Teton Dam Flood Brought Best Out of Idaho Falls Residents
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There is plenty of great media coverage lately on the thirtieth-anniversary of the Teton Dam collapse and flood.
I want to just focus on the Idaho Falls aspect of the Teton Dam flood. I always heard Idaho Falls was somehow spared major damage, but Local News 8 had a great quote from T.J. Wadsworth who said “(Idaho Falls was) the city that saved itself because that’s what we did”. Idaho Falls indeed saved itself from major damage by virtue of over 10,000 residents showing up to sandbag the river banks.
Anyone can plainly see how high the river rides our banks normally. You can imagine our beautiful downtown area would have been devastated if those residents had not worked together so quickly. It is reported that Blackfoot did not do as well and suffered major flooding; nothing is reported if their citizens mobilized so effectively?
Idaho Falls Power reports the wall of water from the Teton Dam flood arrived in our city about 8 AM on Sunday, June 6, 1976. Apparently they cut a channel through Broadway road west of the Broadway bridge to allow the waters a way through with less pressure on the bridge. That seemed pretty smart!
The floodwaters apparently crested mid-afternoon on that Sunday and tapered back down to normal levels that night. IF Power reports a good portion of the power plant was washed away and had to be replaced. The new power plant was paid for by the federal government as part of the disaster relief, so Idaho Falls came out ahead in the deal (there was talk that the previous plant needed replacing anyways).
If Idaho Falls residents could come together so quickly to help our city in that instance, how else could we use flash mobs and civic pride to help ourselves for a greater good?
Finally, this is one of the best personal stories I have heard from somone who lived in the area, who’s dad worked in Idaho Falls as a federal emergency employee, who had a family member die in the flood, and who helped clean up Rexburg after the news cameras left.
One of the most poignant descriptions of the flood aftermath, I think, is how the Mormon church galvanized its membership to help flood victims. The author describes how long-standing religious divides between LDS members and the community broke down. Indeed, I recall during the 1997 flooding when I was National Guard-mobilzed in Menan that the Mormon church was a big part of our success. They opened up the Menan ward to us for use as an emergency headquarters, and their membership was there three times daily to cook and serve food for the soldiers.
It makes you wonder if FEMA (actually formed as a result of the Teton Dam flood) or the Mormon church would be our greater asset if another catastrophe struck southeast Idaho?
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Joe
I’m glad to see you reference this again. For those of us who remember anything about this day, the city of I.F. did some amazing things to save bridges.
In some ways, thinking about it now, I wonder if that is where some people thought about the bridges differently and the possibility of commericial and/or recreational activities near the Snake River? I don’t believe any Greenbelt existed prior to that time. It just makes me wonder if the Walker Brothers and others, perhaps, thought about the two sides of Idaho Falls, and the bridges that connect them.
Also, I think you pose a good question about whether a church (or private organization) vs. the Federal Govt. could do the best disaster planning and relief.
I have to say honestly I think it depends on the mission (no pun intended, for any church-related groups).
In Katrina, no one anticipated both the destruction to the level that occurred and then Gov. Blanco NOT getting the Feds involved in time to make a difference. I never knew, until I read national information, that years ago the Bush Administration had Duke University build a mobile hospital, for a disaster like Katrina or other disasters that required a large amount of people receive medical care.
Duke’s Mobile Hospital was there for Katrina, with hundreds of medical/nursing/lab etc. of essential staff, but could NOT be utilized, until Gov. Blanco requested help. Unfortunately, her delay caused a great deal of pain and suffering for so many, and perhaps loss of life.
Mayor Nagan has clarified a lot of information, too. From the number of times he talked with the Bush Administration teams about different needs for New Orleans, the various units were mostly positioned around N.O. in anticipation of Gov. Blanco making the declaration she didn’t make fast enough, per Nagan and others who were there.
Furthermore, Gov. Barber had declared parts of MS as Disaster Areas and eligible for the resources of the Feds. However, most of the supplies and personnel were posititioned to assist with New Orleans and other LA cities given the prediction of where Katrina would hit, the “Feds” physically were not able to re-position quickly enough to maximize what Gov. Barber requested for MS residents.
I honestly believe that churches, or an organization like the Salvation ARMY probably have a better communication system, then so many layers of government. So I think they can be effective.
Let me be very clear that I personallly cannot and do NOT support the American Red Cross for more reasons than I want to write. But, I see the Salvation Army as an entirely different organization who puts people as their first priority.
Also, I think that certain resources, such as a mobile hospital, complete with O.R.’s etc., can’t be developed privately by church organizations or smaller chairty organizations. Consequently, this is the area where I think the feds shine.
What I wish would happen is that there would be a further clarification of WHAT are the capacities of each agency for each metro area. Then, leaders of that area would have to decide if a disaster were to hit their area, where their best sources of help would be. The answer may not be the same for every community.
But, one thing I totally believe is when people are working together, regardless of who they are, to help other people, good will be done.
I like Joe’s example here as eastern ID taught the U.S. something with how the LDS Church opened church doors, Bishop’s Storehouses and organized volunteers. I also think one of the greatest things I heard about Katrina was how the LDS Church had opened a ward building for people to sleep and temporarily live in as did one of the Baptist Churches. Then either the Salvation Army, after being physically maxed to capacity, either helped additionally in the LDS Church that was opened to shelter more people, or opened a building close by the LDS Church. I don’t remember the details probably because the overwhelming theme was everyone worked togother and people were served.