It’s no secret that Idaho is a rapidly changing state. So many of the Gem State’s cities and towns are evolving as populations rise and communities grow. However, our history is one thing that will never be lost, no matter how much changes around here. If there’s one piece of history that every Idahoan should be familiar with, it’s that of the Teton Dam Disaster. Learning about it by word of mouth or textbook is one thing, but visiting the spot where it all took place is something else entirely. Drive to the spot where one of Idaho’s most disastrous events occurred and experience a piece of living history.
The Teton Dam, located in eastern Idaho, was supposed to be one of the greatest ever built. However, catastrophe struck when the dam collapsed on June 5, 1976 and created a flood that would become one of the most disastrous events the state's ever known.
This tragic event occurred more than 40 years ago. However, it's still a painful memory for many Idahoans to this day. The dam's disastrous collapse resulted in the deaths of 11 people and approximately 13,000 cattle. Total damage was estimated to be around $2 billion.
Hearing about the tragic Teton Flood is one thing, but seeing the very place it occurred will really bring the story home like never before. The Teton Dam was never rebuilt, but you can still visit its remains at a site just three miles east of the town of Newdale, right off of Highway 33.
At the site, visitors can observe the ruins that have been left to stand silently among the Snake River Plains for over four decades. The solemn silence of the landscape really lets you reflect on the people who lost their lives to the flood, and the hundreds upon thousands of people that found themselves displaced because of it.
The dam was initially breached on the morning of June 5. The leak continued to grow wider and wider until a part of the dam's wall completely disintegrated, causing the reservoir to completely empty by 8:00 p.m. that evening.
Water poured out of the dam's wall, flooding the surrounding Snake River Plain and quickly making its way to the nearby communities. Towns located just downstream of the dam site included Wilford, Sugar City, Salem, Hibbard, and Rexburg. These towns experienced extensive damage, and some of them were completely destroyed.
By the end of the flood's destruction, thousands of homes and businesses had been decimated by the flood waters. Recovering from the flood was the toughest part of it all, and it took years to rebuild the damaged property.
There's no doubt that the Teton Dam Disaster was one of the largest tragedies Idaho has ever witnessed. Lives were both lost and uprooted, but the event also showed that the Gem State is incredibly resilient. When tragedy strikes, we'll always come together and tough it out to the end.
Did you know about this tragic disaster which took place in Idaho? This unfortunate event may have taken place decades ago, but it will never be forgotten. For more important spots, check out this list of 10 Must-Visit Historical Landmarks In Idaho.
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