On this day in history, November 6, 1977, Toccoa Falls Dam collapses in Georgia, kills 39
TOCCOA, GEORGIA: On November 6, 1977, 46 years ago, the Toccoa Falls Dam, Georgia, collapsed in a heavy rain storm, leading to the death of 39 people.
The dam was an earthen embankment dam located above the Toccoa Falls Bible College near Toccoa in Stephens County. Besides 39 deaths, the resulting flood caused extensive damage to the area, especially the Toccoa Falls College campus.
What happened at the Toccoa Falls Dam?
Following four days of constant rain in the region, the Toccoa Falls Dam fell apart at about 1.30 am on November 6, 1977.
According to History, a volunteer fireman had inspected the dam on November 5, hours before the failure, but did not find anything out of order.
However, the dam suddenly collapsed in the early morning hours of November 6 with a tremendous roar, leading to an estimated 176 million gallons of water rushing through the canyon and creek at nearly 120 mph (193 kph).
What was the result of the Toccoa Falls Dam tragedy?
Based on the information on the Toccoa Falls College website, the water surged through a narrow ravine, heading towards the area where numerous college faculty, staff, and students slept.
Despite the tremendous sound during the collapse, the college residents had no time to evacuate, leading to 39 of its members being swept away. Two of its buildings were also destroyed.
The resulting flood also caused intense damage to the Toccoa community, destroying nine houses, eighteen trailers, and two bridges on Toccoa Falls Drive.
According to the National Water Summary 1988-89 published by the United States Geological Survey Papers, there were damages of approximately $2.8 million.
Origin of the Toccoa Falls Dam
The Toccoa Falls Dam was completed as a crib dam to function as a reservoir for a small hydroelectric power plant in 1899 by EP Simpson, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website.
In 1937, the Toccoa Falls Bible Institute developed it into an earth dam to make it a more dependable power source, and it stood approximately 42 feet above the rock foundation by the end of World War II.
The power production stopped in 1957, and since then, it only functioned as a recreation site.
Based on the findings of the Federal Investigative Board, USGS concluded that a series of interlinked causes might have led to the tragedy.
As per the organization's website, "Local slide on the steep downstream slope probably associated with piping, an attendant localized breach in the crest followed by progressive erosion, saturation of the downstream embankment" led to the complete failure of the dam.
The dam was never rebuilt after the calamity.
