In observance of the 1938 flood, this is the third in a four-part series explaining why and how the Los Angeles River was channelized. By the time the water receded, 5,601 buildings had been destroyed and 113 to 115 Southland residents were killed. Explore the history and current issues of the river in Departures: L.A. River.

Los Angeles Flood of 1938.

The 1938 flood event resulted in the deaths of 115 people. What is a flash flood?

Don't miss part one, part two, and part four of the series. The destruction of a Southern Pacific crossing over the LA River after the 1938 Los Angeles flood. In the wake of the 1938 flood, authorities went to work in earnest to prevent another disaster; the U.S. the Los Angeles, Santa Ana and San Diego Rivers, often changing the entire courses. The Los Angeles flood of 1938 was responsible for inundating much of Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties, California during February and March 1938. Los Angeles Flood of 1938. There are two ways a flood can happen. Deadly Flood of 1938 Left Its Mark on Southland ... Los Angeles endured its most concentrated rain since the big floods of 1884. Smith, with his wife, daughter and 5-year-old granddaughter begin digging out their flood-wrecked home … In addition, bridges were rebuilt, flood control dams constructed, and Los Angeles… Over 254 mm (10.0 in) of rain had fallen during the five-day period. 1: A river could overflow it's banks and run down to a populated area.

For many Angelenos, the storm evoked grim memories of the 1934 Los Angeles New Year’s Day flood in which 40 people, 200 homes, and 800 mostly Model “A” cars perished in the water and mud.

Don't miss part one, part three, and part four of the series.

Weather History: Los Angeles Flood of 1938. Massive debris flows moved out from the San Gabriel Mountains into the Los Angeles …

Los Angeles River - flood of 1938 - confluence of Tujunga Wash and LA River (SPCOL27).jpg 462 × 358; 94 KB Los Angeles River - flood of 1938 aerial view above Victory Blvd (SPCOL20).jpg 547 × 415; 171 KB Two significant cyclones moved through the region; one between February 27 and March 1 and the second between March 1 and March 3. J.H. Photo from LA Times. The flood was caused by a pair of Pacific storms that swept inland across the Los Angeles Basin, causing abnormally high rainfall across much of coastal Southern California. and 2: There could be a heavy rain over a populated area.

Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, To Accompany Report on Engineering Aspects of Flood of March 1938 (August 1, 1938); H. W. Fraim, “Flood Control and Parkway Project Along Arroyo Seco at Los Angeles,” Western Construction News, June 1938, 235. An unknown boy is out exploring his neighborhood (most likely Highland Park) during the flood of 1938. Photo from LA Times. Surpassing the St. Francis Flood of 1928 in scope — if not in deaths — the Great Flood (aka Los Angeles Flood) of 1938 hit the greater Los Angeles area hardest overnight on March 1-2. Explore the history and current issues of the river in Departures: L.A. River. What caused the flood? 2.1850 “Moderate floods occurring in the Santa Ana River Basin.” 2.1852 “Moderate flood resulted from unprecedented rain in the mountains.

Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1938, appropriating additional funding for what would eventually become known as the Los Angeles … 10.2.1858 … The Los Angeles County Flood Control District immediately appealed to Congress to secure support services from the Los Angeles District. The flood of March 1938 inundated parts of Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties with water due to storms that pounded the area from Sunday Feb. 27 to Friday March 4. Photo from LA Times.

Massive debris flows moved out from the San Gabriel Mountains into the Los Angeles … Collapsed bridge over the L.A. River at Colfax Avenue in the flood of March, 1938.

The destruction of a Southern Pacific crossing over the LA River after the 1938 Los Angeles flood. The Los Angeles Flood of 1938 By Benjamin Ogilvie Any questions??? McCrory / Los Angeles Times March 7, 1938: J.L. Photo from LA Times. Between February and March 1938, a catastrophic, 50-year flood inundated the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside. A severe flood year in Southern California”. An unknown boy is out exploring his neighborhood (most likely Highland Park) during the flood of 1938. Over 254 mm (10.0 in) of rain had fallen during the five-day period. Corps of Engineers got into the act, channelizing the Los Angeles River into concrete troughs.

Collapsed bridge over the L.A. River at Colfax Avenue in the flood of March, 1938.