06/05/2026
50 Years Later: Remembering the Teton Dam Flood 🌊
On June 5, 1976, at 11:57 a.m., the Teton Dam, a new storage reservoir on the upper Snake River, catastrophically failed, sending more than 80 billion gallons of water rushing through eastern Idaho communities. What began as a bright summer day quickly became one of the most devastating disasters in Idaho history.
The flood destroyed homes, farms, businesses, bridges, and power infrastructure across the region and caused over $2 billion in damage. More than 180 square miles were inundated, thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed, 11 people lost their lives directly or indirectly from the flood, and entire communities were forever changed.
In Idaho Falls, residents had precious hours to prepare before floodwaters reached the city on June 6. Thousands of volunteers lined the Snake River with sandbags, working side-by-side to protect homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure. Crews even cut a channel through West Broadway to help relieve pressure on the aging Broadway Bridge as debris-filled water pushed southward.
As the flood moved through Idaho Falls, all three of Idaho Falls Power’s hydroelectric plants were shut down. Later that evening, more than 100 feet of the Lower Plant dam washed away. Inside the City Plant, employees witnessed the force of the flood firsthand. Longtime Idaho Falls Power employee Bill Jones later recalled:
“That big concrete building was just a-rumbling. Water was slopping over the Broadway Bridge, but it was very quiet in the plant. There was no hum from the generators.”
While the flood caused tremendous destruction, it also revealed something powerful about this community: resilience. Neighbors helped neighbors. Volunteers worked around the clock. And Idaho Falls rebuilt.
Fifty years later, we remember those who experienced the flood, those who helped protect the community, and the lasting impact this event had on Idaho Falls and Idaho Falls Power’s history. 💙
