https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu Discussion of a major event in the history of the state of Nebraska and the nation that changed our views on flooding Nebraska forever. en-us 2018-03-07 23:24:17 UTC 2025-11-21 13:30:00 UTC hello@padlet.com travis_willnerd https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239446570 On May 30th 1935 10-20 inches of rain fell at the headwaters of the Republican River Basin. The water collected in the river and began moving east.]]> 2018-03-07 23:29:06 UTC https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239446570 travis_willnerd https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239447119 On the morning of May 31st the flood moved into southwestern Nebraska destroying everything in its path and wiped out parts of towns such as Benkelman, Straton, Trenton, Culbertson, and McCook.]]> 2018-03-07 23:32:52 UTC https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239447119 travis_willnerd https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239447864 As the flood moved east the river reached a height of 29 feet and devastated towns from Indianola to Arapahoe bringing warlike landscapes.]]> 2018-03-07 23:37:30 UTC https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239447864 travis_willnerd https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239448294 As the flood moved east it entered its second day and its most destructive phase. At Edison for example the river created a new channel that split the town in half for a few months and in the area from Oxford to Orleans 33 lost their lives]]> 2018-03-07 23:40:10 UTC https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239448294 travis_willnerd https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239448911 As the flood moved eastward down the valley warning were taken more seriously in places such as Franklin, Red Cloud, Guide Rock, and Superior. Fewer people had to be resued and less damaged was caused as the flood entered into Kansas ]]> 2018-03-07 23:43:40 UTC https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239448911 travis_willnerd https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239449901 Following the flood people saw warlike devastation and huge piles of debris. Organizations such as the National Guard, Red Cross, CCC, and WPA assisted locals with the cleanup effort. The railroad, highway, and bridges were quickly rebuilt and reopened. ]]> 2018-03-07 23:50:30 UTC https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239449901 travis_willnerd https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239450826 On June 12th 1935 a second less destructive flood moved down the valley making the cleanup effort even harder. As a result of this flood and the earlier flood the water took a few weeks to recede in many places. ]]> 2018-03-07 23:56:58 UTC https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239450826 travis_willnerd https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239452231 Following the flood Governor Cochran proposed measures to control floodwaters on the river by building dams. In 1944 Nebraska Congressman Carl T. Curtis successfully got his bill passed and it would become known as the Flood Control Act of 1944.]]> 2018-03-07 23:59:58 UTC https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239452231 travis_willnerd https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239452931 As a result of the of the floods in 1935 and a flood in August 1947 the Harlan County Reservior was to be built but first Republican City had to be relocated north on top of the bluffs where it is today. Homes and other buildings were loaded onto trucks and moved from the old town along the river to the new town site.]]> 2018-03-08 00:04:04 UTC https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239452931 travis_willnerd https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239453764 The first of three major dams built along the river and its tributaries was the Medicine Creek Dam in 1948 near Cambridge. In 1950 construction began on the largest dam the Harlan County Reservoir which was finished in 1952 and in 1953 the Swanson Reservoir was built a few miles west of Trenton.]]> 2018-03-08 00:09:20 UTC https://padlet.com/travis_willnerd/rhj60go9lkeu/wish/239453764