Voices from the flood: Survivors reflect on the Teton Dam collapse
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Fifty years ago today, on June 5, 1976, the Teton Dam collapsed and spilled 80 billion gallons of water into eastern Idaho.
The historic disaster buried Rexburg under 5 feet of water at one point and resulted in the death of 11 people. More than 13,000 head of livestock were killed, and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed or heavily damaged. The estimated cost of the damage was around $2 billion, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which built the dam, spent the next 11 years compensating those who were affected.
We’re looking back at the tragedy with a special episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning.” Throughout the show, we’ll play several songs taken from “Teton Letters,” a new album commemorating the disaster’s anniversary. Each song on the 17-track album is inspired by an oral history project conducted a year after the flood. The project was a series of interviews with people who lived through it, and the songs tell their story.
Teton Letters is a collaboration between Trent Walker, Richard Robison and a variety of local artists. We are including the songs with their permission. Robison made the songs available on Substack here and here.
We’ll also be talking with three special guests. The first is Paul Jenkins. He’s the owner of a longtime film and video production company in Idaho Falls and sits on the school board for Bonneville Joint School District 93.
Jenkins was in an airplane above Rexburg at the time of the collapse. He captured footage that was later turned into a documentary that’s been shown at the Teton Dam Museum for decades.
Jenkins shares his memories of that day, including what he saw, how he helped break the news to national media, and how it affected him personally.
Jenkins still has tens of thousands of feet of film, which has never been released to the public. Is another documentary in the works?
While the Teton Dam flood brought Rexburg national attention, another community 25 miles southwest of Rexburg received no media coverage, and was completely ignored and forgotten, despite having more long-lasting damage. The city of Roberts was buried under four feet of water, and about 500 people were stranded there for days because it was placed under martial law.
Nelson speaks with Roberts Mayor BJ Berlin about the flood’s impact and how it compares to the flood of 1997 when Roberts was the center of media attention.
Our final guest is Madison County’s former Civil Defense Director, Ronnie Moss. He led the relief effort in Rexburg from the National Guard Armory. He shares his memories of the emergency response and the lessons learned 50 years later.
The city of Rexburg is hosting a variety of activities and events Friday and Saturday to commemorate the event. Take a look at what’s happening in the flyer below.
Watch previous episodes of “It’s Worth Mentioning” here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip, guest idea or comment, email rett@eastidahonews.com.
