A Brief History of: The Buffalo Creek Disaster (Documentary)

Comments · 770

• FL

  @flagrant_vandal · 5 years ago

  One of these days PD is going to hit us with a story of a worker who does his job properly and regulations are followed.

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• KR

  @kriscook2423 · 5 years ago

  If you have lived in southern West Virginia, you've likely lived within miles of one of these types of impoundments. They still exist today even if the mine shut down. They're supposed to be more regulated these days. I remember growing up that my mom always watched the creek very carefully when we had long periods of rain. She kept backpacks with clothes and food by the door with instructions to climb the hill across the tracks as fast as we could. She remembered Buffalo Creek very well.

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• TE

  @TetrapodsOfLaniakea · 5 years ago

  While living in West Virginia, I met someone who survived this as a child. He had seen the body of one of his classmates, but  didn't recognize her at first; he thought she was a broken doll.

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• AA

  @aaronpaul5990 · 5 years ago

  it is scary that the companies so often literately get away with murder "just" because it was an "accident" by a company ... even trough the reason is pretty oblivious if you take a closer look.

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• IG

  @ignatiusdemonseed · 5 years ago

  I was born and raised right across the Ohio River from Arch Moore&apos;s hometown. &nbsp;&quot;Corrupt&quot; is too kind a word to describe him.<br><br>I was 14 years old when the Buffalo Creek flood occurred, and I remember it well. &nbsp;Later in life I was witness to a naturally-caused flash flood, and eventually did research comparing and contrasting that flood to the Buffalo Creek disaster.<br><br>The secondary disaster resulting from the Buffalo Creek flood involved the fates of the survivors. &nbsp;Long-term response to the needs of the homeless was shoddy at best, with sub-standard temporary housing being brought in for shelter. &nbsp;Drug and alcohol abuse became rampant, domestic violence soared, and a pall of hopelessness seemed to float above the valley. &nbsp;The biggest contrast between Buffalo Creek and any naturally-caused flash flood appeared to be that Buffalo Creek had an immediate and rightful source to blame: &nbsp;the coal operator. &nbsp;Had they constructed sensible and legal impoundments, the disaster would never have occurred. &nbsp;A rainfall-caused flash flood has finds no one for blame, hence the &quot;act of God&quot; phrase. &nbsp;The fact that Buffalo Creek was designated an &quot;act of God&quot; was a slap in the collective face of the victims and survivors.<br><br>Pittston et. al. got off very easy for causing an event that took the lives of 125 people and permanently scarred the minds and lives of the thousands of survivors. &nbsp;A flash flood is an ugly and unforgiving event. &nbsp;I feel quite sure that Arch Moore rests in a special warm place for his complicity in protecting the operators from well-deserved financial harm.

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• PA

  @panqueque445 · 5 years ago

  &quot;The flooding was an act of god and the dam was unable to hold the water god put into it&quot;<br>You gotta be kidding me.

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• KA

  @KarlBunker · 5 years ago

  Ugh. That Governor R. J. Moore (who settled for a measly $1M) must have needed a wheelbarrow to carry all his bribe money home when he left office.

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• AN

  @andyb1653 · 5 years ago

  I always feel a little weird leaving a &quot;like&quot; on these videos, lol. It&apos;s as if Plainly says &quot;here&apos;s this horrendous, terrible, extremely bad thing that happened&quot; and I respond &quot;Yeah, I LOVE IT&quot;<br><br>Truth is I just appreciate a well-made, solidly narrated video with good info and context.

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• EA

  @EATSLEEPDRIVE2002 · 5 years ago

  “Dam, your abutment looks fine”<br>-“ sorry I am married” 😂😂😂

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• RE

  @ReneSchickbauer · 5 years ago

  Basic engineering: Plainly too difficult for management and beancounters

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• BL

  @blacktoothfox677 · 5 years ago

  I know this case very well. &nbsp;This was a monstrous scenario, corporate externalities at their finest, not a damn sliver of guilt for actually killing folk. &nbsp;A massive engineering bodge, overseen by someone who didn&apos;t even have the qualifications to build a shed.<br>Big Coal right up their with big tobacco, when it comes to murderous greed.

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• ZO

  @zorktxandnand3774 · 5 years ago

  As long as paying damages is cheaper than proper operation and &nbsp;following of safety procedures (if they exist at all), these things are preventable accidents waiting to happen.<br>Someone has to be accountable, and causing preventable disasters should be more expensive then preventing it.<br>Great video as always!

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