The year of 1936 was remarkable for the grasshoppers eating all vegetation, including the bark off trees. The following year was also a “grasshopper” year. But 1937 is remembered for another weather-related hardship. Daviess County was covered with a heavy coat of ice for 5 consecutive weeks — the ice was 5 inches thick!

On May 3, 1943, it began raining and rainfall didn’t stop for three weeks. Water overflowed into the Grand River bottoms. By June 11, 1943, the river reached the 28-ft. flood stage. It rained on Easter Sunday (April 25, 1943) and rained on seven consecutive Sundays.

On Dec. 18, 1945, Daviess County endured a 9-inch snowfall with the temperature at 11 degrees below zero.

Snowfall on Dec. 23-24, 1958, measured 15 inches deep with temperatures at 22 degrees below zero.

July 1975 was the driest July since 1888, according to an article published in the Kansas City Times. Only .25 of an inch of rainfall was recorded at the weather station at Kansas City International Airport, breaking the previous dry record of .36 of an inch set in July, 1936. Average precipitation for this month, according to the National Weather Service, is 4.37 inches.

Leland Stitt looks on the rising flood waters of the Grand River, standing on the Lewis Mill Bridge near Jameson. On the bridge beam, above the arm of Dale Alexander, is the high water mark of the 1909 flood; below his arm is the high water mark of the 1947 flood. The 1973 flood crest was approximately 32 inches lower than the 1909 mark.

FLOOD STAGES:

The following flood stage measurements on the Grand River, spanning 42 years, were recorded by Mrs. Russ (Alma) Wilson for local records:

  • July 7, 1909 — 39.06 feet
  • July 2, 1915 — 36.06 feet
  • May 15, 1916 — 34.0 feet
  • May 28, 1917 — 36.0 feet
  • March 16, 1919 — 34.03 feet
  • April 11, 1919 — 25.0 feet
  • May 5, 1919 — 34.03 feet
  • June 5, 1919 — 34.03 feet
  • March 27, 1920 — 27.04 feet
  • July 12, 1922 — 36.05 feet
  • July 1, 1924 — 30.05 feet
  • Sept. 17, 1926 — 36.09 feet
  • Oct. 5, 1926 — 34.03 feet
  • April 21, 1927 — 33.0 feet
  • June 4, 1927 — 30.0 feet
  • June 19, 1928 — 29.07 feet
  • July 24, 1928 — 32.08 feet
  • Sept. 15, 1928 — 31.04 feet
  • Oct. 18, 1928 — 30.0 feet
  • Nov. 19, 1928 — 35.05 feet
  • April 4, 1929 — 33.06 feet
  • June 2, 1929 — 37.07 feet
  • July 7, 2919 — 33.07 feet
  • Nov. 16, 1931 — 29.03 feet
  • Nov. 25, 1931 — 33.0 feet
  • Jan. 2, 1932 — 32.0 feet
  • June, 1935 — over high bottoms
  • June 11, 1941 — 27.04 feet
  • June 22, 1942 — 31.05 feet
  • May 5, 1943 — over low bottoms
  • June 11, 1943 — 28.0 feet
  • April 24, 1944 — 31.05 feet
  • May 17, 1945 — 30.03 feet
  • April 26, 1945 — 28.06 feet
  • Jan. 8, 1946 — over low bottoms
  • June 8, 1947 — 33.03 feet
  • June 22, 1947 — 34.85 feet
  • July 7, 1951 — 28.0 feet
  • Oct. 13, 1973 — 32 feet