American Experience - Season 4 - Eps 5: The Johnstown Flood
By an abandoned earthen dam, at a mountain resort 14 miles up the valley, the leaders of industry and their families created an exclusive summer retreat. But the structure of the dam was fatally flawed. On May 31, 1889, after steady spring rains, it broke without warning, and this small city in Pennsylvania was swept away in a wall of water over 30 feet high. More than two thousand people lost their lives; thousands were left homeless.
About American Experience

Title: American Experience
First Air Date: 1988-10-04
Last Air Date: 2025-02-25
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 7.5/10 (from 32 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 38
Total Episodes: 396
Network: PBS
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: GBH
Synopsis
TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.