June 5 is the 32nd anniversary of the Teton Dam Flood. I really hadn't thought about it much until it was being discussed on my high school class reunion mailing list (good grief am I old enough to be having a 20th reunion this year??)
I was 6 years old when the dam burst. I don't have a lot of memories from when it happened--but as everyone was talking about it--it made me think of a few. I guess I had a guinea pig at that time that I was really worried about. My dad told me it would be fine in the basement but I snuck it into the back of the pickup where they were throwing stuff to take. I put it under one of the sleeping bags and grabbed it a handful of grass--I think my mother would have preferred its cage when she found out we had it with us and no way to store it. I am glad I took it--since our basement filled to within an inch of coming upstairs and it would have been killed. I also HAD to take my "Dick and Jane" book because I had just learned to read and that was my most prized possession LOL (I still have that book--in one of my memorabilia boxes back in Idaho). I'm sure I had to take my ever-present teddy bear and blankets too! Couldn't leave home without those treasures!
We stayed with the Baxter family up on the hill. The only thing I really remember about that is that someone brought watermelon and how excited I was for that. (And that they had a pool table in their basement--which was supercool to a 6 year old) As soon as the water went down--my mom shipped me out to Terreton to my sister's house--so I wasn't there for any clean up. I guess it was a pretty messy job to do. The town has definately rebuilt and grown! I cannot believe the changes in Rexburg whenever I go home to visit. From a town that had a flood of water--with houses and dead livestock floating down the main street to a beautiful town with it's own temple and a college that is now 4 years! Not too bad in 32 years! Can't wait to see what it has coming in the next 32!
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