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. The disaster at Buffalo Creek remains one of Americaâs most costly and deadly preventable mining related catastrophes. On February 26, 1972, a huge earthen dam constructed by a coal company without any engineering input collapsed. 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. The Buffalo Creek Flood Disaster on Feb. 26, 1972 was the worse in West Virginia killing 125 people. An aerial view of part of the flooded area of Buffalo Creek shows the damage and destruction suffered by many. A wall of sludge, debris, and water tore through the valley below, leaving in its wake 125 dead and 4000 homeless. 1 of 29 Buy Now. Buffalo Creek, Colorado, Fire and Flood of 1996. by William Agnew, Robert E. Lahn, & Michael V. Harding. This is a first-hand account from an eyewitness. 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. FLOOD TOLL 60, CONFUSION REIGNS. 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. ... aerial maps of communities before and after and outlines of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers disaster recovery operation. Some 300 other residents were still reported missing in the wake of flash flooding caused by the collapse of a dam early Saturday. The Buffalo Creek flood of February 26, 1972, was one of the pre-eminent disasters of Appalachia's history. During the flood, 125 people lost their lives and another 1,100 were injured. They were filled to capacity, holding tons of coal wastewater. 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 ⦠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. During the Buffalo Creek Flood on Feb. 26, 1972, 125 people lost their lives, 1,100 were injured and 4,000 were left homeless. The resulting flood killed 125 people and caused over $50 million in damage. 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