
Over time, channeling and levee construction have altered how floods affect various areas along the Missouri River. For example, here is a comparison of flood data at – and associated impacts on – Kansas City for three big floods since the early 19th century.
Thirty-eight deaths can be attributed directly to the flood and estimates of fiscal damages range from $12 billion to 16 billion.
Media related toGreat Flood of 1993 at Wikimedia Commons