AllMovie

In this episode of the History Channel series Wrath of God, which explores different natural disasters through the ages, there is a look at what happens when a dam gives way. First, there is a look at the 1963 collapse of the Baldwin Kills Reservoir in Los Angeles. After it released 292 million gallons of water, entire communities were washed away and hundreds perished. Then, there is a study of the Buffalo Creek Dam break in 1972. The dam, built quickly by a coal company and not professional dam builders, gave way shortly after its completion, causing 125 lives to be lost in the flooding waters. Historians and scientists talk about these tragedies and more, including one that resulted in a dam break because of poor governmental planning.