1957 — Jan 27-Feb 2, heavy rain/flooding, southeast KY, NE TN, SW VA, so. WV –13-14

–14 Associated Press. “Flood Peril is Aimed at N. Alabama,” February 2, 1957.
–13 Blanchard tally from State breakouts below.

Kentucky (9)
–9 Geological Survey. Floods of Jan-Feb 1957 in Southeastern KY and Adjacent Areas 1964, A19.
–8 Kingsport News, TN. “Ike Gets ‘Disaster’ Request. Kentucky, W. Virginia Approved.” 2-1-1957, p1.

Virginia (1)
–1 Kingsport News, TN. “Ike Gets ‘Disaster’ Request. Kentucky, W. Virginia Approved.” 2-1-1957, p1.
–1 Haysi, Jan 31. Boat sinks in flooded Russell Fork River, near Viers; Culbertson Deel Jr.

West Virginia (3)
–3 Kingsport News, TN. “Ike Gets ‘Disaster’ Request. Kentucky, W. Virginia Approved.” 2-1-1957, p1.

Narrative Information

Geological Survey: “Abstract. Heavy rains over an extensive area on January 27-February 2, caused extreme flooding in southeastern Kentucky and adjacent areas in West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee. [See map, A2] Total rainfall for the storm period ranged from 6-9 inches over most of the report area and was 12½ inches at the eastern end of the Virginia-Kentucky State line. The principal basins affected by the storm were those of the Big Sandy, Kentucky, Cumberland, and Tennessee Rivers. Maximum discharge of record occurred in many streams. On Levisa Fork near Grundy, Va., the peak discharge of 33,200 cfs was 50 percent greater than the previous maximum in 17 years of record and was 3.3 times the mean annual flood. The peak discharges on tributaries of the Kentucky River and on the Holston and Clinch Rivers were also the greatest of record and those on the upper Cumberland River were nearly as great as those during the historic floods of 1918-1946.

“Total flood damage was estimated at $61 million of which $39 million was in the Big Sandy River basin (mostly in Kentucky) and $15 million was in the Kentucky River basin — $52 million of the total damage was in Kentucky.” (p. A1)

Newspapers

Jan 31, AP on TN: “Knoxville, Tenn., Jan. 31 (AP) – A new round of heavy rains brought more flooding in East Tennessee today, closing schools, blocking highways and forcing many families to evacuate to higher ground. Some 200 families were evacuated in Sevierville alone. The new floods came as 2½ inches of rain fell on the area since last midnight making a total of some 8½ inches in the past 12 days. Normal rainfall for the month is 4.54 inches. Exactly double that had fallen from Jan 1 to 6 p.m. (EST) today. The rains continued to fall steadily, prompting the U.S. District Weather Bureau to warn of flash floods for the East Tennessee area from Chattanooga and Knoxville east into western North Carolina and Northeast Georgia. In addition, Tennessee Valley Authority warned that the Tennessee River at Chattanooga would reach and possibly exceed flood stage of 30 feet during the night. The highest the river has been in Chattanooga in recent years is 33.8 feet on Feb 14, 1948.

“About 200 families were evacuated from two sections of Sevierville, 36 miles southeast of here, as water from the Little Pigeon River rose to two to three feet deep in the center of town. Water rose to within inches of the U.S. Highway 441 bridge, although the highway remined barely passable. Boats churned through the city’s streets.

“Hundreds of adjoining farm-lands were turned into lakes, and residents of the Pistol Creek section of Blount County – near Maryville – were evacuated from low-lying areas. Gatlinburg’s main street became a canal.

“In Knoxville, overflowing First and Third creeks which course through the city had blocked off half a dozen streets and forced evacuation of several families in the lower sections of the city.

“At New Tazewell, a pond overflowed, covering the main floor of the post office with a foot of water. High water north of LaFollette caused the Louisville & Nashville Railroad to reroute two runs of its crack passenger-mail train, the Flamingo, through Nashville.

“Floods caused schools to close at noon at Walland, near Sevierville, in Cocke County east of here, at Balleyton near Greeneville in upper East Tennessee and in various other spots throughout the area….” (AP. “New Rains Flood ET [East TN] Localities.” Kingsport News, TN. 2-1-1957, 1.)

Feb 1: “From Press Dispatches. Virginia Governor Thomas E. Stanley asked President Eisenhower to declare six flood-ravaged Southwest Virginia counties a major disaster area Thursday. Already given such a classification earlier Thursday were portions of Kentucky and West Virginia….

“More rain most of Thursday added to the misery of thousands left homeless by floods that lashed four states. Virginia State Police at Norton, however, said the rain ceased for a while, at least, about 9 p.m. Thursday and that most streams were going down, nor rising.

“There were eight dead in Kentucky, three in West Virginia and one in Virginia. Property damage in these states and Tennessee ran to millions of dollars.

(Kingsport News, TN. “Ike Gets ‘Disaster’ Request. Kentucky, W. Virginia Approved.” 2-1-1957, p. 1.)

Feb 2, Associated Press: “The dire threat of flood hung over North Alabama today while four other southern states began mop-up operations in the wake of floods which claimed 14 lives and caused many millions of dollars in damages.

“The Warrior and Coosa Rivers in Alabama continued-to rise and were expected to crest above
flood stage Monday. A dry, cool air mass moved into Tennessee last night cutting off drenching rains which have fallen in the East and mid-state areas for the last 13 days.

“Flood waters in the Upper East Tennessee area began to recede, But some sections of Chattanooga in the lower east section were still under water. Repair crews and relief agencies were already moving into Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia to clean up. Flood debris. Floods which spread through the Southeast forced thousands from their homes. Parts of Kentucky and West Virginia have been declared disaster areas by President Eisenhower.

“Gen. Alfred M. Gruenther, president of the National Red Cross, planned to inspect flood stricken areas of West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky by plane today. He said a half million dollars has been allocated to these states for flood relief.

“The Tombigbee River is expected to crest four feet above flood stage at Columbus, Miss. National Guardsmen at Huntsville, Ala., have been alerted in the event families have to be evacuated from the low lands along the Flint and Paint Rock Rivers.

“At Chattanooga, the hardest hit area of Tennessee, the rampaging Tennessee River was fluctuating last night with indications it may crest. At least 50 families-were forced from their homes in the Middle Tennessee area yesterday when flood waters backed up into rivers and creeks at Shelbyville, Fayetteville and Columbia. Families routed from their homes at Sevierville Thursday returned yesterday.” (AP, “Flood Peril…Aimed at…AL,” 2 Feb 1957)

Sources

Associated Press. “Flood Peril is Aimed at N. Alabama,” Salisbury Times (MD), 2-2-1957. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/freepdfviewer.aspx?img=5471686

Associated Press. “New Rains Flood ET [East TN] Localities.” Kingsport News, TN. 2-1-1957, 1. Accessed 3-4-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/kingsport-news-feb-01-1957-p-1/

Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior. Floods of January-February 1957 in Southeastern Kentucky and Adjacent Areas (Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1652-A). Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1964. (Prepared in cooperation with the States of Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee and with agencies of the Federal Government.) Accessed 3-4-2023 at: https://pubs.usgs.gov/wsp/1652a/report.pdf

Kingsport News, TN. “Ike Gets ‘Disaster’ Request. Kentucky, W. Virginia Approved.” 2-1-1957, p. 1. Accessed 3-4-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/kingsport-news-feb-01-1957-p-1/

Kingsport News, TN. “Ike Gets ‘Disaster’ Request. Man Drowns Near Haysi.” 2-1-1957, p. 1. Accessed 3-4-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/kingsport-news-feb-01-1957-p-1/