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Big Horn County Historical Floods
| DAMAGING FLOODS |
| Location | Start Date | Information |
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| Manderson, Big Horn River, Cold Creek area | Sep 1928 | Cloudburst caused flooding resulting in the town inundated by water. |
| Greybull, Big Horn River, Sheep Horn Canyon | 9-Mar-1929 | Ice jam (Eight Mile Gorge) in a shallow stretch of river resulting in the river overflowing its banks and causing flooding. The flooding covered streets with up to 4 feet of water; 412 homes and 93 buildings damaged ($150,00 to $200,000), 295 families affected ($9067.77); Midwest oil company ($15,000); Businessmen stock losses ($5000 to $10,000); Burlington tracks washed out (north of Greybull); Fire damage (gas left burning) Fire dept couldn't get out. Loss of livestock:: Horse, sheep, hogs, poultry. Response came from local committees, the Red Cross, county commissioners, and state aid. |
| Manderson, Nowood River | 19-Feb-1948 | Ice jam caused flooding resulting in the town covered by flood waters |
| Manderson, Big Horn River | 11-Dec-1956 | A flood caused by an ice jam blocked downstream flow, forcing water over banks. Resulted in a basement flooding and forcing one family to evacuate home. |
| Greybull, Greybull River | 8-Jun-1957 | Flooding caused by three successive very warm days followed by heavy cloud burst forced residents to leave homes and washed out county bridges. There was response from the County Sheriff. Long time residents stated that water was highest in 30 to 40 years. Douglas Creek near Foxpark had a discharge of 1,630 CFS. |
| Greybull, Greybull River | 11-Jun-1957 | Afternoon cloudburst. Channel blocked south of Greybull by June 8th flood which carried dirt and silt into parts of river, bed choked with weeds during drought of past several years. This caused heavy crop damage, six families forced out, and loss of poultry and livestock. Aid was provided by volunteers and County officers |
| Yellowstone Park and Big Horn Basin | 9-Jun-1960 | Heavy scattered rainstorm during the evening caused flooding and damaged crops. The flooding washed out bridges and damaged roads in several areas. |
| Greybull and vicinity | 6-Jul-1961 | High intensity rain showers with some 1- to 1.5- inch hail caused flash flooding in the Greybull area. Damage was to homes, streets, crops and farm land. |
| Manderson, Big Horn River | 15-Feb-1962 | An ice jam caused the town to be covered by flood waters. |
| Northern Big Horn Basin | 13-Jul-1962 | Severe thunderstorms with one funnel aloft and heavy rains of 4 to 6 inches with 6 to 9 inches of hail and high gusty winds caused widespread damage and flash flooding in the Cowley, Byron, Penrose and Lovell areas. |
| Big Horn Mountains | 15-Jun-1963 | Flooding from heavy rains caused damage to homes, equipment, crops, irrigation, canals, roads, and bridges. The following are discharge amounts according to WEMA Storm Data: Greybull River near Pitchfork - 8,610 CFS, Wood River at Sunshine - 5,080 CFS, Greybull River at Meeteetse - 13,600 CFS, Shell Creek above Reservoir - 1,870 CFS, South Fork of Shoshone River near Valley - 6,610 CFS, Wolf Creek at Wolf - 1,130 CFS |
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Park, Sheridan, Big Horn, Washakie, Hot Springs and Fremont | 15-Jun-1963 | Heavy rains in the Wind River, Absaroka, and Big Horn Mountains caused flash flooding during Saturday and Sunday, the 15th and 16th. Considerable damage done to homes, equipment, crops, irrigation canals, roads and bridges. |
| Big Horn and Park | 5-Jul-1975 | Thunderstorms dumped locally torrential rains over the Absaroka Range during the afternoon and evening hours. Cloudbursts swelled the North and South Forks, and the rushing waters did some damage to lodges and ranches in the area. For example, a flash flood--the leading edge of which contained mud and logs 15 to 20 feet long--swept down Libby Creek and caused some damage at the Crossed Sabres Ranch. Hail, heavy rains, and wind caused scattered crop losses along the east slopes of the Absarokas during the afternoon and evening. A hail and wind storm struck the Cowley-Lovell area around 1500 MST. on the 6th, causing heavy crop losses near Cowley. Farmers in the Heart Mountain area reported a 20 percent loss to some of their crops. Hail measuring up to 1.5 inches in diameter caused damage to hay crops and vegetable gardens along the South Fork. During the early morning hours of the 6th, a power pole near the banks of the Greybull River was felled by a flash flood. Electrical power in Basin was interrupted for nearly an hour. |
| Lovell (NCDC Storm Data), Emblem, Big Horn River (WEMA Storm Data) | 4-May-1978 | Heavy rains caused widespread flooding between Lovell and Emblem, Wyoming. Several homes were damaged with some damage extensive. |
| Central and North portions of Wyoming | 15-May-1978 | Heavy wet snow and record rains did very extensive damage to property, crops, and livestock in 12 counties. Hundreds of homes were damaged, and many totally destroyed. Numerous bridges and sections of roads were washed out, power lines downed, with much damage to cars and personal property. Total estimated damages came to $15.5 million. The following are discharge amounts from WEMA Storm Data: Fifteenmile Creek near Worland (May 18) - 4,270 CFS, Big Horn River at Worland (May 19) - 17,500 CFS, Nowood River near Ten Sleep (May 19) - 3,380 CFS, Shoshone River near Lovell (May 18) - 7,680 CFS), Elk Creek near Basin (May 19) - 2,450 CFS, Shell Creek near Greybull (May 19) - 2,150 CFS, Big Horn River near Kane (May 20) - 20,700 CFS, Little Powder River below Corral Creek near Weston (May 18) - 2,410 CFS, Little Powder River above Dry Creek near Weston (May 19) - 4,460 CFS, Little Powder River above Dry Creek near Weston (May 19) - 5,300 CFS, Salt Creek near Sussex (May 18) - 10,200 CFS, Dead Horse Creek near Buffalo (May 18) - 1,420 CFS, Clear Creek below Rock Creek 162? CFS, Powder River near Kaycee (May 18) - 4,200 CFS, Powder River at Sussex (May 19) - 24,000 CFS, South Fork River near Kaycee (May 20) - 8,200 CFS, Bitter Creek near Garland (May 17) - 552 CFS, Whistle Creek near Garland (May 18) - 2,340 CFS, Shoshone River below Buffalo Bill Reservoir (May 19) - 1,230 CFS, Shoshone River near Garland (May 19) - 4,550 CFS, Goose Creek below Sheridan (May 18) - 5,430 CFS, Prairie Dog Creek near Acme (May 19) - 3,940 CFS, Clear Creek at Ucross 1740 (May 19) - 32,500 CFS, Crazy Woman Creek at Upper Station (May 20) - 2,200 CFS, Little Thunder Creek near Hampshire (May 18) - 3,030 CFS, Black Thunder Creek near Hampshire (May 18) - 5,050 CFS, Turner Creek near Osage (May 18) - 2,480 CFS, Beaver Creek near Newcastle (May 19) - 3,870 CFS. The event was estimated to be a 20- to greater than 100-year flood |
| Beaver Creek | 20-Aug-1979 | Heavy rain in the Big Horn Mountain area caused Beaver Creek to flood damaging sheds, fences, farm equipment, and ruining hay and corn fields, as well as crops in storage. |
| Park, Big Horn, and Washakie | 7-May-1988 | The winter-like storm system of the 6th and 7th produced heavy snowfall above 6000 feet and drenching rainfall below. Between 1.5 and 5.0 inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours. This damaged the newly planted crops of beets and barley to extent that 500 acres of beets will have to be replanted. Estimated damage from flooded houses, washed out bridges, damaged culverts and canals, damaged roads, and other damage to irrigation works and utility lines ranged from $500,000 to more than $1 million. Rainfall amounts in less than 24 hours included 1.73 inches at Lovell, while Cowley, Deaver, and Frannie received 2.40, 1.60, and 3.30 inches of rain, respectively. Most of the flood damage occurred in Park County, which was later declared a disaster area. At least 17 bridges or crossings were destroyed and 6 roads washed away by the flood waters in Park County. |
| Medicine Wheel, Lodgepole Creek, Buffalo | 23-Jul-1989 | From the late afternoon through early evening, slow-moving thunderstorms producing mostly heavy rain occurred across northern Wyoming. From 1245 MST to 1315 MST, even though only 0.33 inch of rain fell, flash flooding of Lodgepole Creek caused water and mud damage to a ranch at Crandall. At 1320 MST, quarter size hail was observed in Yellowstone National Park. Heavy rain, up to 2.1 inches, resulted in flooding of some roads 5 miles southwest of Buffalo and at the Medicine Wheel historic site between 1600 MST and 1800 MST. Finally, from 1700 MST to 1800 MST, 1 foot of "slushy" hail up to marble size covered a few of the roads at the Medicine Wheel landmark. |
| Shell | 31-Jul-1991 | Heavy rain from a thunderstorm caused road damage near Shell. |
| North Big Horn Basin, South Big Horn Basin | 29-Jan-1996 | Warmer temperatures caused minor ice jam flooding on the Big Horn River from Worland to Manderson. |
| North Big Horn Basin, South Big Horn Basin | 13-Mar-1996 | Ice jams caused flooding in lowland areas around Greybull on the Big Horn River. Other rivers and streams in the southern part of the Big Horn Basin also had flooding due to ice jams. A 100-foot-long footbridge was washed out between Ten Sleep and Manderson on the Lower Nowood River. Flooding also occurred between Manderson and Basin, shortly after midnight. A factory on the north side of Greybull was flooded. The sewer lagoon for the city was also underwater during this time. |
| Basin | 13-Jun-1997 | Two very brief tornado touchdowns south of Basin. Path lengths and widths estimated. Extensive flash flooding in Basin. |
| 10 NE Lovell, Crooked Creek | 13-Jun-1998 | Flash flooding on Crooked Creek, near Horseshoe Bend area of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Mud slides across Highway 37. Also, Lovell canal overflowed. Caused by slow-moving thunderstorms producing heavy rain. |
| 5 NE Hyattville, Medicine Lodge Creek | 3-Jul-1998 | Medicine Lodge Creek at Taylor Park Campground. Tents lost, campers moved, park road damaged. |
| Greybull | 1-Jun-2002 | Rainfall amounts of 1.25 to 1.75 inches occurred in 20 minutes. There were 6 basements flooded and a business was flooded. Two cars were washed off Greybull River Road. Also, there was flooding along Greybull River Road. |
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