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Hot Springs County Historical Floods
| DAMAGING FLOODS |
| Location | Start Date | Information |
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| Thermopolis, Big Horn River | 19-Jun-1917 | Cool weather preserving the heavy snowfall in the mountains until hot weather melted the snow quickly caused flooding according to FEMA Flood Insurance Study March 23, 1999. According to WEMA Flood Damage Inventory the flood caused washed out bridges, destroyed irrigation flumes, and flooded low lying ground. The WEMA Flood Damage Inventory also gave the amount of 19,400 CFS for a discharge and called it a 100-year flood. |
| Thermopolis, Big Horn River | 1-Jun-1921 | A 100-year flood caused washed out bridges and irrigation flumes with a discharge of 20,700 CFS |
| Thermopolis, Big Horn River | 24-Jul-1923 | A 300-year flood producing 4.10 inches of rain was caused by a cloudburst. The cause was cool weather preserving the heavy snowfall in the mountains, when hot weather melted the snow suddenly. Damage was to bridges, irrigation flumes, highways, and railroads. A city pump station was flooded, no water was available to public, and loss of power to city due to severed gas line. Damage estimate was well over $100,000. (FEMA Flood Insurance Study March 23 1999) The study agreed with the WEMA Inventory, and added that nearly all downtown businesses reported either leaking or flooded basements. It also said that farmers and ranchers in the vicinity lost livestock, crops, machinery, and personal belongings. A discharge of 29,800 CFS was recorded and at Bad Water Creek at Bonneville the discharge was 18,600 CFS (WEMA flood damage inventory). |
| Lucerne and Thermopolis, Big Horn River | 16-Jun-1960 | Flooding and crop damage together with some livestock loss. Sand Draw near Thermopolis had a discharge 2,490 CFS (WEMA Storm Data). |
| 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. |
| Thermopolis, Big Horn River | 16-Jun-1963 | Cool weather preserving the heavy snowfall in the mountains until hot weather melted the snow (FEMA Flood Insurance Study March 23, 1999), augmented by heavy rain caused damage to streets, roads, downtown businesses, flooded basements, loss of livestock, crops, machinery, and personal belongings (WEMA Flood Damage Inventory). Gooseberry Creek at Dickee had a discharge of 1,130 CFS. A total of 4.19 inches of rain was recorded (WEMA Flood Damage Inventory) |
| 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 |
| Fremont, Hot Springs, and Washakie | 10-Aug-1983 | A large area of severe thunderstorms rumbled through west central Wyoming. Three-quarter inch hail fell near Thermopolis and just northwest of Worland, causing extensive crop damage especially to beets. The storms also had very intense and frequent lightning, which caused power outages and damages to homes and barns in the Riverton and Worland areas. Minor flash flooding was also reported near Riverton and Worland as 1 to 2 inches of rain fell. |
| Thermopolis | 8-Jun-1987 | A thunderstorm moved over the city of Thermopolis and drenched part of the city. This heavy rain caused some minor urban flooding to the Red Lane area of Thermopolis. |
| 3NW Thermopolis | 7-Aug-1987 | An intense thunderstorm moved over the Sand Draw area of the Cottonwood Creek drainage northwest of Thermopolis. Torrential rains occurred from 1700 to 1800 MST over the draw producing water levels of 5 to 6 feet running through the normally dry Sand Draw. Some culverts in the drainage area could not handle the amount of water and flooded roads in the area to a depth of a foot and a half. Hail 0.25 inch in diameter also fell and accumulated into drifts 2 to 3 feet deep. |
| 7 SE Thermopolis | 28-Aug-1999 | Evidence of flash flooding of washes that feed into Buffalo Creek and in Buffalo Creek proper. Much debris and mud on road in area about 100 yards wide. Estimates of up to 1.5 inches of rain in less than 30 minutes in the area. |
| 1 S Thermopolis | 10-Jul-2001 | Eyewitnesses reported 2 brief touchdowns. Mobile home destroyed and barn damaged, approximately 0.25 mile apart. Property damage amounts unknown. Water at least 3 feet deep caused considerable damage to mobile home and fences. Three horses injured. |
| 2.5 NW Kirby | 10-Jul-2001 | Eyewitnesses reported 2 brief touchdowns. Mobile home destroyed and barn damaged, approximately 1/4 mile apart. Property damage amounts unknown. Water at least 3 feet deep caused considerable damage to mobile home and fences. Three horses injured. |
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