GHSC seniors think back on floods

Do you remember a time Green River was flooded?

Most of the folks at the Golden Hour Senior Center couldn’t recall a time Green River was really flooded.

They remember a few flash floods and also times when the river was a little too high for comfort, but nothing very serious. Nothing like Rock Springs experienced last week.

Carol Lowe said every now and then the Green Belt gets flooded and also Jamestown on occasion.

“There really isn’t much flooding, especially since Fontenelle was built,” Carol said.

“Although there was a time in the early 80s when they let the water out of Fontenelle to reinstate it. It came about 6 inches from overflowing the top of Fontenelle.”

She also remembers a flash flood came down South Hill a few years ago. A few others remember this flash flood as well.

“There were ravines running through the streets like crazy,” Gloria Cope said.

Cope, Ann Lowe, Melba Liberty and Merna Graham discussed what they remember about the flash flood over a game of pinochle. They said mud and rocks covered the streets and sidewalks. The underpass was full of water. The flood wasn’t very tragic, but it did tear up some yards.

“It had a pretty hard flow,” Ann said.

They said for the most part, the town drains pretty well. “I don’t think Green River has really flooded since I’ve been here, and I’ve lived here for most of my life,” Cope said.

Bob Bingham remembered a time the river got pretty high and almost flooded Expedition Island.

“There was a time the water in the dam was released and the water got pretty close to the pavilion,” Bingham said. “It got a little spooky.”

Bingham said that the winters on the other hand have gotten pretty bad. In the winters of 1948 and 1949, the railroad got snowed in. There were passengers in Green River who were isolated. The freight train was caught in the snow for five days and the highways were closed.

The train’s passengers had to be hauled out by buses.

As far as flooding goes, nothing quite matches up to those horrible winters in his opinion.

Overall, it seems as though Green River hasn’t experienced much flooding in the past, unlike its sister city Rock Springs.

“Rock Springs’ floods tend to be more memorable,” Bill Thompson said.