1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake

Earthquake in southwestern Montana, USA May 2025 October 2024 1959-08-18 06:37:20 882673 iscgem882673 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake 1959 08 17 23:37 (MST) Montana#USA 7.2 w y Dip-slip 10 44.863 -111.335 inline, title ~15 mi north ofWest Yellowstone, Montana, U.S. southwestern Montana,Idaho, Wyoming 28+ dead 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake.jpg USGS ShakeMap The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake (also known as the 1959 Yellowstone earthquake)Donna Healy 1999 40 Years After the Hebgen Lake Earthquake The Billings Gazette July 23, 2007 http://www.billingsgazette.com/magazine/990815_mag01.html https://web.archive.org/web/20070707043600/http://www.billingsgazette.com/magazine/990815_mag01.html July 7, 2007 dead occurred in the western United States on August 17 at 11:37 pm (MST) in southwestern Montana.University of Utah 2007 Summary of Hebgen Lake 1959 Earthquake July 25, 2007 http://www.seis.utah.edu/NEHRP_HTM/1959hebg/1959he1.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20070629170842/http://www.seis.utah.edu/NEHRP_HTM/1959hebg/1959he1.htm June 29, 2007 dead The earthquake measured 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale, caused a huge landslide, resulted in over 28 fatalities and left $11 million (equivalent to $US 11 1959 0 million in US) in damage. The slide blocked the flow of the Madison River, resulting in the creation of Quake Lake. Significant effects of the earthquake were also felt in nearby Idaho and Wyoming, and lesser effects as far away as Puerto Rico and Hawaii.Christopherson Edmund The Night the Mountain Fell: The Story of the Montana-Yellowstone Earthquake Missoula, Montana Lawton Printing Inc. 1960 1962 B0007F2FX8August 2020 The 1959 quake was the strongest and deadliest earthquake to hit Montana, the second being the 1935–36 Helena earthquakes that left four people dead. It also caused the worst landslides in the northwestern United States since 1927.August 2020 Earthquake August 2020 The earthquake occurred at 11:37 p.m. (MST) with a magnitude of 7.2 w. The U.S. Weather Bureau reported that the quake lasted 30–40 seconds.Billings Gazette August 18, 1959 Hebgen Lake Quake Billings Gazette, 1959 August 24, 2017 http://www.colorado-west.com/cooke/hebgen.html https://web.archive.org/web/20161114151803/http://www.colorado-west.com/cooke/hebgen.html November 14, 2016 live During the quake, the surrounding landscape dropped as much as 20 ft 0 and shockwaves caused numerous seiches to surge across Hebgen Lake for 12 hours. Water pushed by the seiches poured over Hebgen Dam which did not collapse. Several aftershocks ranging from 5.8 to 6.3 were reported after the quake.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xJwzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7170%2C1857714 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Ninth Victim Dies of Quake Injuries August 21, 1959 2https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u5kuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=REgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6138%2C3881285 Deseret News Salt Lake City, Utah Grim Search Continues for Victims of Quake Madsen Reed Teuscher M. DeMar August 21, 1959 A1https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fztYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XPcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6630%2C454934 Bend Bulletin Oregon United Press International Lake, Slide May Hide Victims of Quake August 22, 1959 1 The earthquake struck Madison Canyon, an area to the west of Yellowstone National Park. Several nearby campgrounds were occupied by vacationing campers and tourists at the time. thumb|Highway 287 slumped into Hebgen Lake, 1959 image Although magnitude estimates for the 1959 earthquake vary (the United States Geological Survey recorded the quake at both 7.3United States Geological Survey 2007 Largest Earthquake in Montana July 23, 2007 https://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1959_08_18.php https://web.archive.org/web/20070608215433/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1959_08_18.php June 8, 2007 dead [Abridged from Carl W. Stover Jerry L. Coffman Seismicity of the United States, 1568–1989 (Revised), U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527 United States Government Printing Office Washington, DC 1993] and 7.5,Jacob B. Lowenstern Robert L. Christiansen Robert B. Smith Lisa A. Morgan Henry Heasler Peter H. Stauffer James W. Hendley II United States Geological Survey 2005 Explosions, Earthquakes, And Volcanic Eruptions—What's in Yellowstone's Future? July 23, 2007 https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3024/ https://web.archive.org/web/20070715000850/http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3024/ July 15, 2007 live now calculated by the ISC as 7.2 w) the 1959 earthquake is comparable to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as one of the strongest earthquakes in North America,August 2020 behind the 1964 magnitude 9.2 Good Friday earthquake in Alaska and the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes in Missouri. The 1959 earthquake is also the most severe earthquake in the Rocky Mountains area of the United States along with the 6.9 magnitude earthquake which struck Idaho in 1983.State of Montana 2001 State of Montana Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan December 17, 2007 http://www.dma.mt.gov/DES/Library/SECP/MT%20Disaster%20&%20Emergency%20Plan/Volume%20XVII_Hazard%20Mitigation%20409%20Plan/1101%20409%20plan/409%20IV_earthquake_111601.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20071226205707/http://dma.mt.gov/DES/Library/SECP/MT%20Disaster%20%26%20Emergency%20Plan/Volume%20XVII_Hazard%20Mitigation%20409%20Plan/1101%20409%20plan/409%20IV_earthquake_111601.pdf December 26, 2007 dead The landslide caused by this quake was the largest since an earthquake in Wyoming in 1925 caused a landslide amounting to 50 e6cuyd e6m3 off us of rock and debris that left 28 people dead. The death toll from the quake was also the highest since the 1925 earthquake and most recent for the Northwestern United States since an earthquake in 1927 that left seven people dead. The 1959 earthquake was also the most damaging earthquake to occur in Montana since the 1935–36 earthquakes that left four people dead.August 2020 The Hebgen Lake area also experienced earthquakes again in 1964, 1974, 1977 and 1985. Effects The landslides caused by the quake carried 50 e6cuyd e6m3 off us of rock, mud and debris down into the valley and created hurricane-force winds strong enough to toss cars. In Madison Canyon, the landslide swept away a family of six, four of whom perished. Two more fatalities were also reported in nearby Cliff Lake to the south. In Rock Creek, tourists camping there were caught off guard by the quake and landslide, which swept them into the creek. The earthquake caused a seiche which inundated trailers and tents, uprooted trees, and injured one additional person.August 2020 left|thumb|House destruction from the earthquake, July 2009 In nearby Yellowstone National Park, 289 springs erupted in geysers, 160 of which had never had geyser activity before, and cracks ruptured the surface.Marler G. D. White D. E. 1975 Seismic Geyser and Its Bearing on the Origin and Evolution of Geysers and Hot Springs of Yellowstone National Park Geological Society of America Bulletin 1975 86 749–759 10.1130/0016-7606(1975)86<749:SGAIBO>2.0.CO;2 Near Old Faithful, the earthquake damaged the Old Faithful Inn, forcing guests there to evacuate. Landslides caused by the quake blocked a road between Mammoth and Old Faithful, damaging a bridge inside the park. There was one reported injury when a woman broke her wrist. The earthquake also created fault scarps as high as 20 ft m, causing extensive damage to roads, homes, and buildings. In Belgrade, Montana the earthquake damaged measuring equipment placed in a 100 ft m on water well. The quake also knocked out telephone communications between Bozeman and Yellowstone, with the city of Bozeman itself suffering moderate quake damage to homes and buildings.Bozeman Daily Chronicle August 18, 1959 Quake Hits Hebgen: Death Toll Mounts in Face of Major Montana Disaster University of Utah October 31, 2012 http://www.seis.utah.edu/NEHRP_HTM/1959hebg/n1959he2.htm#qhh https://web.archive.org/web/20070527214039/http://www.seis.utah.edu/NEHRP_HTM/1959hebg/n1959he2.htm#qhh May 27, 2007 dead Buildings at the Montana State University campus also sustained quake damage.August 2020 In Butte, the quake caused a pendulum clock to stop at 12:42 a.m. (MST) and caused minor damage to homes.Montana Standard News August 18, 1959 Severe Earthquake Rocks Butte: Minor Damage Widespread in Mining City University of Utah October 31, 2012 http://www.seis.utah.edu/lqthreat/nehrp_htm/1959hebg/n1959he4.shtml https://web.archive.org/web/20120308172054/http://www.seis.utah.edu/lqthreat/nehrp_htm/1959hebg/n1959he4.shtml March 8, 2012 dead Areas around Hebgen Lake were also affected as the quake caused parts of the lake to rise 8 ft m in. Roads and highways running along the shores of the lake collapsed into the water.August 2020 In Ennis, most residents were evacuated due to concern Hebgen Lake might flood the town. The evacuation was subsequently called off when it became known the landslide had blocked the river's flow.Vertical Media 2007 1959 Earthquake News October 15, 2007 http://www.westyellowstonenet.com/attractions/earthquake_article.php https://web.archive.org/web/20071120043007/http://www.westyellowstonenet.com/attractions/earthquake_article.php November 20, 2007 dead The earthquake damaged the railroad station in West Yellowstone and a courthouse in Billings, Montana.Salt Lake Tribune August 18, 1959 Quake Jolts Western States: Hebgen Dam Open, Vacationers Hurt University of Utah October 31, 2012 http://www.seis.utah.edu/NEHRP_HTM/1959hebg/n1959he5.htm#qjws https://web.archive.org/web/20070704162534/http://www.seis.utah.edu/NEHRP_HTM/1959hebg/n1959he5.htm#qjws July 4, 2007 dead + Death toll from the 1959 Yellowstone earthquake State Reported deaths Confirmed deaths Unaccounted Montana 0 27August 2020 1August 2020 Idaho 8 0 0 The earthquake also caused damage and fatalities outside of Montana. In Raynolds Pass in eastern Idaho, a landslide killed eight more people.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uJkuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=REgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5887%2C3108168 Deseret News Salt Lake City, Utah 16 reported dead as quakes smash West Yellowstone area Teuscher M. DeMar Fehr Will August 18, 1959 A-1 Google News Archive Seismic waves from the quake were reported in Boise and Macks Inn, Idaho, causing minor well and sewer damage. The final death toll from the earthquake was 28, although some early newspaper reports suggested the death toll could reach as high as 50–60. US$11 million (equivalent to $US 11 1959 2 million in US) in damage was caused. The quake was felt outside the region. In Salt Lake County, Utah, police officers at the local jail and officials at the Salt Lake Municipal Airport felt the effects of the earthquake. Water levels in wells were affected as far away as Hawaii, 3,200 mi km away, where water in wells fluctuated .10 ft in m 2, and .01 ft in m 3 in Puerto Rico. Levels in nearby Idaho fluctuated as much as 10 ft m 1.August 2020 Earthquake Lake The landslide caused by the quake blocked the flow of the Madison River, downstream and west of Hebgen Dam. The blockage caused the water to rise and formed a new lake, later named Quake Lake (officially Earthquake Lake)..793664 Earthquake Lake Fearing that the pressure caused by the rising water would result in a catastrophic flood, the Army Corps of Engineers began to cut a 250 foot m 1 on wide and 14 foot m on deep channel into the slide. By September 10, water began to flow through the channel. To prevent more erosion by the flowing water, the Army Corps cut another 50 foot m 1 on channel which was completed on October 29. The construction of the two channels cost US$1.7 million (equivalent to $US 1.7 1959 2 million in US).August 2020 Aftermath Amateur radio operator Warren Russel, operating radio-station coded K7ICM transmitted news of the quake at 11:43 p.m. (MST). At 11:50 p.m., another amateur (Fr. Francis A. Peterson of St. Anthony in Idaho) contacted the Idaho State Police who in turn contacted their headquarters in Boise. The Montana Highway Patrol, Montana State Civil Defense and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks also received word of the earthquake and its effects. The geography of the area plus the damage from the earthquake disrupted and/or obstructed radio communications, making broadcasting accurate information about the quake's effects difficult.August 2020 The Yellowstone County Chapter of the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, various other local and national organizations, and organizations from multiple states sent aid to the victims of the earthquake. The Red Cross also set up temporary housing in Bozeman and the Wyoming Department of Health sent 200 trailers to the Yellowstone area to be used as hospitals. Because the majority of the roads in and around the Yellowstone area were either damaged or blocked by the landslides and the quake, equipment and personnel from the United States Air Force and the U.S. Forest Service were brought in to transport the injured to nearby hospitals outside the quake zone and to perform search and rescue missions in Madison Canyon. 300 people trapped in the canyon were rescued.August 2020 Rescuers found fiveAugust 2020 to nine bodies in the earthquake zone. Residents from the town of Ennis were evacuated to Virginia City and Butte. right|thumb|Road damage from the earthquake, 1959 image Senators and Representatives Frank Moss (D-Utah), John Baldwin (R-California), Harold Johnson (D-California), Lee Metcalf (D-Montana), Leroy Anderson (D-Montana), Tom Morris (D-New Mexico) and Gracie Pfost (D-Idaho) flew over and surveyed the disaster area. The Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee requested Montana Governor J. Hugo Aronson to declare the areas hardest hit by the quake a disaster area. Wyoming Governor John J. Hickey provided help and equipment in the aftermath of the quake. The Montana National Guard was called to the quake area to prevent looting of campsites left abandoned by the quake. The Idaho National Guard were also sent to the quake area. The Montana Highway Department began clearing roads of debris and mud.August 2020 The work was slowed by aftershocks and smaller landslides. On August 19, US Highway 20 and US Highway 191 were reopened while Montana State Highway 1 remained closed. Three bridges in Duck Creek, Cougar Creek and Madison Canyon were repaired and reopened as well. Because of the threat of gasoline spilling into the Missouri River, a local pipeline company built an emergency pumping station. The Montana Power Company surveyed Hebgen Dam and found it sustained minimal damage. Hebgen Lake was completely drained for crewmen to make repairs and to rid it of dead or dying fish. Overall repairs to the Yellowstone National Park amounted to US$2.6 million (equivalent to $US 2.6 1959 2 million in US).August 2020 Fifty people including police officers, members of the Red Cross and others held a memorial service a mile north of the slide in Madison Canyon for campers presumed buried under the quake-induced landslide. The services lasted for 15 minutes. After the quake, the U.S. Forest Service built the Quake Lake visitor center on top of the landslide which was completed in 1967.Molly K. Holtz 2002 Madison River Canyon Earthquake Area Montana Historical Society December 14, 2007 http://www.visitmt.com/history/Montana_the_Magazine_of_Western_History/Spring03/earthquake.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20030619014014/http://www.visitmt.com/history/Montana_the_Magazine_of_Western_History/Spring03/earthquake.htm dead June 19, 2003 The U.S. Forest Service placed a plaque on one of the boulders that fell during the quake to honor the 19–21 people who were killed during the quake-induced landslide.August 2020 See also Montana Wyoming Earth sciences List of earthquakes in 1959 List of earthquakes in the United States List of earthquakes in Montana Yellowstone Caldera 1983 Borah Peak earthquake References ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009) http://www.isc.ac.uk/iscgem/index.php ISC 2015 International Seismological Centre Version 2.0 Stover C.W. Coffman J.L. Seismicity of the United States, 1568–1989 (Revised) U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527 https://books.google.com/books?id=bY0KAQAAIAAJ 1993 United States Government Printing Office 268 Active Faults of the World https://books.google.com/books?id=aQUgAwAAQBAJ Yeats R. 2012 Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-19085-5 125, 135 External links The Night the Mountain Fell, Peeling Back the Bark, Forest History Society. 882673 Hebgen Lake earthquake, 1959 Category:Yellowstone Caldera Hebgen Lake earthquake, 1959 Category:Natural disasters in Montana Category:Earthquakes in the United States Category:Natural disasters in Idaho Category:Natural disasters in Wyoming Hebgen Lake earthquake, 1959 Category:1959 in Montana Category:1959 in Idaho Category:1959 in Wyoming Category:1950s landslides Category:1959 natural disasters