11:37 p.m., August 17th, 1959

The Hebgen Lake Earthquake of 1959 struck on a moonlit August night in western Montana, not far from the border of Yellowstone National Park. It had a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale, making it one of the most powerful earthquakes in U.S. history.

Rock Creek Campground, located in the Madison Canyon not far from West Yellowstone, experienced the most devastating and tragic impact of the quake. Moments after the seismic event, a massive dolomite buttress broke from the south side of the canyon, triggering a landslide of more than eighty million tons of rock. The landslide rocketed down one side of the canyon and up the other in less than one minute with two immediate and devastating effects:

1. The movement of rock generated a powerful wind that swept through the valley like a tornado, throwing down trees, flipping cars, and sending people flying upriver.
2. The huge rock slide not only dammed the Madison River, it pushed a wall of water upstream like a tsunami.

Campers were injured by flying debris, downed trees, and thrown boulders, then hit with the water that seemed to come out of nowwhere. Some were pinned under boulders and trees as the water rose. Others — stripped of their clothing by the wind — searched desperately for their loved ones. Tragically, sixteen people who were camping at the campground were killed as a result of the earthquake and ensuing disaster.

The massive quake destroyed the roads into and out of the canyon, making any effort to rescue the injured and stranded campers all but impossible.

Most people have never heard of this tragedy that happened over 65 years ago. Join me as I share the real story of the earthquake and the rescue of survivors here:

I’m so pleased to share with you the cover of my upcoming novel, The Fault Between Us. Isn’t it gorgeous? Stay tuned for pre-order information and a firm release date!