HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Day the Rains Came - BookletJanuary 18, 1973
--San Luis Obispo, California
II
N&;baf G4e Two Cane... �awj 18,1973
The great flood of 1973 — along
with the floods of 1969 —ranks among
the worst ever to hit San Luis Obispo.
Some said it was the worst. Others said
it wasn't, and cited greater and more
widespread damage in 1969.
The flood of January 18, 1973, was
a bizarre series of events for which
both man and nature share credit. The
rain that caused it began with an eve-
ning drizzle that developed into a hard
and steady all -night rain. It climaxed
the next mid- morning with a fierce
deluge. The storm's fury was aimed
directly at the San Luis Obispo area,
and most of the county's flood damage
was concentrated there. By mid- after-
noon the sun was shining.
Creeks that at daybreak were run-
ning fuller than during any of that
} Pu n b�'iLlrs. LaVerne Schneider for the
IV, P Center of San Luis Obispo County
V' L Copyrighted 1973
f tT le ItSan ds from the sale of this booklet will
ao to Luis Obispo Environmental Center
! the understanding and appreciation
f the natural environment of San Luis Obispo
Cov ty;
Printed by Blake Printery
winter's other storms rose rapidly dur-
ing and after the mid - morning deluge.
Independently, streets that couldn't
handle their own runoff were flooded.
Throughout the city a pattern seemed
to develop —major flooding took place
where the water's free flow was inter-
rupted by manmade structures such as
bridges, culverts, road crossings and
building supports.
There were notes of irony. Debris
caught on a building support pillar at
the entrance to San Luis Creek's tunnel
beneath downtown, and forced muddy
waters out of the creek's banks and
into downtown streets and buildings.
The pillar, an acknowledged problem
during the 1969 floods, was slated for
removal in the spring of 1973, after a
long series of negotiations between its
owner and the city about who would
pay for its removal.
Debris also caught on the Marsh
Street freeway ramp bridge, as it had
in 1969. This time it sent a devastating
swoosh of water, mud and junk down
lower Higuera. A third irony was the
failure of recently cemented flood con-
trol. channels in the Foothill –North
Tassajara area. Designed to carry flood
waters faster than the previous grassy
creek bottoms, they did — right into
homes that had never before flooded,
according to testimony of occupants
and neighbors.
Stenner Creek turned into a raging
torrent that covered parts of Foothill
Boulevard and Santa Rosa Street, and
caused extensive damage in the Lin-
coln –Broad area and near its conflu-
ence with San Luis Creek in the Briz-
zolara –Dana area.
Prefumo Creek also surprised many
with its unaccustomed fury. Water
coming from Prefumo Canyon was a
major contributor to the spectacular
rise of Laguna Lake into developed
areas supposedly above the once -in-
100 years flood mark.
Statistics collected by the Army
Corps of Engineers seemed to explain
the flooding's erratic nature. Rainfall
differed substantially within localized
regions. In Prefumo Canyon, rainfall
amounted to nearly nine inches. On
the Cal Poly campus, near Stenner
Creek's headwaters, rainfall was 6.4
inches. At two points within the city
along South Higuera, rainfall was 4.25
and 4.7 inches.
As the clouds parted, the city's resi-
dents were shocked at what the flash -
flood had done. Cleanup began imme-
diately. Homes had been destroyed,
yards and cars carried away, Personal
possessions lost, merchants' goods dam-
aged or ruined. Monetary damage, said
the Small Business Administration,
amounted to $6.25 million within the
city's boundaries. At first an unsympa-
thetic and budget- minded federal gov-
ernment rejected the disaster designa-
tion that would have provided financial
aid for residents and public agencies,
but after a hard week's politicking the
government reversed itself and made
aid available.
In the water's wake came a flood of
emotions. Anger was common. Fingers
were pointed, and blame for the dis-
aster placed on many. There was also
fear — fear that such a bizarre flood
might happen again tomorrow or the
next day. It was the kind of fear that
renewed itself with the sight of a
clouded sky or the sound of rainfall,
and it led to demands for instant solu-
tions to flood problems men were re-
luctant to admit they may never be
able to solve. Richard Schmidt
Johnson Avenue Underpass.
N0
LEFT
TURN
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A flood- related fire did $40,000 damage to the Tower Build-
ing, a well known landmark at Chorro and Higuera, about mid-
day on the day of the flood.
Flood waters surging beneath the structure, which sits par-
tially atop San Luis Creek's downtown tunnel, broke a gas pipe.
The gas ignited a fire in a concealed stairway between Corcoran's
Restaurant and a barber shop, and the fire spread to the second
floor and attic of the building.
Dozens of volunteers joined firemen in fighting the fire. Fire
Capt. Elton Hall said he had a shortage of men because of other
flood - related emergencies. His crew was "hauling in bystanders,"
he reported, to help fight the fire.
"At one time," Hall said, "we had 40 men on it who were
picked right off the, street."
There were i?o injuries during the fire, which was reported
shortly before noon the day of the flood.
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pit
{I r •• 77 Swinnerton adobe 1 1 d by water, looking from Chorro 1 Broad,
Highway
Flooding at Monterey at Toro
Cars parked in front of house at 522
Broad as water rises.
Right: Cars had been swept away by FO.
the time this picture was taken.
Note high water mark on front
of house.
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Above: Soaked belongings removed from houses
on Broad near Lincoln.
Above Right: Some of the cars swept from in
front ended up in backyard of 533 Broad,
across the street.
Right: 533 Broad, home of 0. W. Koethen, was
swept from its foundations. Note front steps
next to sidewalk.
4
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61)DORT
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-iffm-
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Cleanup at Marsh—Higuera intersection.
MINI-SERY
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UP
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Two persons were plucked from flood waters on
Pismo Street near Higuera.
Stenner Creek, with Stenner Glen in background.
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-•"""•�7 S, �nrluding an ;�ufgniDllile, caught on pier - y _ — 4
under)darsh Street freeiw*, ramp was blamed
for Marsh— Higuera flooding. — � � „`•. � ' �
I
Surge of water in lower Higuera area left auto-
,.: ; .L mobiles strewn about.
Above: Higuera Street.
Left; Top: Archer at Pacific.
Left: Pismo at Walker.
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This mobile home from sales lot on Higuera handed on frec►iny off-ramp.
MERGING
• TRAFFI
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- - - - - - - - - -
der
This mobile home from sales lot on Ifiguera Landed on freeway off-ratup.
; MERIN
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TRAFFI C
A PANORAMIC
view of the
flooding taken at
approximately
noon from the
Breakers
Restaurant at ja
the south end of '
San Luis Obispo.
Highway 101 is -'
impassable, the : �w
settling ponds
and sewer farm
are covered as
is the area
between the
shopping center
and the
auto park.
Photo by ,.
Marvin Dee.
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Wrecked mobile homes and debris along Higuera Street.
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top
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Ar,
4 " —r-r The Portola Fountain at Marsh and tliguera was den
lolished
N ley floating mobile lRaIlles.
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yr
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;, Cal Poly campus looking east from Mustang Stadium.
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Motorboats aided in evacuation efforts along the Laguna Lake
district's Oceanaire Drive.
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P ovex � plain.
This S !. i's alo - ` north of Foothill.
National Guard tnicks and rowboats provided Lagmia area transport.
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The day after, rowboats were beached in C. L. Smith School eared.
1?;ilitoriai
Tax relief for
victims of flood
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students save two lives
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Damage
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chops away
part of beach
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Lagtma ,Scout troop
helped flood victims
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Ruined stock inside ADX Drugs.
or
Ruined stock inside ADX Drugs.
San Luis Obispo County
Telegram-Tribune
Editorial Friday, January 19, 1973 Page 16
OF
Storm bri s out
s
w
the best in many
The unrelenting three -day storm
this week brought out the worst in
winter weather and the best in
many people.
Thursday as the storm, peaked
and 'casually gentle Stenner and
San Luis Creeks became swirling,
muddy rivers, as storm drains
overflowed and as water cascaded
down hillsides, bridging rocks and
debris with it, the city was virtu-
ally paralyzed for a time.
Gars were stuck or stalled, but
there would be someone in most
cases to help the stranded motorist.
By mid -day when it became evi-
dent that damage to some homes
would force families to evacuate
temporarily, churches were an-
nouncing they could provide shel-
ter and emergency relief installa-
tions were being established at the
Laguna Village Shopping Center
and at University Square. Many
individual volunteers were offer-
ing to help in any way they could.
Satz Luis Obispo Junior Dgh
school was prepared to care for
homeless families Thursday night,
but found that many, instead, had
been invited into homes of friends
and neighbors.
The havoc created by the de-
luge is tragic. The prompt response
of the community in assisting
those in trouble is commendable.
0
1
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�'�', +,ate' *f��� •a ,
AM
CREDITS — PHOTOGRAPHS
Morro Bay Sun - Bulletin
George DeBord — Managing Editor
San Luis Obispo County Telegram- Tribune
George Brand — Editor
Wayne Nicholls — Photographer
Larry Jamison — Photographer
Mustang Daily
Henry Gross — Photo Editor
Jean Fitzpatrick —City Clerk
David Romero — City Engineer
Bill Jenkins —Photographer
Will Carlton —Photographer
Assembled by —
Mrs. LaVerne Schneider
Richard Schmidt
Mrs. Martha Welty
A copy of this booklet will be
mailed anywhere for $1.25.
Write to: Mrs. LaVerne Schneider
1356 Marsh Street
San Luis Obispo, Calif. 93401
Front Cover: Monterey Street at Toro.
Back cover: Car submerged beneath Johnson
Avenge underpass was pulled out after water
level dropped.
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