Can you imagine fishing in a calm stream for a minute and climbing a canyon the next to escape a 300 foot wall? In fact, it happened on June 5 at the Teton River. Eyewitness accounts of what happened in the Teton Dam eruption speak of "truths that are foreign to fiction."
The clear blue sky made this Saturday perfect for fishing in the Teton River, which is considered by many to be "the best trout stream in the state of Idaho." And then the group of five landed on the rubber raft in the river directly below the Teton Dam around 11:00. From there, they floated a short distance downstream and anchored.
They had already noticed that "the water had taken on a milky color" when suddenly a man from the top of the pass shouted at them. He warned of the risk of flooding because there was "a small leak in the pond." The group of fishermen floated lower and were shocked when a relative at the top of the canyon fired his gun into the air and greeted frantically.
This, combined with a rapid increase in water, made him realize that something dramatic had to happen. One woman in the group said: “We paddled crazy to the beach and desperately climbed up the canyon wall. When I looked back, I told the others to let go. I climbed to a peak and stopped to breathe when I saw a large metal container with a diameter of about 15 meters that sank downstream. The waves threw it like a cork. I really got up! ""
When the group reached the top, a huge water wall completely filled the gorge, an abyss 300 meters deep!
This body of water, which would have been called the Teton River, continued to move rapidly. One young fisherman drowned and another was hit, but managed to roll about 50 km into the water and cling to a tree. He was rescued from the tree a few hours later.
Many clocks stopped at 11:57 at the same time due to power outages. And for most of the 100,000 residents of this region of Idaho, time seemed to have run out. Before the flood ended, eleven would have died and thousands would be left homeless. Estimates of property damage would be between $ 400 and $ 1 billion! Why so big because of the flood's fivefold "attacks".
When the water reached a sharp bend in the river, the water wall did not change, but part of it "jumped" on the shore and continued west. The water also flowed through the small valleys or "depressions" of this mountainous region and was divided into five fronts or "arms". It is obvious that a large "arm" of the Snake River basin (where the Teton River flows) would fall to the south.
But what was it like when the water from the ravine flowed out into the other valleys? Darrell Singleton, a former member of the congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, owns a farm 40 miles [40 km] below the dam. It was on his property and he says:
It swallowed everything
“We were loading equipment in the truck when our daughter from Rexberg called. He said the Teton Dam was washed and everyone was asked to evacuate. I told him that someone was probably very upset about a small flood caused by a full tank leak. He said he was more serious. So I said we would hang up and evacuate and let them do the same.
"I was not so worried, but we decided to go to the tiebreaker and see for ourselves. When we arrived, the disturbed people left. A glance confirmed what was happening. At the bottom of the canyon, a huge body of chocolate-colored water flowed into the valley. There was a cloud of dust at the water's edge. When the flood hits objects in its path, they seem to explode.
Let's go home and let people know where we are. They didn't want to go to just one house, but were convinced when the power lines started to drop. We were 20 miles from the house when we saw a wall over 9 feet high reaching our point. He packed everything. A feeling of helplessness came over us: devastation was everywhere.
“Later, at 5:00 pm, we returned to our farm. The tide moved our house about 150 feet, where it later collapsed. All of our other buildings and farm machinery were demolished. My boat and my truck were always together in the trees. ""
Most residents of this originally flooded area of Wilford have only been given a ten-minute warning. Some looked up to see the water coming towards them. The terrifying sound of broken trees alarmed the others. A woman saw "a brick house thrown in the air like a plastic dollhouse".
Evacuate now!
There were several small villages right on the way to the flood. Sugar City was the first. Fortunately, everyone was evacuated before the ten-kilometer-wide pier destroyed the city. Improved trees, lumber, barrels and even cars and farm implements were pushed against the buildings.
Unfortunately, there were also many dead animals floating around. Thousands of cattle were on their way to the flood. In many cases, their owners have only had time to open the cases and give them a “chance to run”. Some have succeeded, but most have failed.
City and state police managed to sound the alarm bells before the flooding: "Evacuate now!" Neighboring town Rexberg did it just in time as many of its buildings quickly collapsed onto the roof.
As the current moved south, each small community in turn did what they could to evacuate. A lot of people were confused. As authorities were unable to measure the speed of the flooding, expected gun notifications were often inaccurate. When the electricity was cut and several bridges were destroyed, movement and communications were hampered.
Several cities are fighting
Idaho Falls was the largest city on the highway. Hundreds of volunteers responded to emergency calls. It was a strange sight to see them occupied by sand beetles on the banks of the Serpent River under a strong sun. When the flood guns hit on Sunday, 6 meters were measured. But all the bridges remained, the flooding was brought under control. The volunteers who worked day and night before won!
But things would not be the same downstream. Despite the valiant efforts of the volunteers, the ongoing flood has crossed several communities. Nearly 120 km from the dam, there was still a strong current!
Finally, Monday evening, the water flowed; The Teton River was over. The shocked communities literally took the pieces. Many were grateful that this happened at noon, rather than at night, when the guards captured more people. However, people all over the world were asking the same question: How could such a thing happen?
The small start
Have you heard the story of the Dutch boy who, after discovering a leak in a dam, stuck his finger in the hole for hours until help arrived? He was called a "hero" and is believed to have saved a nearby town! There was also a loss which led to the Teton Dam tragedy. But the help came too late.
The cost of building the dam is estimated at $ 55 million when the project is nearing completion. On June 5, 1976 at 8 a.m., workers were called to the scene. A persistent leak drew the attention of work crews for several days. Now this leaky muddy water splashed out and another leak was noticed. As the container behind the dam was full for the first time, the appearance of these leaks was of concern.
It was decided to use two excavators and throw stones at the large leak on the surface of the pond. By this point, however, a threatening vortex had formed on the pond side of the reservoir (indicating the strength of the current). In addition, the larger excavator sank in the sea and the two drivers chained the vehicle and attempted to push it up the hill. Soon the supervisor interrupted them and instructed the two operators to keep their machines safe. The leak spat out a lot more water and eroded a huge hole in the lake.
Large bulldozers were now moving to the top of the pond to push the rocks into the whirlpool by the pool. The loss continued to increase and the two previously abandoned crawler excavators fell into the creek. Then all men and equipment were removed from the lagoon. The fight to stop the flow is lost.
One witness describes what happened next: “I knew it was going to flood, but I didn't know what was going to happen; It looked like the sea was raining. Everything filled up so quickly. Every time a piece [of a large part of the dam] fell, it was like a bomb exploding. An explosion of sound.
But how can losses occur with all the technical progress in construction? Five weeks later, on July 15, 1976, the Engineering News-Record reported that a panel of experts had cited "five possible reasons for not reaching 93 meters". The privileged theories suggest an absence of the so-called "common curtain". What does it mean?
If the type of rock under or at the ends of a dam (eg on the walls of a canyon) is suspected to be porous, rows of large holes are drilled into the rock and concrete is injected. This concrete wall or "curtain" must prevent water from entering under or around the tank. Apparently the curtain of the Teton Dam had broken and water was flowing at one end where the dam joined the canyon wall. After the water at this end eroded the dam surface, it wasn't long before the "lake" behind the dam blew up the weakened part of the dam.
Reaction and reflection
During this disaster, thousands of people responded to help flood victims. The response from Jehovah's Witnesses in the western United States has been described as "impressive." A victim tells the moving story of “In the light of Sunday, when I woke up, a truck full of food, clothes and blankets with two brothers [other witnesses] stood in front of the house. sitting asleep in the taxi. They had driven most of the night.
In fact, a 45-foot pickup truck was shipped from Utah and another large trailer arrived from California. One of the recipients commented, “Such help came that we didn't know what to do with it. We knew the brothers would send it to anyone who needed it, so we shared it with neighbors and others who were in the same condition as us. Soon, the assistant witnesses must have said "enough"!
When you think of the three-day trial version, there are some significant contrasts. Most of them worked together and were friendly. Some even risked their lives to save others. On the other hand, the police immediately faced a serious problem of looting. When state police controlled access to the disaster area, the violent theft was apparently committed by the victims' “neighbors”.
Another contrast was the attitude towards loss of property. Of course, many have expressed their fear and concern for the future. However, one woman said: “It was a terrible experience, but I'm sure the people I love the most are safe. From that moment on, people realized that they were the important people and not the material goods. ""
But regardless of Teton's Flood, he left his mark on Earth and among the survivors.
Nice one