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Johnstown Flood

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The rubble left behind by the Johnstown Flood.

The Johnstown Flood, otherwise known as the Great Flood of 1889, was a major flood that happened in a city called Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the eastern United States. It was on a river called the Little Conemaugh River. It was caused by the collapse of a dam called the South Fork Dam, 14 miles (23 km) upstream, after several days of heavy rain. The date it happened was May 31, 1889.[1] 2,209[1] people were killed by the 20 million tons of water that flooded the town. The flood also resulted in $17 million in damages.

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 1904". Library of Congress. World Digital Library. Retrieved 5 January 2014.