Baldwin Hills Dam disaster

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A view of the Baldwin Hills Reservoir after the flood that occurred on December 14, 1963, looking down into the 75-foot section of the north wall of the dam that cracked and ruptured. Trucks from the clean-up efforts can be seen in the empty reservoir. Photograph dated 1963On December 14, 1963 at 3:38 P.M., the dam containing the Baldwin Hills Reservoir ruptured and released a 50-foot wave of water that flooded the area between Jefferson and La Cienega Boulevards and La Brea Avenue, including the Village Green community. Nearly 300 million gallons of water gushed down the hillside for 77 minutes causing the death of five people and 10 million dollars worth of property damage. The crack in the dam was ultimately attributed to a faultline beneath the reservoir and subsidence caused by overexploitation of the Inglewood oil field.