What is Great Flood of 1951?
In mid-July 1951, heavy rains led to a lot of water in the [[Kansas River]]. [[Flood]]ing happened in the [[Kansas River|Kansas]], [[Neosho River|Neosho]], [[Marais Des Cygnes River|Marais Des Cygnes]], and [[Verdigris River|Verdigris]] [[river basin]]s. There was more than $935 million in damage in eastern [[Kansas]] and [[Missouri]] in June and July 1951. Adjusting for [[inflation]], it would be nearly $8.52 billion in 2016.<ref>[http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ The Inflation Calculator.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701031852/http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ |date=July 1, 2007 }} Retrieved on 2006-11-30.</ref> The flood killed 17 people. It caused 518,000 people to move somewhere else.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/19/151-flood-painting-sells-nearly-1m-nyc/ | work=Fox News | title=1951 flood painting sells for nearly .9M in NYC | date=May 19, 2011}}</ref> ==Flood== The flood in Kansas started in May. It started with the flood of the Big Creek, (a [[tributary]] of the [[Smoky Hill River]]) in [[Hays, Kansas|Hays]]. It flooded after eleven inches of [[rain]] in two hours. The [[creek]] overflowed. It flooded Hays (where [[Fort Hays State University]] is) in four feet of water. It flooded the Fort Hays State University campus. It caused people to move from the barracks (by families of the [[G.I. Bill]]) and dorms to the Stadium's third floor. The Stadium's third floor was still dry. Dr. Charles F. Wiest, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Religion, and his seven-year-old daughter died. They died when their home [[wikt:cave in|caved in]] with the weight of the water. He was saving important documents in his [[basement]]. All records at the college were ruined. No [[Commencement ceremony|graduation]] was held on the appointed date of May 23. Graduates were mailed their [[diploma]]s a month later. There were no warning [[siren]]s in Hays. Two police officers drove up and down the streets. They had their sirens on, and they shouted for people to [[evacuation|evacuat