A Broken Dam Leads to a 60 Foot Water Wall that Pummeled a Town: The Johnstown Flood | E104

Join us on a journey through one of history's most harrowing natural disasters in this episode of The Crux, led by our host Julie Henningson. Picture yourself amidst the ordinary rhythms of life, navigating through your day on a rainy afternoon, when suddenly, a cataclysmic force interrupts the tranquility. In 1889, in the heart of Pennsylvania, the South Fork Dam burst, and what followed was a monstrous wall of water, holding within it 3.8 billion gallons, surged forth with terrifying speed for the towns below. But this was not just water; it was a relentless force of nature, carrying along with it a deadly payload of buildings, livestock, and debris. Its origins traced back to the Cambria Ironworks, where it amassed a deadly arsenal of barbed wire and railroad cars before hurtling towards unsuspecting communities. At 40 miles per hour, there was no escape from its wrath. Residents were thrust into a nightmare scenario, facing the impossible task of outrunning a deluge of biblical proportions. The sheer force of the flood tore through the landscape, ripping the very topsoil from the earth as it swept everything in its path with the unstoppable ferocity only moving water can possess. In today's episode, we delve into the chilling details of the Great Johnstown Flood, a calamity etched into the annals of history as a stark reminder of nature's awesome power and humanity's vulnerability in the face of its fury. Tune in as we uncover the tragic events and explore the profound impact this disaster had on the lives of those caught in its merciless grip.