Remembering the Teton Dam flood 43 years later

It’s been 43 years since the Teton Dam failed, many people lost their homes and 11 people died in the disaster.

The dam reportedly broke early in the morning on June 5, 1976.

A 30-foot wall of water roared down the canyon taking down the small city of Wilford. The flood waters also flowed down to nearby cities such as Sugar City and Rexburg. Five counties were also impacted by the flood.

Many people had to evacuate their homes, and the aftermath of the disaster left many people homeless or living in their condemned homes.

The dam cost about $100 million to build, and the federal government paid over $300 million in claims related to its failure. Total damage estimates have ranged up to $2 billion. The dam has not been rebuilt.

More than 180 square miles were inundated in water, 771 homes were destroyed, 3,002 homes were damaged, and 16,650 livestock were lost.

After the destruction occurred, many different volunteers from across the United States lent a helping hand.

Different religious denominations came to the aid of the people who lost everything in the flood.

Three years ago we ran a special on the Teton Dam failing. You can watch that below.