The Blizzard of April 13, which lasted three days, probably caused more suffering and disaster in this then new country than any storm since that time.
It began in the afternoon with rain, hail and then blinding, thick, powdery snow and lasted three days. People lost their lives and much stock perished. Those with dugout homes were at that time fortunate. Before this storm the weather had been mild and some planting and plowing had been done.
In 1878 in February the Republican flooded. In the pasture land and fields the water was deep enough for boats. Then later it turned very cold and blocks of ice, eighteen inches thick, were in the fields and an ice gorge in the river.
In 1881 and 1882 there was some flooding from the river and creeks. Some flooding in 1893 but no very serious damage until 1903. There was a blizzard in 1886 in Southern Nebraska and Northern Kansas. Lowest temperature on record for Jan. 9 was 1886; temperature was -21°. Very severe with loss of life and thousands of cattle perished. Another blizzard in 1888 but not as severe as in 1886. 1898-this was a very cold winter. Not as much snow but temperatures were from minus 20° F. to minus 35° according to local thermometers at that time. May 6, 1900 a tornado struck the residence of J. C. Roberts in Norway Township and destroyed it. Floods in 1903 destroyed crops.
The winter of 1901 was very cold with deep snow. The early winter in 1902-1903 was not as cold as1901 but on May 1st when all the fruit trees were in bloom a deep snow fell. May 2nd some of the country children rode to school in a wagon box sled.
The floods on the Republican in 1904 destroyed crops, washed out some R. R. track between Norway and Concordia, destroyed the Concordia river bridge and changed the river channel. A pontoon bridge was stretched across the river north of Concordia for the benefit of those on the north side of town and river.
Also in the summer of 1904 a wind storm uprooted trees, unroofed buildings and leveled nearly all the windmills in the township. 1911-1912 was a cold winter with much deep snow until spring. In February neighbors along the route in Norway Township cleared four miles of deep snow for a funeral procession taking a pioneer to the Danish cemetery.
During the summer of 1915 there was so much rain that the harvest was not finished until late in August. Much of a very good wheat crop could not be saved. The corn crop was good.
Easter morning: April 2, 1922, was beautiful and sunny after a temperature of minus 2 at daybreak. All day on Saturday the snow fell and drifted. A north wind with snow so thick that visibility was only a few feet.
Monday was beautiful and warm with snow drifts melting and water everywhere.
In September 1931 a windstorm uprooted trees, blew down windmills and tore roofs from buildings. Three weeks later in October tornadic winds began west of Smith Center and caused damage from there to the eastern part of the state. Houses had roofs and porches blown off, barns destroyed, windmills blown down and trees blown across roads on the southern part of Norway Township. Heavy rains fell on both dates.
In 1934 and 1935 came the dust storms. This disaster is discussed in another chapter.
The flood in 1935 was the worst this community has ever experienced. The first overflow came on May 30th and on June 1st a wall of water came down the river about five o'clock in the morning. This was caused by the giving way of a dam in Nebraska. Buildings, trees, dead animals and everything in its path came down the river. The west span of the Norway bridge was undermined and partly destroyed. It was many weeks before the bridge could be repaired and the road built up again. In the spring of 1949 a flood and an ice jam caused grave anxiety about the Norway bridge. However, the weather was favorable, the ice melted slowly and went out about eleven o'clock one night with no damage to the bridge.
Cakes of ice were left in the trees south of the Scandia bridge when the water began to recede.
A great deal of snow fell in the winter of 1959 and 1960. A cold winter with thirty inches of snow on the ground for some time.
1958 and 1959 was colder than 1959 and 1960 but with less snow. The temperature fell to minus 20.
September 12th and 13th, 1961, from twelve to thirteen inches of rain fell in Norway and vicinity. All creeks were out of their banks and roads were under water. No school. The Missouri Pacific train arrived in Norway from Hastings, Nebr. in the afternoon and remained two days. Beaver creek was four miles wide north of Jamestown. The Republican was very high owing to the local rain but no flooding. It began to recede in a few days.
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