1 of 29 Buy Now. On February 26, 1972, a huge earthen dam constructed by a coal company without any engineering input collapsed. The disaster at Buffalo Creek remains one of Americaâs most costly and deadly preventable mining related catastrophes. In a few short minutes, the dam virtually disappeared, and a torrent of water began a 17-mile trip down the narrow Buffalo Creek valley in rural Logan County, West Virginia. During the flood, 125 people lost their lives and another 1,100 were injured. A wall of sludge, debris, and water tore through the valley below, leaving in its wake 125 dead and 4000 homeless. Close. Buffalo Creek flood survivor Timothy Hall recalls the devastating disaster during a 48th anniversary memorial ceremony at the Buffalo Creek Memorial Library on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. ... aerial maps of communities before and after and outlines of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers disaster recovery operation. An aerial view of part of the flooded area of Buffalo Creek shows the damage and destruction suffered by many. FLOOD TOLL 60, CONFUSION REIGNS. In late February 1972 a coal waste impoundment dam along the Buffalo Creek in Logan County, West Virginia collapsed. Wildfires have always been a threat to populated, mountainous communities in Colorado, however, for the past 80 years forest managers have aggressively undertaken wildland fire suppression, resulting in unnaturally high ⦠The Buffalo Creek flood of February 26, 1972, was one of the pre-eminent disasters of Appalachia's history. The two best-known book length studies of Buffalo Creek ⦠Man -- The number of deaths stood at 60 Sunday as cleanup operations entered their second day today in the Buffalo Creek area of Logan County. This is a first-hand account from an eyewitness. Junction of Buffalo Creek and the Guyandotte River at Man, 1997 [Photo by Greg Clark] The flood water first emptied into the Guyandotte River at Man at 10:00 a.m. By 11:00, all of the flood water had poured into the Guyandotte and virtually everything in its path was gone. During the Buffalo Creek Flood on Feb. 26, 1972, 125 people lost their lives, 1,100 were injured and 4,000 were left homeless. In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 26th, 1972, after three days of rain, a series of coal slurry impoundments in the upper reaches of the Buffalo Creek watershed in Logan County, West Virginia, were beginning to weaken. The Buffalo Creek Flood Disaster on Feb. 26, 1972 was the worse in West Virginia killing 125 people. The resulting flood killed 125 people and caused over $50 million in damage. When a West Virginia coal company's impoundment dam for coal slurry gave way, the resulting flood killed 125 people, injured over 1,100 more, and rendered more than 4,000 homeless. 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