Missour River Flooding in April 1952 - Liberty Memorial Bridge in background.
The Flood of April 1952 was one of the worst floods ever seen in Bismarck when the Missouri River crested at 27.9 feet. It was the worst flood in the region since 1910.
On April 6, the river rose 5 feet in just 2 hours, increasing from 20.2 feet at 11:30am to 25 feet at 1:30pm. Nearly everything south of U.S. Hwy 10 was under water. 200 houses were destroyed and the Wachter Family reported the loss of 300 cattle.
After the closure of the Garrison Dam in April 1953, widespread flooding was rarely seen in Bismarck, and for the first time, allowed expansion south of Main Avenue. Major flooding wasn’t seen again until Spring of 2009 – 57 years later.
1952 Flood Marker
According to the National Weather Service, the April 1952 river level was the 4th highest recorded. The highest was 31.6 feet on March 31, 1883. Flood stage is 16 feet.
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