Can the 1951 Flood Happen Again?
The answer is yes. The occurrence of the 1951 flood helped initiate the construction of numerous flood-control reservoirs and levees that have helped to reduce the inundation by subsequent floods in Kansas. Thus, although a flow of a magnitude comparable to the 1951 flood is certainly possible, the associated flooding would likely be less due to storage of floodwaters in the reservoirs. Damage caused by flooding will vary by location depending on the amount of development in the flood plain. Given the right combination of circumstances and conditions, a flow of equal or greater magnitude is possible. For example, a major flood could result if excessive rainfall occurred at a time when the basin was already saturated and the reservoirs were already full, and (or) if much of the rainfall fell downstream from the reservoirs. Major floods occur occasionally, and the risk of an extraordinary flood like those of 1844 and 1951 will always be with us. Comparison to Other Kansas Floods Even tho
