Historic Frankfort Flood of 1978 EarthCache
Historic Frankfort Flood of 1978
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The floods of December 1978 caused widespread damage in central and eastern Kentucky. Five lives were lost and property damage was estimated to be about 50 million dollars. The floods were caused by storms on December 3-5 and December 7-10, 1978. The second storm produced most of the damaging floods. The principal basins and streams affected by the floods are shown in the illustration below.
On December 10, 1978 the Kentucky River crested at a record 48.47 feet, nearly 10 feet over flood stage in Frankfort. The Kentucky River Basin was flooded and more than half of downtown Frankfort was most affected by the flooding, forcing nearly one thousand residents to be evacuated from their homes. Damage to private and public property in the Kentucky River Basin exceeded 14 .5 million dollars alone.
The Kentucky River has repeatedly flooded parts of Frankfort in the 200 years since the city was established on the banks of the Kentucky River, which was a major shipping corridor via the Ohio River. Flood stage on the Kentucky River at Frankfort is 31 feet. The highest recorded floods to date have been:
1. 48.47 feet in December 1978
2. 47.46 feet in January 1937
3. 45.22 feet in March 1997
4. 44.17 feet in February 1989
5. 42.84 feet in May 2010
The peak discharge at Lock 4 on the Kentucky River in Frankfort had a recurrence interval of 200 years. Frankfort has routinely been impacted by flooding, even after a floodwall and levee were built to minimize exposure to flooding. The city is protected from flooding by the North Frankfort levee, completed in 1969 and the South Frankfort floodwall, which was completed in 1996, only months before the 1997 flood. The maximum flood depth in the city for the 100-year flood is greater than 35 feet; however, that is only observed within the river channel itself. Flood depths in the areas of the city directly adjacent to the river exceed 15 feet, with flood depths naturally decreasing moving inland.
As a result of the 1978 flood, the city of Frankfort developed a flood mitigation plan to minimize the city’s exposure to flooding and minimize property damage, loss of life and impact on economic vitality commonly associated with flooding. Because the city has significant exposure to flooding primarily due to its development around the Kentucky River, Frankfort has many repetitive loss properties which contribute substantially to the economic impact of flooding. Additionally, the city's wastewater treatment plant is located within the floodplain and is vulnerable to flooding, which is a significant negative impact on the health and safety of residents of Frankfort and those residing downstream of the city. (A link to the City of Frankfort Flood Mitigation Plan dated June 2011 is located at the Related Pages link at the top of this page.)
A portion of the city of Frankfort's sewer system is comprised of combined sewers, which are designed to collect rainwater runoff and domestic sewage. Most of the time the combined sewer system transports all of the wastewater to the Frankfort treatment plant before discharge to the Kentucky River. During periods of heavy rainfall or snow melt, the wastewater volume in a combined sewer can exceed the capacity of the sewer system. For this reason combined sewers are designed to overflow occasionally and discharge excess wastewater into nearby streams. These combined sewer overflows (CSOs) contained untreated waste and debris, which is fairly dilute due to the large volume of storm water.
Examples of mitigation for future flooding in Frankfort include: building additional flood protection walls or levees around the city and at the wastewater treatment plant; purchasing and installing back-up generators for floodwater pump stations throughout the city; acquisition of properties that flood often by the city for development into open use areas such as parks utilizing vegetative management programs; flood proofing structures; and elevation of flood prone structures.
This earthcache is located at River View Park in Frankfort. This park provides a scenic riverside picnic area located off Wilkinson Blvd. on the banks of the Kentucky River. It is across the street from the Holiday Inn Capital Plaza Hotel. Along with a Welcome Pavilion/Shelter, there are picnic tables. There are 16 historic sites including prehistoric and early Indian cultures along the one mile walking trail. A monument representing the three original Kentucky counties can be found on the trail, as well as a refurbished 1800s bridge. Parking coordinates are given.
To log a Found It log for this Earthcache, please send answers to the following questions:
1. What structures are in place here to minimize flooding from the Kentucky River? Describe how they can assist with performing this function.
2. Describe the current river conditions during your visit. What is the estimated current flow? To which markings is the water level up to on the bridge abutments visible under the bridge?
3. Looking at the area surrounding the water level at this location in December 10, 1978, describe the damage that might occur here today if the water level was to rise to this historical level once again.
4. Along the walkway is a sign describing the history of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in Frankfort. How many CSO points are listed on the informational sign?
Please do not post the answers in your logs. Found It logs without answers sent will be deleted.
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