By Kirsten Larvick
In 1972 over a dozen coal towns along Buffalo Creek, a hollow in Logan County, West Virginia, were overcome with 132 million gallons of black waste water. The devastating flood produced a 30-foot swell, ravaging homes and landscapes, killing over 100 residents, injuring over 1,000 others and leaving more than 4,000 of its 5,000-population homeless.
Mimi Pickering’s documentary, Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man (1975), explores the events leading up to the devastation as well as the aftermath, examining the relationship of the corporate coal industry and the government to the community that was both dependent upon and abused by these two entities.
The disaster was the result of breaks in three dams, which were owned, operated and maintained by Buffalo Creek-Pittston Coal Company, which initially claimed the catastrophe was “an act of God”, the flood a result of heavy rains. Further investigation revealed the dams’ poor construction and maintenance, and a lack of concern, despite significant warning signs of the dams’ fragility, by Pittston management as well as government inspectors. The burst occurred just days after a federal mine inspector declared the dam “satisfactory.”
The government appointed a commission for inquiry, made up of officials who may have been sympathetic to the coal industry, rather than a task force of nonpartisan appointments. After the United Mine Workers’ concerns fell on the deaf ears of the commission, the labor union formed its own body to conduct an independent investigation.
Most heart-breaking are the testimonials of the flood survivors captured in Pickering’s film, and the psychological effects on the individuals who were left trying to put their lives back together both financially and emotionally with very little meaningful assistance from Pittston Coal Company or the government. Pickering spent time in the community, asking survivors through a non-exploitive approach, to tell their first-person stories. She also confronted coal company front-men to explain their actions and blatantly unsympathetic responses.
Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man is a testament to organizing and community strength and the power of grassroots storytelling.
On December 3rd the NYWIFT Women’s Film Preservation Fund and UnionDocs will host a screening of Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man, followed with a panel discussion with its filmmaker, Mimi Pickering (via Skype) and fellow artist/activist Sylvia Ryerson, moderated by labor rights activist, Michelle Miller (both in-person). Tickets and UnionDocs venue details can be found here: https://uniondocs.org/event/2017-12-03-resist-reform-repeat-buffalo-creek-flood-an-act-of-man/
The film is presented as part of WFPF and UnionDocs’ 10-part series, From the Vault: Women’s Advocacy on Film, in celebration of NYWIFT’s 40th anniversary. Read more about the series.
Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man is distributed by Appalshop (https://www.appalshop.org) a nonprofit for cultural organizing and place-based media, arts and education to document the life, celebrate the culture and voice the concerns of people living in Appalachia and rural America.
Related Posts
Maria Miles Previews the 2025 New York Greek Film Expo
As former NYWIFT Board Member Maria C. Miles finishes up her first year as President of the Hellenic Film Society, we sat down with her on the eve of the New York Greek Film Expo to discuss her time with the organization and what we have to look forward to at this year’s fest. Mary is the founder of an entertainment law practice with offices in New York. Maria’s practice focuses on all areas of entertainment law, including film (narrative and documentary), music, literary publishing, and digital media. She has represented award-winning producers, directors, writers, actors, television hosts, multi-platinum recording artists, and corporations in the fashion and sports industries related to their entertainment matters. Maria is the Executive Director of the Hellenic Films Society, USA, and served as Secretary of the board of New York Women in Film & Television. She continues to serve NYWIFT as their legal counsel. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema and the School for Visual Arts, as well as an Adjunct Instructor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Amy Heller
Welcome to NYWIFT, Amy Heller! Amy is the co-founder of Milestone Films, an award-winning film restoration and distribution company dedicated to rediscovering lost and overlooked films. After fleeing academia, Amy found her passion in the independent film world and co-founded Milestone with her partner Dennis Doros in 1990. For 35 years, their mission has been to restore forgotten cinema, particularly films by and about women, people of color, Native Americans, and LGBTQ+ community members. Amy spoke to us about her journey in film distribution, the evolution of the industry over four decades, and her exciting upcoming transition as she passes Milestone to the next generation.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Courtney DeStefano
Welcome to NYWIFT, Courtney DeStefano! Courtney grew up in a small town, where she spent hours devouring old movies and pouring through every indie-film magazine she could get her hands on. She graduated with a BFA in Film & Television from NYU Tisch School of the Arts before embarking on her editing career where she worked with clients like CBS, Bravo, Showtime, BET, NatGeo, Discovery & TLC. She’s spent the last several years dividing her time between chasing after her three young sons and hiding in her home office to write. Her work has been recognized by the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, PANO Network, Hollyshorts and the PAGE Awards, among others. In our interview, Courtney discussed her small-town inspirations, how editing informs her writing and directing, and her latest short film.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Sara Newton
Welcome to NYWIFT, Sara Newton! Sara is a director and cinematographer based in New York and Los Angeles. She is the creator of the MDR Sketch Comedy Show on PBS and has recently returned from an expedition in Antarctica, where she filmed a documentary. Her digital comedy sketches, produced under brands like Made by Tom and Sara, Nightpantz, and Conservation Comedy, have collectively garnered over 5 million views. With a strong foundation in television production, Sara has coordinated hit reality shows such as Love & Hip Hop (VH1), Bridezillas (WEtv), and Nellyville (BET). Her extensive experience in physical production led her to spend six years at Gunpowder & Sky, where she managed production across various platforms and developed sizzle reels for network pitches. Additionally, she served as the cinematographer for the experimental film Dust Flow: A Meditative Experience, also produced by Gunpowder & Sky. As of 2025, Sara is Head of Content for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and is set to direct a feature film this fall. Sara shares her journey as an unconventional storyteller who is not afraid to explore new platforms and storytelling formats.
READ MORE