On february 26, 1972, 2million gallons of debrisfilled muddy water burst through a makeshift. Buffalo creek disaster coal dams fail 1972 the pop. Memories of the buffalo creek flood disaster facebook. Sterns the buffalo creek disaster in terms of critiquing the authors thesis, supporting arguments. The other, a runnerup for a national book award in 1975, is everything in its path, by kai erikson describing the story of the disaster from a sociologists point of view. Following the flood, survivors from a previously tightly knit community. Everything in its path everything in its path is a book that describes the wreckage and aftermath of one of the most server floods to strike west virginia. A concise telling of the buffalo creek flood aftermath but with a human touch.
The disaster stretched human nerves to their outer edge. The buffalo creek disaster book summary images all. Destruction of community in the buffalo creek flood by kai t. One saturday morning in february 1972, an impoundment dam owned by the pittston coal company burst, sending a million gallon, 25 foot tidal wave of water, sludge, and debris crashing into southern west virginias buffalo creek hollow. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. A classic book on this harrowing subject, the retelling of the buffalo creek flood in 1972 is wrenching and heartbreaking, also an indictment of a coal company that could have, and should have, provided safeguards against the very thing that caused this disaster in the first place, i.
Learn buffalo creek disaster stern with free interactive flashcards. Published by stern in 1976, his book chronicles the events preceding and following the buffalo creek flood of 1972. His mother saved his life, but lost hers in the process. The buffalo creek flood was a disaster that occured on february 25 1972. Some of the information that i read states that over 125 people lost their lives that day. The buffalo creek flood disaster, february 26, 1972 published by donna l. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Although a book for laymen, it is still used in many law school civil procedure courses. There was around 2 million gallons of sludge made of. However, a flood which occurred in this region one cold winters morning in.
The story of the surviviors unprecedented lawsuit by gerald m. This book is particularly significant in the aftermath of the teton dam disaster in idaho this past june. Trauma at buffalo creek this scholarly journal discusses the buffalo creek disaster in more detail. Buffalo creek includes exclusive interviews from many of those who witnessed and survived the flood.
On february 26, 1972, 2million gallons of debrisfilled muddy water burst through a makeshift miningcompany dam and roared through buffalo creek, a narrow mountain hollow in west virginia. A classic book on this harrowing subject, the retelling of the buffalo creek flood in 1972 is wrenching and heartbreaking, also an indictment of a coal company. Those of us who did not experience it can never really comprehend the full horror of that day, but we can at least appreciate why it should cause such misery. They are currently working on a project to translate the 1977 book, everything in its path. One, the buffalo creek disaster, about the case itself, was by jerry stern. Three men from japan, who are associated with different groups such as kyoto university, attended the events at the buffalo creek memorial library and man high school. The flood of buffalo creek 1189 words 5 pages everything in its path everything in its path is a book that describes the wreckage and aftermath of one of the most server floods to strike west virginia.
In 1972, kerry lee albright was swept away in the buffalo creek flood. The inspection that the event caused cited deficiencies in the dams. The story behind the west virginia flood disaster of 1972 nugent, tom on. Track 4 from craig heaths new cd, big green mountain. This happened four days after having been declared satisfactory by a federal mine inspector. In all such discussions, it is important to keep folks focused on issues and not on. Tragedy on buffalo creek, logan county genealogical society newsletter pdf logan citizens band radio club flood report feb. Dedicated to those touched by this tragedy and to all my friends and family back home in west virginia. Book proposal the world they lost buffalo creek 40. Ls, members of 107th cavalry walking in buffalo creek searching for bodies. One resident at the scene, later quoted in in kai t. The buffalo creek disaster essay 3619 words bartleby.
In 1972, the logan county community of buffalo creek experienced the most destructive flood in west virginia history, when a coal waste dam bu welcome to the discussion. In a matter of minutes, 118 were dead and over 4,000 people were left homeless. Email our webmaster more than thirty years ago, one of the deadliest floods in u. Negligent strip mining and heavy rain produced a raging flood. The buffalo creek disaster is more than a story about heroes. A sample from the awardwinning 1975 appalshop film the buffalo creek flood. High water from buffalo creek continues to flood a residential area in west seneca, while four highways in southern erie county were closed due to flooding. Rainelle is the setting for most of mcclanahans stories, that and danese, an even smaller community which serves as the main setting for his newest book crapalachia. Logan county, west virginia, includes a small area known as buffalo creek hollow. Buffalo creek dam disaster logan county, west virginia.
Using straightforward language, stern provides the reader with a window through which the world of litigation can be viewed. The buffalo creek flood was a disaster that occurred on february 26, 1972, when the pittston. Buffalo creek contains very personal accounts of what the towns citizens were doing immediately before the flood, and the anguish and pain they experienced. Part of the the plenum series on stress and coping book series ssso. This page will have archives of old newspaper articles, photographs, and hopefully some audio clips of. Buffalo creek flood, monongah mining disaster, sago mine disaster, farmington mine disaster, aracom by hephaestus books author 2011 paperback. The world they lost how the 1972 buffalo creek flood disaster forever changed appalachia a book proposal by tom nugent table of contents the concept 2 narrative structure. As the title suggests, the book is a matteroffact yet dramatic tale authored by the leading plaintiffs lawyer in the case. Chuck bailey this was the tipple of buffalo mining company, a subsidiary of pittston coal co. Destruction of community in the buffalo creek flood, by kai t.
For the flood that followed the collapse of west virginias buffalo creek dam in 1972like. Rainelle and danese, the names, like those of two mythical twins, ring with memories and meanings just out of reach. The 1977 sorokin awardwinning story of buffalo creek in the aftermath of a devastating flood. Some of the flood damage in the aftermath of the buffalo creek.
The book includes descriptions of his experiences dealing with the political and legal environment of west virginia, where the influence of large coal mining corporations is intensely significant to the local culture and communities. The collapse of the buffalo creek dam and subsequent flood disaster has received a. Three possible sources of water could have contributed significantly to the buffalo creek, flood. Who will buy this book 5 the competition 8 deadlines and work schedules 9 publicity 9 about the. In 1972, the logan county community of buffalo creek experienced the most destructive flood in west virginia history, when a coal waste dam burst and million gallons of water. Destruction of community in the buffalo creek flood erikson, kai t. The flood struck buffalo creek a small narrow town in the hollow of the appalachians mountains in the winter of 1972. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, various state, local and federal government agencies had initially come together to help plan for the recovery of the buffalo creek area. The buffalo creek disaster logan wv history and nostalgia. Destruction of community in the buffalo creek flood.
The two books overlap considerably but erikson is specifically concerned with the loss of communality which left the people apathetic, fearful, and disoriented. Sterns the buffalo creek disaster in terms of critiquing the authors thesis, supporting arguments, supporting evidence and authority, style, and content. More than thirty years ago, one of the deadliest floods in u. The sociopsychology of all this was probed and covered in an awardwinning 1976 book by kai t. The book is ostensibly a look at the social conditions which exacerbated the effects of the buffalo creek flood, in which the entire town was wiped out by a huge flood induced by unsafe mining practices. The collapse of the buffalo creek dam and subsequent flood disaster has received a great deal of attention in the literature since its occurrence in 1972. How the 1972 buffalo creek flood disaster forever changed appalachia a book proposal by tom nugent forty years ago next year on feb.
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