Historical Marker

Kelly Dam Disaster

Toccoa · Stephens County

The roadside stories worth pulling over for.

The Story

Before dawn on November 6, 1977, the aging Kelly Barnes Dam above Toccoa Falls College gave way, sending a wall of water through the campus. The flood killed 39 people and prompted sweeping new dam-safety laws.

About this site

Kelly Dam Disaster is a historical marker in Toccoa, Stephens County. It is one of 44 historical markers documented in Stephens County, among 94 historic sites cataloged across the county on Georgia Roam.

The site sits at 34.5956, -83.3603 near Toccoa. The nearest cataloged historic site is Colonel William Wofford (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Toccoa Falls College, The Old Toccoa Falls Power Plant, and The Bell.

This record is drawn from Georgia historical-marker records. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.

📍 34.5956, -83.3603 · Toccoa, Stephens County

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Nearby in Stephens County

Historical Marker

Colonel William Wofford

The Old Toccoa Falls Power Plant

Ralls Dormitory & Broom Factory

Toccoa · 2007