Super Short Summary

Everything in Its Path by Kai T. Erikson documents the devastating aftermath of the Buffalo Creek flood disaster in Logan County, West Virginia, on February 26, 1972, when a coal slurry impoundment dam burst, killing 125 people and leaving 4,000 homeless. The book explores the resulting community trauma, the loss of communal bonds, and examines the failed investigations and inadequate responses by the coal company and government officials. The book includes descriptions of death and trauma.