The attached audio above is from SDPB's daily public-affairs show, In the Moment.
The 50th anniversary of the 1972 Black Hills Flood is June 9th. It’s a time to honor the 238 lives lost, and it also brings a flood of memories for survivors. Every week between now and the anniversary, In the Moment is sharing stories from those survivors, in their own words.
This week, we hear from Rob Oliver. Some listeners may recognize him as a former Sioux Falls bank executive and former president of Augustana University.
His father and stepmother, Tom and Nancy Oliver, lived just below Rapid City’s Canyon Lake in 1972. They were trying to evacuate when a flood surge swept through their neighborhood.
An SDPB documentary about the 1972 flood is in production now. Stay tuned for more information about that this spring.