The 1951 Flood Kansas city, laWRence, topeka, rOssville, Manhattan
"That Friday the 13th was one of the unluckiest days in the history of Topeka. The churning Kaw maintained an almost constant level at slightly more than 36 feet Friday and flood-besieged Topeka paused briefly to catch its breath, hoping the crest of the worst flood in the city's history had arrived." - Topeka Capital Journal
Men fishing for bodies on a bridge in Topeka - Topeka Capital Journal
The Kaw stood at 36.19 feet at 1 p.m. It had measured 36.05 at midnight Thursday; 36.23 at 6 a.m.; 36.15 at 7 a.m.; 36.25 at 8 a.m.; 36.24 at 9 and 10 a.m.; 36.17 at 11 a.m., and 36.24 at noon.
Santa Fe railroad span over the Kaw, just below Melan bridge -- fell to the torrents shortly after noon Friday.
It took with it four of the nine locomotives which had been parked on the bridge to help resist the terrific pressure of the swollen Kaw. The locomotives weighed 340,000 pounds each.
Prime farmland was scoured and large sand bars taken there place