The 1980 Lake Peigneur Disaster (Episode 37)

On a quiet November morning in 1980, a drilling crew making an exploratory borehole in the middle of Lake Peigneur, Louisiana, ran into a problem: their drillbit got stuck at 12,000 feet down. Although they didn't know it, this would be the first sign of an industrial accident on a massive scale, one that would flood a mine, drain a lake, cause a 150-foot waterfall, set off a geyser, and a begin a natural gas explosion. This week, we invite you to grab a salty snack, make sure your safety drills are up-to-date, and join us for a deep dive (sorry) into the Lake Peigneur disaster. 

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Sources for this episode include:

“The Jefferson Island Mine Inundation: Report of Mine Innundation, Jefferson Island Mine Inundation, Diamond Crystal Salt Company, New Iberia, Iberia Parish, Louisiana” by M. W. Nichols et al, 1981

“How Can a Lake Vanish in 3 Hours?--Phenomenon Explained (The Lake Peigneur Salt Mine Disaster)”, video by L. Klein, 2020

“Lake Peigneur: The Swirling Vortex of Doom”, by A Bellows for Damn Interesting, 2005

“Lake Peigneur”

“4oth Anniversary of salt mine breach causing Louisiana’s Deepest Lake” staff reporters for KLFY