Could Topeka have a 1951 flood repeat?

TOPEKA ( KSNT ) – Working for you, 27 News reached out to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to see if Topeka could experience another flood at 1951 levels.

The Northeast Kansas Flood of 1951 , a day some call ‘Black Friday’, killed 24 people and caused thousands of people to abandon their homes, schools and businesses. The damage costs were $760 million in 1951 dollars. The cost in 2024 dollars would’ve been over $5 billion.

Water from the flood crested all of the official gaging stations on July 13. According to the National Weather Service of Topeka, the flood went four to six feet above all previously recorded crests including the Great Flood of 1844. The Marais Des Cygnes, Neosho and Verdigris Rivers all exceeded their previous records by as much as nine feet. In Topeka, the Kansas River reached 40.8 feet.

The Northeast Kansas Flood of 1951 prompted the construction of several flood control reservoirs and levees across Eastern Kansas. The newly constructed flood infrastructure was put to the test in 1993.

“It [the Manhattan Levee] was used in 1993 and that is the flood of record since the levee had been built, and it was very critical protection for the city,” Manhattan Stormwater Compliance Engineer Bill Heatherman said.

How does the city prevent flooding today?

The City of Topeka’s flood risk mitigation is handled by federally constructed and locally maintained levees, floodwalls and channels. The infrastructure construction was started in the 1930s under the New Deal program and later expanded after ‘Black Friday’.

“The initial authorized plan provided for the construction of flood risk management works for South Topeka, North Topeka and the municipal waterworks,” USACE Public Affairs Specialist Christine Paul said. “Over the years, additional studies were undertaken and the final construction and modification of all project units and appurtenant features was completed in 1973.”

The completed projects along the Kansas River, Soldier and Shunganunga Creeks focused on protecting Topeka’s waterworks and the areas of Auburndale, south Topeka, Oakland, north Topeka and Soldier Creek.

In the early 2000s, a study was done to re-evaluate five units along the Kansas River. Improvements were suggested for four areas; no improvements were recommended for Auburndale. Construction of the new recommendations was completed in 2022.

What is the flood risk today?

The USACE told 27 News the levees along the Kansas River in Topeka are designed to reduce the risk of flooding, but they don’t eliminate it.

“There is always the risk of floods exceeding the design levels of a levee, resulting in flooding in the leveed area (the areas located behind the levee),” Paul said.

The USACE said the levees in Topeka are designed to account for floods up to a one in 500 chance of happening. The USACE said the levees along Soldier Creek are designed for floods in the one in 200 chance per year range.

The leveed areas protect 21,000 people, 7,300 buildings and $2.9 billion dollars in infrastructure in the northern part of the city.

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