The document summarizes a presentation about the devastating Johnstown Flood of 1889 in Pennsylvania. It provides background on the dangerous location of Johnstown and describes how a privately owned earthen dam failed on May 31st, releasing a massive wall of water that killed over 2,200 people and destroyed much of the town. The presentation discusses the specifics of the poorly maintained dam, the immense destruction caused by the floodwaters, and lessons about future prevention through government oversight and mitigation efforts.

1. The Johnstown Flood
of 1889
PRESENTATION BY: WILLIAM CURTIS

2. Book
• Presentation
• Survivor Accounts
• Author Opinion

3. Map of Flood Route

4. History and background
• Dangerous Location
• May 31, 1889
• Seasonal Floods
• Telegraph
• The town who cried wolf

5. Specifics about Dam
• Earthen dam
• Privately owned
• Importance of
Maintenance
• Niagara Falls

6. Devastation
• Death Toll and Destruction
• “Wall of Rubbish”
• Unstoppable?
• Bathed in Fire

7. Outreach
• Early
• American Red Cross
• Specialization
• No Central Organization
• Donations

8. New Orleans
• First Thought
• Desensitization
• Failure
• Communication

9. Future Prevention
• Again and again…
• Mitigation
• Government Authority
• Project Impact

10. References
• Beale, R. D. D. (1890). Through the johnstown flood.
Edgewood Publishing Company. Retrieved from
http://www.jaha.org/edu//flood/rebuild/survivor_stories/beale.html
• Frank, W. S. (1988, May). The cause of the johnstown flood. Retrieved from
http://smoter.com/flooddam/johnstow.htm
• McCullough, D. (2007). Johnstown flood. New York, NY:
Simon and Schuster.
• Shappee, N. D. (1940). A history of johnstown and the great flood of 1889: A study of disaster
and rehabilitation. University of Pittsburgh.
• The johnstown flood and the american red cross. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.jaha.org/FloodMuseum/RedCross.html