Erikson’s novel “Everything in Its Path” tells the story of the devastating Buffalo Creek Flood in 1972 in Logan County West Virginia. This flood had lasting effects on the Logan county community and all other parties involved. Buffalo Creek is a mountain hollow about 18 miles in length. A narrow strip of land that stretches along the creek bed was home a numerous string of villages, sixteen of which were recognized on the official state map. Most people of the Creek were in the coal mining business. The coal mining business had effects on everyone living in the Creek regardless if they physically worked there or not. People reaped the benefits from mining business by the wages they made, the support and services they received or from the pensions …show more content…
The second problem that was solved with by Middle Fork is the problem of were to store all the excess water after his was used to prepare the coal for shipment. As a result of the constant dumping of the slag in Middle Fork eventually a wall of equivalent to a dam was created out of all the left over slag. The company had knowledge of the rising levels of the materials that the impoundment held. One day at 8 a.m. the impoundment structure had a breech. This resulted in about 132 million gallons of black water and debris being rushed through the breech. In only about a minute’s time Middle Fork was covered by a black sea full of water and debris. The water and debris would eventually rush into a town called Saunders, and later into Buffalo Creek. The town of Saunders would be destroyed by the wave of mud and debris that rushed through it, carrying the town’s buildings, cars, homes, and other structures along with it. Some people died from this wave of mud others just acquired serious injuries. Within a few hours of the breech at Middle Fork, organizations such as the National Guard, Red Cross, and Salvation Army began pouring into to Buffalo Creek trying to aid and save the victims of the massive