The last major flood occurred sixty years ago, and it began far away in the streams and creeks that interlaced the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Melting snow and heavy rains gathered into the South Platte and other tributaries, flooding Denver and heading toward an inevitable meeting with the R-Kansas River in Eastern Colorado.
Once joined, the floodwaters were fed by heavy rains as they swept through La Junta, Lamar and Holly, Colorado.
The torrents crossed the Kansas state line and into Hamilton County before dawn on June 17, 1965. An additional four inches of rain at Coolidge brought the depth of the waters to 8 feet, sweeping buildings off foundations and ruining crops and wiping out livestock.
Syracuse, to the east, saw a river swollen to 1 and ½ miles wide, and the residents evacuated in the pouring rain. When the flood reached Lakin, it took its first human casualty.
Racing toward Garden City, the spreading R-Kansas-- reached a width of five miles in spots and gathered everything in its path. Preparations for the onslaught included a 25 block long dike, in some places six feet high, which saved most of the northern part of the city.
On Friday, June 18th, the sirens sounded, signaling that water was coming through, north of the dikes. At 7 p.m. the crest of the flood hit the area south of the railroad tracks. The National Guard was called in and ultimately wound up assisting with some dramatic rescues that occurred at Lee Richardson Zoo.
In the south part of town, the river crested at 16 feet above flood stage, leaving surviving animals clinging to their cages. The tigers and lions were standing on their hind legs, with just their heads above the 5 and ½ foot water line. Several attempts were made to rescue them from the swirling water, and they were finally saved by cutting the bars on the tops of the cages, lassoing them, and hauling them into confined areas on pontoon boats.
Though most of the small animals had died during the crest, the hooved stock had been released from their cages so they could seek higher ground, and the elephant and hippo survived the deluge of water.
The river seemed to gather strength and speed, and it hit Dodge City with a wall of water that caused extensive damage and the evacuation of 1500 residents. The water rose from three feet to over 17 feet in a 15-minute time span.
By the time it reached Wichita and moved south into Oklahoma, the ‘Great Flood of 1965’ had become a more manageable stream of water. But it left in its wake a swath of death and destruction that would stay in the memories of those who lived through it for years to come.
Thanks to the Finney County Historical Museum, the Garden City Co-op, and Andy Ohmes’ essay “Head for the Hills” for assistance with this piece. For High Plains Public Radio, I’m Lynn Boitano in Garden City, Kansas.
HPH is a production of High Plains Public Radio
