The Flood of March 1997

The Flood of March 1997. . Heavy rains that occurred March 1-2, 1997, in parts of southern Ohio resulted in floods that caused widespread damage to public and private property. Record peak stages (water levels) and stream flows occurred at U.S.Geological Survey (USGS) stream flow-gaging stations on Ohio Brush Creek (Adams County), Raccoon Creek (Gallia County), and the Shade River (Meigs County). The storm was concentrated along the Ohio River, stretching from western Kentucky to West Virginia, producing floods on many tributaries to the Ohio River. As these tributaries drained into the Ohio River, communities along the river experienced some of the most severe flooding since March 1964. Raccoon Creek At Adamsville , On March 5, 1997, the USGS stream flow-gaging station on Raccoon Creek at Adamsville; 1.8 miles downstream from The Bob Evans Farm, had a peak stage of 29.11 feet and an estimated stream flow of 16,500 cubic feet per second. The estimated stream flow indicated that the creek experienced somewhere between a 50-and-100-year flood., What Is A 100-Year Flood? , The USGS stream flow-gaging stations on Ohio Brush Creek and Shade River are estimated to have experienced floods in excess of a 100-year recurrence interval. A flood having a recurrence interval of 100 years has 1 chance in 100, or a 1% chance, of occurring in any given year. A flood with a recurrence interval of 100 years is commonly called the "100-year flood."