Aftermath of Flash Flood in Sanderson (1965)

Duration: 9:55

Year Published: 1965

Format: 16mm

Sound: silent

Description: This news footage shot by Gordon Wilkison for Austin’s KTBC-TV captures the aftermath of the 1965 flash flood in Sanderson in West Texas. On the night of June 10, a thunderstorm moved into Terrell County from the west, sending heavy rain over Sanderson Canyon. The storm intensified by the early morning of June 11, with the U.S. Weather Bureau reporting rains up to eight inches in two hours. Runoff began to build in the dry canyons upstream of Sanderson, breaching a diversion dike and washing out the area between the road and railroad embankment. The rising floodwater continued downstream, breaking bridges and dams, as seen in the footage. The wall of water reached Sanderson by 7 in the morning, sweeping through the business district and low-lying residential areas at a rate of 14.7 feet per second. The rushing water devastated the town, overturning cars and sweeping homes and businesses into the Rio Grande River. Twenty-six people lost their lives. Following the deadly flood, a network of 11 dams was built to protect the town from future tragedies.