Sanderson Flash Flood

After the flood, eleven flood-control dams were built to protect Sanderson from another. The town lived by livestock: cattle, horses, polo ponies, burros, sheep and Angora goats, and in 1970 more than a million pounds of wool and mohair were shipped from Sanderson. Its population fell from 1,500 in 1980 to 837 in 2010. On July 4, 2015, the town marked the flood's fiftieth anniversary with ceremonies honoring the victims and the Boy Scouts whose relief work stood out during and after the disaster, and it dedicated a memorial garden.

What the plaque says

Sanderson Flash Flood On the fateful morning of June 11, 1965, just after 7:00 a.m. following a night of continuous rain, a wall of water with a velocity of 100,000 cubic feet per second crested upon the railroad and ranching community of Sanderson. Twenty-six were killed during the natural disaster, demolishing around sixty homes, injuring dozens and causing many to be homeless. The force of the water washed away railroad and highway bridges and twisted heavy steel rails. Along with the destruction, there were also acts of heroism. Individuals risked their lives to save others and citizens quickly organized to provide relief to victims. (2015)

Where it stands

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