Once Flooded, Twice Shy

Because the Teton Dam disaster was such a big event, not many people know that 14 years earlier we were flooded in Sugar City. There had been lots of ice in the North Fork of the Teton. The weather turned warm and the ice began to flow. This is an aerial shot of Sugar City during that flood. It was taken February 12, 1962. It is looking to the north. If you follow the road going to the left of the railroad, you can almost see the very edge of Ross Shirley's yard. It is just outside the picture to the left. The railroad track acted like a dam, keeping much of the water on the east side, but we still had our share come our way. The picture was taken by the Corp of Engineers and says it was taken at the height of the flood.

I remember Dad saying that we were not going to evacuate. The Corp of Engineers were up by the bridge near the old overpass north of Sugar City using dynamite to dislodge the ice dam. Some concerned citizens of Sugar City decided that the ice jamming under another downstream bridge east of our house needed to be blasted, so they took it upon themselves to blow it up with dynamite. The Corp of Engineers wanted them arrested because it damaged the nearby railroad tracks. I remember hearing the sound from our house.

I remember the water coming through Dalling's field toward our house. Being 10 years old I thought only of how fun it would be. I had built a snow fort in the front yard of our house. I had the idea that if I built it big enough and packed it hard enough it would keep the water out. I watched with excitement as the water moved through the field from the east moving slowly but steadily. It entered the yard and made rather quick work of all my efforts.

Dad sandbagged the basement were the coal furnace was and with the help of some boards and cinderblocks built a suspended bridge from the front step out to the road. The water stayed for several days. My brothers, Neal and Dale, would go upstairs with the 22 and by looking through the scope they could see mice clinging to anything that floated. They would aim carefully and then look for the splash of the bullet in order to adjust the aim. Sometimes they were successful and spared the mice a slow death of drowning in favor of a much quicker firing squad.

Neal said that they dumped a huge load of sand in our driveway for us to use. Then the Corp went north of our house and cut a opening through Uncle Fred's ditch to let the water go through. Neal spent much of the next summer working for Fred rebuilding that ditch.

Oddly enough, it was because of this flood that many, including myself, did not take it seriously when we heard that the Teton Dam broke 14 years later. After all, we had been flooded before, and "how different could this be?" We found out, all too soon.