On This Day…

Johnstown Flood…..

May 31, 1889……

More than 2,200 people are killed in Pennsylvania after several days of extremely heavy rainfall caused a dam 14 miles (23 km) upriver to fail, releasing 3.84 billion gallons (14.55 million cubic meters) of water on the town. Sixteen hundred homes were destroyed. It is estimated that 6 to 10 inches (150 to 250 mm) of rain fell in 24 hours over the region. It was the largest loss of civilian life in a U.S. disaster up to that time.