The Johnstown Flood (Ep13)

EPISODE 13: THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD. On May 31, 1889, after torrential rains worse than any in recorded history, the South Fork Dam on the western side of the Allegheny Mountains broke, and 20 million tons of water poured downstream. Towns in its wake were leveled: South Fork, Mineral Point, Woodvale, East Conemaugh and, most notably, Johnstown. Prior to the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center, it was the deadliest man-made disaster in U.S. history. 2,209 people were killed. Johnstown and several neighboring towns were destroyed. This episode addresses the questions of why it happened and what happened afterward.

Timestamps for major events/discussions:

[01:17] – Introducing Johnstown

[05:10] – The origin of the South Fork Dam

[10:24] – The concept behind the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club

[17:52] – The day the dam broke

[27:06] – The bursting of the South Fork Dam

[29:31] – The destruction of the Conemaugh Viaduct

[35:26] – The flood of water hits Johnstown

[43:10] – Robert Pitcairn races toward Johnstown on the Pennsylvania Railroad

[46:42] – The day after the flood

[51:14] – Humanitarian efforts and the American Red Cross

[56:10] – Why did the South Fork Dam fail?

[1:04:17] – Places to visit

Book to read:

· The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough, Simon & Schuster, 1968

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· Visit The Johnstown Flood Museum and historic Johnstown. For more information, click here for their website.