On June 9, 1972, Rapid Creek rose in a catastrophic flood that destroyed the gaging station before it could continue recording beyond 50,000 cfs, or about 19 feet. The flood crested at 12:15 a.m. on June 10, 1972, and the high water mark from that night was approximately twice the level of the current foundation for the United States Geology Survey gaging station. At this location, other major recorded floods were 2,500 cfs in 1905, 2,540 cfs in 1952, 3,300 cfs in 1962, and 3,190 cfs in 1997, making the 1972 flow about 15 times greater than the 1962 and 1997 flows, which were considered the second and third major flow events here. At a flow rate of 50,000 cfs, enough water would fill three to four Olympic size swimming pools in one minute. With the overall rainfall of 800,000 acre feet of water that occurred on June 9 in the Black Hills, Pactola Reservoir would fill 15 times, or, if that water were placed in one-foot cubes and stacked on top of one another, the distance would exceed going to the moon over 27 times.