Floods

About These Materials

Major floods of the Mississippi River have greatly influenced where national, state and local project money has gone over the years. This collection of articles highlights the record-setting floods that La Crosse residents have experienced in 1880, 1951, 1952, 1965, 1969, 1993, 1997 and 2001. While the flood gage has been moved over time, the National Weather Bureau identifies the top five record high Mississippi River crests at La Crosse in this order: 1965, 1880, 2001, 1969, 1952.

Date

Page

Title of Article

Paper Size & Orientation
for Printing
    1880  
17 April 2001 D-1 City was smaller during 1880 flood portrait 8½" x 11"
     1951  
16 April 1951  1  Raging Mississippi still rising; expect 14.8 here landscape 8½" x 14" legal
16 April 1951 1  Raging Mississippi still rising; expect 14.8 here landscape 8½" x 11" 
16 April 1951 1&6  Raging Mississippi still rising; expect 14.8 here...continued landscape  8½" x 14" legal
16 April 1951  1&6  Raging Mississippi still rising; expect 14.8 here...continued landscape 8½" x 11" 
16 April 1951  6  Raging Mississippi still rising; expect 14.8 here...continued portrait 8½" x 11" 
16 April 1951  6  Raging Mississippi still rising; expect 14.8 here...continued landscape 8½" x 11" 
17 April 1951  1 14.8-Flood Crest expected Thursday by Weather Bureau portrait 8½" x 11" 
17 April 1951  8  14.8 Flood Crest expected Thursday by Weather Bureau...continued landscape 8½" x 11" 
17 April 1951  1  Flood victims receive food, shelter here portrait 8½" x 11" 
18 April 1951 1&10  Peak at 14.9.  Now indicated at La Crosse landscape 8½" x 11" 
20 April 1952  1&8 Await crest of 15.4 feet Sunday night landscape 8½" x 11" 
21 April 1952  1 City increases vigilance as river starts receding landscape 8½" x 11" 
21 April 1952 2  City increases vigilance as river starts receding...continued portrait 8½" x 11" 
22 April 1952 1&2  River continuing slows recession here landscape 8½" x 11" 
    1965  
9 April 1965 1  State of emergency declared landscape 8½" x 11" 
9 April 1965  2 State of emergency declared...continued portrait 8½" x 11" 
14 April 1965 1 National Guard Dike work goes round the clock landscape 8½" x 11" 
14 April 1965  1  National Guard Dike work goes round the clock landscape 8½" x 11" 
14 April 1965  4  National Guard Dike work goes round the clock...continued portrait 8½" x 11"
16 April 1965  1  Causeway Area floods landscape 8½" x 11"
16 April 1965  2  Causeway Area floods...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
18 April 1965  1  Flood Water continues as La Crosse observes Easter landscape 8½" x 11" 
18 April 1965  1&3  Flood Water continues as La Crosse observes Easter...continued landscape 8½" x 14" legal
18 April 1965  1  Flood Water continues as La Crosse observes Easter...continuted landscape 8½" x 11"
19 April 1965  1  North Side dike breaks; Dike raised on Hwy. 53 landscape 8½" x 11"
19 April 1965  2  North Side dike breaks; Dike raised on Hwy. 53...continued portrait 8½" x 11"
19 April 1965  3  As La Crosse battled the flood on Easter Sunday landscape 8½" x 14" legal
19 April 1965  3  As La Crosse battled the flood on Easter Sunday landscape 8½" x 11"
19 April 1965  3  As La Crosse battled the flood on Easter Sunday...continued landscape 8½" x 14" legal
19 April 1965  3  As La Crosse battled the flood on Easter Sunday...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
19 April 1965  3  As La Crosse battled the flood on Easter Sunday...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
19 April 1965  3  As La Crosse battled the flood on Easter Sunday...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
21 April 1965  1  Mississippi crests at 17.7 feet landscape 8½" x 11"
21 April 1965  2 Mississippi crests at 17.7 feet...continued portrait 8½" x 11"
21 April 1965 1  Youths pitching sandbags instead of softballs for Recreation Chief portrait 8½" x 11"
25 April 1965 1&3  Guard ends patrol of city dikes portrait 8½" x 11"
26 April 1965  9  To dismantle NW Corner of W.A. Roosevelt Building portrait 8½" x 11"
29 April 1965  1&3  City estimates flood cost at $825,000 portrait 8½" x 11"
7 May 1965  11  Some won, some lost battles to save homes landscape 8½" x 14" legal
7 May 1986  11  Some won, some lost battles to save homes landscape 8½" x 11"
9 June 1965  23 Application for downtown project asked portrait 8½" x 11"
29 Oct 1965  1  City gets $137,469 for Harborview Project Plans landscape 8½" x 11"
2 Jan 1966  29 Final flood cost is set at $ 151,448 portrait 8½" x 11"
8 Dec 1966  1  Harborview Plan is unveiled portrait 8½" x 11"
15 Oct 1975  1&2 Offices, stores, apartments seen landscape 8½" x 14" legal
15 Oct 1975  1  Often revised, delayed, Harborview's on its way landscape 8½" x 11"
15 Oct 1975  1  Often revised, delayed, Harborview's on its way landscape 8½" x 11"
15 Oct 1975  4  Often revised, delayed, Harborview's on its way...continued landscape 8½" x 14" legal
15 Oct 1975  4  Often revised, delayed, Harborview's on its way...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
15 Oct 1978  4  Harborview-down memory lane landscape 8½" x 11"
21 March 1993  S-14  Public, private sectors create city's jewel on the Mississippi landscape 8½" x 11"
23 April 1995 B-5 Dikes have become part of La Crosse landscape portrait 8½" x 11"
15 April 2001 A-1 In '65, 'It looked like an ocean' landscape 8½" x 14" legal
15 April 2001 A-1  In '65, 'It looked like an ocean' landscape 8½" x 11"
15 April 2001  A-6  In '65, 'It looked like an ocean'...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
15 April 2001  A-6  In '65, 'It looked like an ocean'...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
     1969  
12 April 1969  A-6  Flood stage topped; some leaving homes landscape 8½" x 11"
21 April 1969  1 Volunteers fight wind, flood crest landscape 8½" x 11"
21 April 1969  1&2  Volunteers fight wind, flood crest...continued portrait 8 1/2 x 11"
    1993  
14 April 1993  A-1 Drier-than-normal spring keeps river from deluge portrait 8 1/2 x 11"
22 June 1993  A-1  Pumps running on North Side landscape 8½" x 11"
25 June 1993  A-1  Flood waters strain sewers landscape 8½" x 11"
26 June 1993  A-1  River traffic bogged down landscape 8½" x 11"
27 June 1993  A-1  $50 million and it's still on the rise landscape 8½" x 11"
27 June 1993  A-8  $50 million and it's still on the rise...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
3 July 1993  A-6  River situation brighter in city landscape 8½" x 11"
10 July 1993  A-1  County's flood damage placed at $ 1 million-plus landscape 8½" x 11"
15 July 1993  B-3  Just how high was river? landscape 8½" x 11"
15 July 1993  B-3  Just how high was river? landscape 8½" x 11"
30 Aug 1993  B-1  River businesses count the losses landscape 8½" x 11"
30 Aug 1993 B-1  River businesses count the losses landscape 8½" x 11"
20 April 1995  B-1  Army reports flood failings landscape 8½" x 11"
20 April 1995  B-1  Army reports flood failings landscape 8½" x 11"
    1997  
5 April 1997  A-1  The flood of '97? landscape 8½" x 11"
5 April 1997  A-8  The flood of '97?...continued portrait 8 1/2 x 11"
13 April 1997  A-1  A 50-year fear landscape 8½" x 11"
13 April 1997  A-8  A 50-year fear...continued portrait 8½" x 11"
15 April 1997  A-1  Worst of flood is past here landscape 8½" x 11"
15 April 1997 A-8  Worst of flood is past here...continued portrait 8½" x 11"
23 April 1997  B-1  Campbell hopes for flood aid portrait 8½" x 11"
    2001  
11 April 2001  A-1  Mississippi crest could hit 17 feet landscape 8½" x 11"
11 April 2001  A-8  Mississippi crest could hit 17 feet...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
12 April 2001  A-1 City prepares for high water landscape 8½" x 11"
12 April 2001 A-8  City prepares for high water...continued landscape 8½" x 14" legal
12 April 2001  A-8  City prepares for high water landscape 8½" x 11"
13 April 2001  A-1  River crest coming landscape 8½" x 11"
13 April 2001  A-8  River crest coming...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
13 April 2001  A-7  Area business prepping for rising waters landscape 8½" x 11"
15 April 2001  A-1  Crest expected Wednesday landscape 8½" x 14" legal
15 April 2001  A-1  Crest expected Wednesday landscape 8½" x 11"
15 April 2001  A-6  Crest expected Wednesday...continued portrait 8½" x 11"
15 April 2001  A-1  North Side relies on 36-year old dikes landscape 8½" x 11"
15 April 2001  A-1  North Side relies on 36-year old dikes . . . continued landscape 8½" x 11"
16 April 2001  C-1  Marsh wildlife thriving landscape 8½" x 11"
19 April 2001  A-1  3rd highest ever landscape 8½" x 11"
19 April 2001  A-8  3rd highest ever...continued landscape 8½" x 11"
22 April 2001  A-1  Flood toll in millions landscape 8½" x 11"
22 April 2001  A-6  Flood toll in millions...continued portrait 8½" x 11"
4 May 2001  A-1  McCallum to Bush: Damage at $14 million landscape 8½" x 11"
4 May 2001  A-6  McCallum to Bush: Damage at $14 million...continued portrait 8½" x 11"
5 May 2001  A-1  FEMA comes to town landscape 8½" x 11"
5 May 2001  A-8  FEMA comes to town...continued portrait 8½" x 11"
12 Aug 2001 A-1  After the flood landscape 8½" x 11"
12 Aug 2001 A-7 After the flood...continued landscape 8½" x 11"