Jeanne M. Rasmussen Collection, acc.352, Box 3, Folder 5, Number 9

Often, flooding occurs because of compounding outside influences on a region. This 1972 flood in Buffalo Creek West Virginia, which is located southwest of Huntington on the West Virginia-Kentucky border, was caused by both the removal of trees and strip mining. The hillside above the houses is evidence of this: not only has the top layer of soil been stripped away, the trees of that section have also been cleared, leaving soil with no plant roots to hold it in place when rainwater lands on the mountainside. As rainwater rolls down the mountain, it collects in creeks and rivers, putting stress on dams that help keep these water systems in check. That was the case in this photograph. The dam near Buffalo Creek burst, and water flooded into the community, destroying roads, homes, telephone poles and cables, etc.

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