Idaho Flood: The Lessons of Disaster

By David Mitchell

Assistant Editor

If you had to evacuate your home in a hurry, what would you take with you? What would you save if you thought there was a chance that your home and all your possessions would be destroyed?

These were decisions that faced the Saints in northeastern Idaho June 5 when the Teton Dam burst, sending tons of water through nearby communities.

With very little time to make decisions, many Saints left their homes with only the clothes they wore, while others took a smorgasbord of books, photographs, genealogy sheets, insurance policies, the family cat, potted plants, and even typewriters. Most of the Saints’ memories of that day are tinged with regret at what they did not save from the water.

Genealogy records by the pound were lost in the flood, leading many to consider keeping their records in a single briefcase or some other container that could be easily carried. In fact, several eastern Idaho Saints are now keeping all their vital records—genealogy, birth certificates, passports, tax receipts, financial records, licenses, insurance policies, and so on—in a single place, where in an emergency it would be a matter of seconds to get them all.

Some survivors suggested that each family should plan for possible disaster, whether it be flood, earthquake, or fire. One sister recommended that such planning could be a family home evening project. Each family member would have to decide what he or she would take in case of an emergency, and the whereabouts of valuables or documents should be known to all. Such a contingency plan would have to be updated on a regular basis.

What other lessons were taught by the flood?

Idaho Falls South Stake President Harold Hillam had the opportunity of being involved both in his welfare responsibilities as liaison between the flood-ravaged area and the volunteer cleanup effort and as an observer who has been to Rexburg and the surrounding communities a number of times.

“I think we learned that we need to work within the basic gospel principles of priesthood leadership,” he said in an interview. “We learned that we must follow the welfare program and not deviate from it. We learned from the response to the call for help that because of the great faith of the Saints, the Church can do anything it wills to do when it comes to cleaning up after such a disaster and then going on to rebuild.” The cleanup work was all administered through adjacent wards and stakes, and government officials were amazed at the speed and efficiency of the system.

President Hillam also led his stake in the successful emergency measures undertaken at Idaho Falls to prevent the city from being flooded. Sunday meetings were dismissed on the day following the dam break as the flood-waters threatened to overflow the banks of the Snake River. Members and nonmembers alike turned out to erect earth and sandbag barriers.

“There was a good feeling among the members and the nonmembers because they all pitched in. Everyone knew that that was the place to be—alongside each other protecting their community.

“In those few hours that we worked together we learned a great lesson in service and sacrifice, a lesson that would take weeks to grasp in weekly priesthood meetings.”

A dependable means of communication also was a vital factor in the overall effort, said President Hillam. “A good communications network is a prime consideration in such circumstances.” Good communication helps avoid duplication of effort, and in many emergencies lives could be saved. Some have suggested that every bishop should know who in his ward has a CB radio.”

Idaho Falls served as a channel for volunteer labor and equipment and as a stopping-off place for tons of donated clothing. “We recognized and deeply appreciated the love and concern that prompted the Saints to conduct clothing drives and food drives. It was yet another indication that we were not alone in a time of trouble, that our brothers and sisters wanted to reach out to us.

“But we found that the clothing drives sometimes created problems. It literally took hundreds and hundreds of manhours just to sort the clothing that arrived by the truckload. Clean clothes—sometimes brand new—were mixed in with dirty clothes and some very obvious castoffs. The logistics of sorting the piles upon piles of clothes were incredible. And at first the Saints who were hit by the flood did not need the suits and dresses. What they wanted were work clothes, although those immediate needs changed as time passed.”

President Hillam suggested how clothing could be handled in any future emergency: “Now if people wanted to donate clothing, it would seem to me that it would be appropriate for them to donate to their local Deseret Industries. There the clothes would be cleaned, sanitized, sorted according to age groups, and readied to meet the disaster area’s needs. For instance, if we had wanted more work clothes, or more men’s shirts, our Deseret Industries here could have contacted other Deseret Industries outlets, and the need would have been met.”

Regular channels could also be used for food donations: “The Saints who want to give should give through their fast offering. That way their donations can be channeled to best effect.”

In the Teton Dam disaster the regular Church organization was put to the test—and it passed. “One of the great testimonies that I have gained from this experience,” says President Hillam, “is that the Church has been prepared for years for times of disaster. The organization exists to serve. We have welfare services, we have bishops storehouses, we have Deseret Industries, we have the means by which any type of aid can be rendered. We need to remember to use the priesthood-directed organization.”

The Church organization is not put in cold storage between emergencies. Says President Hillam, “We also need to recognize that in many ways we have the opportunity at least once a month to check out the organization, to have a dry run, as it were, in case of emergency. That opportunity comes through home teaching. We meet with the families assigned to us, we report back to our priesthood leaders, we are aware, or should be aware, of the welfare and well-being of each of our families. When disaster strikes, we just follow the same process—we meet with our families and report back to our priesthood leaders so that the welfare of the members in any given ward and stake is known.

“One of the things that I have learned as I have been involved in this experience is that the home teachers and their priesthood leaders must come to realize and fulfill their priesthood responsibilities. We simply can’t expect the stake president and the bishop to carry the whole load. I saw many stake presidents and bishops work around the clock to the point of mental and physical exhaustion.

“The home teachers need to build such a rapport with their families that the families will go to them in time of crisis. It’s too much for a bishop to try to carry the total load. The Saints, too, need to remember to utilize the priesthood channels and call upon the home teachers as a source of information and help. If the priesthood channels are working properly, information and help can pass back and forth along the line.”

President Hillam found his work with those who suffered from this disaster to be an enriching experience: “For me, this has been one of the most special assignments I have ever had, to actually see the love and concern, the desire to help, and the great power of faith in the Church. It’s just unlimited.”

Photography by Eldon Linschoten

This ancient and heroic Beaver (World War II vintage), making several trips, rescued thirty people from rising waters during the flood. Lewis W. Hart is the pilot. (Photography by Eldon Linschoten.)

An Army helicopter on loan has already plucked more than a dozen cars from the riverbed.

A suddenly aged combine stands forlornly in a ravaged field.