Listen "The Johnstown Flood"
Episode Synopsis
In episode 16 of 5 Minute Biographies, we take a look at the Johnstown Flood of 1889, which was one of the deadliest disasters in American history, claiming over 2,200 lives. It occurred when the South Fork Dam in Pennsylvania collapsed after days of heavy rain, unleashing 20 million tons of water onto the town of Johnstown. The flood destroyed homes, swept away entire neighbourhoods, and caused fires, leaving the community in ruins. Despite relief efforts led by the Red Cross, the tragedy exposed negligence by the wealthy owners of the dam, sparking outrage and highlighting the stark inequalities of the Gilded Age. Please consider supporting the show by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts, and if you would like to support us more directly, by say, buying us a coffee, then please head on over to 5minutedisasters.com/coffee to see how. An article supporting this episode can be found on the website at https://5minutedisasters.com/the-johnstown-flood/ Check out our other 5 Minute podcasts - 5 Minute Biographies, 5 Minute History, 5 Minute Murder, 5 Minute Mysteries, and 5 Minute Warfare at: 5minutebiographies.com 5minutehistory.com 5minutemurder.com 5minutemysteries.com 5minutewarfare.com
More episodes of the podcast Compact Disasters
The Icelandic Volcano that Grounded Europe
03/01/2026
The Vasa Shipwreck
27/12/2025
The Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
20/12/2025
The Huascarán Debris Avalanche
13/12/2025
The Tangiwai Rail Disaster
06/12/2025
The Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004
29/11/2025
The Sinking of the General Slocum
22/11/2025
The Great Lisbon Earthquake
15/11/2025
The 1947 Texas City Disaster
08/11/2025
The 2010 Haiti Earthquake
01/11/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.