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  • 1972 Black Hills Flood | 50th Commemoration Exhibit

    2022 was the fifty year commemoration of the Black Hills Flood and the community gathered to remember, commemorate, and celebrate the renewal of our community.

    On the evening of June 9, 1972, a severe thunderstorm dropped more than 10 inches of torrential rain in 6 hours in Rapid City and surrounding areas causing nearby creeks to swell. Canyon Lake rose 12 feet in 2 hours and consequently the dam failed. Around midnight, a wall of water estimated at 50,000 cubic feet per second raged through town, swelling the creek to around 300 times its normal volume. The flood claimed over 200 lives and displaced thousands more, making it one of the deadliest floods in U.S. history.

    Take the Virtual Tour

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