Information
| Information
During a Flood | Ames
Flood Frequency
Flood Prediction Process |
Understanding Prediction Numbers
Actions to Take in Flood Event |
June 18, 1998 Flood event
| On June 14, 1998, heavy rains in the Skunk River and Squaw Creek Basins pushed both waterways past flood stage, causing flooding in lowland areas. No structural damage resulted from this event, but many parking lots and parks were topped by the flood waters. | ||
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The Ames Water and Pollution Control Department is responsible for predicting the crests so that other City departments can take protective measures. W & PC staff began preparing the predictions around noon on Sunday, June 14, after several rain gauges in the basins measured heavy rains. Both the rain gauges and river gauges are equipped with telephone modems and automatically notify the Water Plant when preset warning limits are exceeded. | |
Rainfall totals ranged from 1.2" at the Webster County gauge, located at the upper northwest end of the Squaw Creek basin, to 4.4" at a gauge just west of the Boone-Story county line. During one downburst, the Boone County gauge reported more than 0.5" of rain in just one minute! |
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| Using a computer simulation model developed by one of the department's environmental engineers, a prediction was made for the Squaw Creek. Once the rainfall had effectively stopped, staff estimated that Squaw Creek would crest at 12.7' at Lincoln Way at approximately 1:00 Monday morning. The actual crest was at 13.0' and arrived at the Lincoln Way bridge around 5:00 a.m. on Monday. Using a new and as of yet uncompleted model for the Skunk River, staff predicted a peak north of Ames of between 7.5' to 8' and a crest at the south of between 23' and 24'. The Skunk River actually crested at 7.55' in the north and 22.6' in the south. In the realm of computer modeling, this amounts to three successive bulls eyes! | ||