1977 — Nov 6-7, Heavy Rain, Flooding, esp. west Appalachian Mts., NC/11, TN, VA –12-13

— 13 USGS. Summary of Significant Floods in…US…PR…VI, 1970 Through 1989. 2008.
–12-13 Blanchard count of identified deaths in NC and TN from breakouts below.

North Carolina (11)
–11 Blanchard count from locality breakouts below.
–11 Robesonian, Lumberton, NC. “Flood victims Cut Off.” November 9, 1977, p. 1.
–10 Kingsport Times, TN. “Federal Aid May Be Asked For Flooded-Out Co’s.,” 8 Nov 1977.
— 8 Gastonia Gazette, NC. “Mountain Flooding Fatal to 8,” Nov 7, 1977, p. 1.
Locality breakout, where noted:
— 3 Buncombe County, Enka-Chandler area. Drowning; mother and two children swept away.
— 3 Burke County, Morganton. Drowning; bodies of three teenagers found in flooded creek.
— 1 Burke Co., Morganton. Drowning; body of elderly man apparently seeking refuge found.
— 1 Madison County, Laurel Creek. Vehicular; missed curve in rain; Conley Blakenship, 71.
— 1 McDowell County, Catawba River. Drowning; pickup in river; Steven Roger Allison, 30.
— 1 Polk County. Drowning; boy, 4, with family trying to reach high ground, fell, was lost.
— 1 Watauga County, Boone. Man, 28, drowns after falling from log near home into stream.

Tennessee ( 1)
–1 Unicoi County, South Indian Creek, 4 miles south of Erwin. Drowning; Roger Williams.

Narrative Information

Neary and Swift: “In early November 1977, a storm system that formed in the Gulf of Mexico moved northeastward into the Appalachian Mountains. It produced intense (as much as 102 mm/hr) and heavy (200-300 mm) rainfall that set off debris avalanching in steep terrain of the Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina. Antecedent rainfall during September and October was 177 percent of normal and the wettest on record for these 2 months. The storm began on 2 November, and rainfall was relatively continuous and even (20-50 mm/day) for the next 3 days. The long-duration rainfall was capped by intense convective downpours the night of 5-6 November when debris avalanching occurred. Peak intensities measured at 15 gauges near Asheville, North Carolina, ranged from 21 to 102 mm/hr, with nearly half exceeding 75 mm/hr. Return intervals for peak intensity rainfall in the range of 75 to 102 mm/hr are 50 to 200+ yr. Total storm rainfall for these gauges ranged from 35 to 250 mm, with peak 24-hr rainfalls of 30 to 180 mm. Rainfall intensities for 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-hr periods at a gauge near one avalanching site were 69,137,159,164, and 180 mm, respectively. Development of the storm was monitored by GOES infrared satellite imagery in real time, and flash flood warnings were issued. Debris avalanching and high stormflow produced peak stream flows with return periods ranging from 20 to 100+ yr. The largest debris avalanches occurred on steep slopes (70% +), started at high elevations (900-1,100 m) in shallow residual soils (less than 1 m deep), had tracks commonly greater than 700 m, and carried a volume of material averaging 2,500m per avalanche.” (Neary/Swift. “Rainfall Thresholds for Triggering a Debris Avalanching Event in the Southern Appalachian Mountains,” Reviews in Engineering Geology, Vol. VII, 1987, p. 81.)

USGS: “The Eastern and Southeastern States were plagued by flood-producing rains during the months of October and November. Most of the flooding occurred on the west side of the Appalachian Mountains. Floods were especially severe in the headwaters of the Kanawha and Tennessee Rivers in eastern Tennessee, western Virginia, and North Carolina. The Holston River Basin in western Virginia and eastern Tennessee received excessive rainfall on October 2-3 and again on November 6-7, and several maximum discharges of record occurred on streams in the basin.

“The November 6-7 floods were especially severe along the New River in Tennessee. As much as 14 in. of total rainfall occurred in parts of North Carolina (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1977), creating floods that were said to be the among the worst in history in North Carolina. Recurrence intervals greater than 100 years were reported for four streamflow-gaging stations in North Carolina.

“The floods were responsible for 13 deaths, 3,600 homeless, and 9,000 unemployed. The floods destroyed 384 homes and 91 bridges, and caused 12 dams to fail. Fifty million dollars in damages were reported for North Carolina alone (Paulson and others, 1981). Sixteen counties in North Carolina, eight in Virginia, and six in Tennessee were declared Federal disaster areas.”
(USGS. Summary of Significant Floods in the…[US…PR…VI], 1970 Through 1989. 2008.)

Newspapers

Nov 7, AP: “By the Associated Press [Nov 7, 1977] North Carolina mountain communities began cleaning up today after storm-spawned floods that raged through dozens of towns Sunday, carrying off mobile homes, smashing businesses and killing eight persons, including six children. The toll rose to eight when the Burke County Sheriff’s Department reported that the bodies of three boys, apparently teen-agers, were found at 5:30 a.m. today in a rain-swollen creek at Morganton.

“In other cases, two children and their mother died in the Enka-Candler area of Buncombe County west of Asheville when the swollen North Hominy Creek tore their mobile home from the ground and broke off one end. Mrs. Carolyn Morgan Hendrix and two boys, aged four and five, were pitched into the water about 4 p.m. Her husband and another child were at the other end of the home and didn’t even get wet.

“In Polk County another family that lived in a mobile home was trying to get away through waist-deep flood waters, and 4-year-old Bryan Scott Hart fell and disappeared.

“Drowns at Boone. The fifth victim was Michael Charles Townsend, 28, of Boone, who drowned while he tried to use a log to cross a flooded stream to safely near his home.

“The flash flooding was caused by thunderstorms that moved across the state from the west Sunday, dumping as much as five inches of rain in six hours tune in some areas. The rains turned every stream, valley and hollow into a danger area, and the situation grew worse when several small dams were unable to take the strain and collapsed.

“Highway officials and county sheriff’s departments also reported a number of bridges washed out, including several on dead end roads to residences that were left isolated.

“Authorities In Hot Springs and Marshall in Madison County reported water reached depths of up to seven feet in city streets before starting to recede, carrying merchandise from smashed store windows and leaving many businesses with thick layers of mud on their floors.

“Nursing home evacuated. Similar reports came from Boone, where residents of the Watauga Nursing Home were evacuated to hospitals and schools. Several other towns reported homes evacuated from regions near flooded streams.

“Three houses were destroyed north of Boone when the Tater Hill Dam on Howard’s creek collapsed and the 52-acre reservoir emptied. About 100 persons were evacuated from homes near Asheville where authorities said a dam had developed a crack. A dam on Reems Creek in Madison County was reported broken.

“The thunderstorms moved eastward across the state Sunday, setting off lesser flooding in some Piedmont and coastal areas. A half dozen persons had to be evacuated from Chocowinity south of Washington, N.C., and a shopping center roof in Goldsboro was partially caved in by heavy rains.” (Gastonia Gazette, NC. “Mountain Flooding Fatal to 8,” Nov 7, 1977, p. 1.)

Nov 8, Kingsport Times: “Gov. Ray Blanton on Wednesday is expected to ask for federal disaster help for five upper East Tennessee counties still recovering from flood waters that claimed its first victim Monday.

“County chairmen in Washington, Unicoi, Johnson, Carter and Greene counties reported state civil defense inspectors had viewed much of the damage and would be heading to Nashville this evening with their recommendations.

“In nearby western North Carolina. Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. likewise said he would request federal assistance after viewing by helicopter what he estimated was $40 million in damage to highways alone.

“Tennessee’s first fatality — joining 10 others who lost their lives in North Carolina Sunday and Monday — was tallied Monday when Unicoi County deputies found the body of Roger Williams in the South Indian Creek, four miles south of Erwin. Williams’ car, Sheriff Roby Osborne said, apparently went off the road into the creek and said deputies were searching capsized cars in numerous creeks south of Erwin hoping to find as many as three persons not yet accounted for.

“The death toll in North Carolina, meanwhile, rose to 10 when Morganton rescue workers found the body of an elderly man who drowned while seeking refuge from the storm in an empty building.

“Though damage reports were slowly, coming, a Stale Civil Defense worker estimated that damage to bridges and roads operated by the county and the state in Unicoi County approached $3 million.” (Kingsport Times (TN). “Federal Aid May Be Asked For Flooded-Out Co’s.,” 8 Nov 1977, 1B.)

Nov 9, Associated Press: “By The Associated Press — Hundreds of flood victims were still cut off by damaged roads and bridges today and hundreds more remained homeless three days after flash flooding devastated western North Carolina. Damage estimates in the millions of dollars began coming in Tuesday as the sun shined for the first day since the flooding and state-paid workers helped flooded communities scrape away the mud. The flooding, spawned by violent thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday, has claimed 11 lives. The latest victim was Conley Blakenship, 71, found Tuesday in Madison County’s Laurel Creek, where he landed after apparently missing a curve in Saturday’s rain.

“Red Cross officials said floods destroyed as many as a dozen homes and 38 mobile homes, not counting hundreds more damaged and temporarily abandoned.

“Deputies in Yancey County were trying without success Tuesday to reach hundreds of people they said were still stranded. “We have families we haven’t even heard from,” said deputy R.B. Edwards. “We have no roads in two sections of the county. We can’t even get through to estimate what damage we do have. Edwards said four-wheel drive vehicles had been unable to penetrate the isolated regions, and the only contact had been through a National Guard helicopter which was surveying the damage and had removed some heart attack victims. Edwards added that between 300 and 400 were still unable Tuesday to return home and were being housed in homes and schools. The deputy complained that neither the Red Cross nor any state agency had provided help.

“Much of Yancey County remained without phone or power service Tuesday and Burnsville’s water supply was severely curtailed.

“Red Cross officials said they were still sheltering 25-30 families in Buncombe County, where damage was estimated at $12 million, not counting more millions in damage at the textile plant in flood-ravaged Enka.

“Thirteen primary and hundreds of secondary roads were still closed Tuesday and many more had only one lane open to traffic, the state Transportation Department said.” (The Robesonian (Lumberton, NC). “Flood victims Cut Off.” November 9, 1977, pp. 1-2.)

Sources

Gastonia Gazette, NC. “Mountain Flooding Fatal to 8,” November 7, 1977, pp. 1 & 5. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=77852213

Kingsport Times, TN. “Federal Aid May Be Asked For Flooded-Out Counties,” Nov 8, 1977, 17. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=74879298

Neary, D. G. and L. W. Swift, Jr. “Rainfall Thresholds for Triggering a Debris Avalanching Event in the Southern Appalachian Mountains,” Reviews in Engineering Geology, Volume VII, 1987, pp. 81-92. Accessed 11-12-2016 at: http://coweeta.uga.edu/publications/623.pdf
Reassessed 10-2-2021 at: https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/books/book/790/Debris-Flows-Avalanches

The Robesonian, Lumberton, NC. “Flood victims Cut Off.” November 9, 1977, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=103704251

United Press International. “Heavy Rains Cause Floods in Mountain States. North Carolina Called Disaster.” News Journal, Radford, VA, p. 2. Accessed 10-2-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/radford-news-journal-nov-08-1977-p-2/

United States Geological Survey. Summary of Significant Floods in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, 1970 Through 1989 (Water-Supply Paper 2502). USGS Kansas Water Science Center, Sep 17, 2008. Accessed 11-12-2016 at: http://ks.water.usgs.gov/pubs/reports/wsp.2502.contents.html#HDR1

Additional Reading

Tennessee Valley Authority. Memorandum: November 6-7, 1977 Flood – Elizabeth Area.” 7-24-1978, 63 pages. Accessed 10-2-2021 at: https://fris.nc.gov/downloads/public/Redelineations/Ashe/TVA-FIELD%20REPORTS-1177.pdf