On this day in 1977, the Toccoa Falls Dam in Georgia gave way and 30+ people died in the resulting flood.
One-hundred-and-fifty-nine kilometres north of Atlanta, the Toccoa (Cherokee for “beautiful”) Falls Dam was constructed of earth across a canyon in 1887, creating a 22-hectare lake 54m above the Toccoa Creek. In 1911, Richard Forrest established the Christian and Missionary Alliance College along the creek below the dam.
According to legend, he bought the land for the campus from a banker with the only $10 dollars he had to his name, offering God’s word that he would pay the remaining $24 990 of the purchase price later. Sixty-six years later on 5 November, a volunteer fireman inspected the dam and found everything in order.
However, just hours afterwards, in the early morning of 6 November, the dam suddenly gave way. Water thundered down the canyon and creek, approaching speeds of 190km/h.
Although there was a tremendous roar when the dam broke, the residents of the college had no time to evacuate. Within minutes, the entire community was inundated by a wave of water.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at northsider@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
