Buffalo Creek flood facts for kids

The Buffalo Creek flood was a terrible disaster that happened in Logan County, West Virginia on February 26, 1972. It occurred when a large dam holding back coal waste, called a coal slurry impoundment, suddenly broke. This caused a huge flood that led to many deaths and a lot of damage to homes and property.

The dam was managed by a company called Pittston Coal. Just four days before the disaster, a government inspector had said the dam was "satisfactory," meaning it seemed safe. After the flood, Pittston Coal Company said the accident was "an Act of God," suggesting it was a natural event they couldn't control.

How the Flood Happened

There were three dams built in the area. Dam #3 was the first to break. It was located about 260 feet (79 meters) above a town called Saunders. This dam was built on top of old coal waste from the other dams, not on solid ground. It was made from rough mining leftover materials.

After Dam #3 broke, heavy rains made things worse. The water from Dam #3 then crashed into and broke Dams #2 and #1. This unleashed about 132 million US gallons (500,000 cubic meters) of black, dirty water. The floodwaters reached over 30 feet (9 meters) high. This huge wave of water rushed through 16 coal towns along Buffalo Creek Hollow.

The disaster affected about 5,000 people. Sadly, 125 people died, and 1,121 were hurt. More than 4,000 people lost their homes. The flood destroyed 507 houses, 44 mobile homes, and 30 businesses. Homes in towns like Saunders, Pardee, Lorado, and many others were destroyed or badly damaged.

Investigating the Disaster

Two groups looked into what caused the disaster. The first group was set up by Governor Arch A. Moore Jr.. Some people felt this group was too friendly with the coal industry or included government officials who might have been involved in the dam's problems.

One of the investigators was Jack Spadaro, who worked on making sure dams were built safely. Because some people, including the president of the United Mine Workers, felt the governor's group wasn't fair, a separate group of citizens was formed. This citizens' group wanted to provide an independent review of the disaster.

The governor's group suggested new laws and further investigation. The citizens' group, however, said that the Buffalo Creek-Pittston Coal Company was responsible for the deaths of at least 124 people. Norman Williams, who led the citizens' group, also asked the government to ban strip mining (a way of mining coal by removing the top layer of earth) across the state. He explained that strip mining could only make money if companies didn't have to pay for the environmental damage they caused.

The state of West Virginia also sued the Buffalo Creek-Pittston Coal Company for $100 million to cover disaster and relief costs. However, they settled for a smaller amount of $1 million with Governor Moore. This settlement happened just three days before he left office in 1977.

The lawyers who represented the flood victims, Arnold & Porter, used some of their legal fees to help build a new community center. Governor Moore had promised this center in May 1972, but West Virginia has not built it yet.

Gerald M. Stern, one of the lawyers, wrote a book called The Buffalo Creek Disaster. It talks about his experiences helping the victims and how powerful coal mining companies were in West Virginia. A sociologist (someone who studies human society) named Kai T. Erikson also studied the disaster. He wrote a book called Everything in Its Path: Destruction of Community in the Buffalo Creek Flood (1978), which won an award for its contribution to sociology.

Years later, in 1989, a study found that people living in Buffalo Creek still felt more worried or anxious than people in a nearby coal town that didn't experience the flood.

What Happened After

Dennis Prince and about 625 other flood survivors sued the Pittston Coal Company. They asked for $64 million in damages. In June 1974, they settled for $13.5 million. This meant each person received about $13,000 after legal costs.

Another lawsuit was filed by 348 child survivors, asking for $225 million. They settled for $4.8 million in June 1974.

A boy named Kerry Albright became known as the "miracle baby" of the disaster. As the floodwaters rushed in, his mother threw him to a higher spot just before she drowned. He survived with few problems and was raised by his father. His survival gave hope to other survivors.

Environmental Changes

Before the flood, Buffalo Creek was a popular place for fishing. Because of the disaster, the creek could not support fish or other water life for a long time. After a lot of cleaning and repair work, people started putting trout back into the creek in 2006. By February 2022, 50 years after the accident, trout were once again common in Buffalo Creek.

See also

In Spanish: Desastre de Buffalo Creek para niños