Source: KHTS Hometown Station
Date: 03/12/2026 8:00am

Article Summary:
**March 12, 1928: St. Francis Dam Collapse Kills Over 450 in One of California’s Deadliest Disasters**
Just before midnight on March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam collapsed, unleashing a massive wall of water that tore through a 55-mile stretch of communities from San Francisquito Canyon to the Pacific Ocean, killing an estimated 450 people and destroying homes and farmland. The disaster, one of California’s deadliest, led to sweeping changes in dam safety oversight and the creation of a state division to regulate and inspect dams, while ongoing memorial efforts continue to honor the victims.

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