125 years and 1 day ago.
The South Fork Dam in Johnstown, Pennsylvania burst simultaneously with horrendous rainfall.
More than 2200 people were killed.
One of the worst natural disasters in American history.
And oh yes, the famous Pennsylvania Railroad was one of the victims tied to it, as well as playing a major part in the town's rebuild.
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Just drove by a dam recently where all these houses were built downstream from
it, with me thinking, "I would not do that" (an earthquake cracked the Washington
Monument). On the big island in Hawaii, houses have disappeared that were built in the obvious path (looking at a map) of the drift of earth crust plates, toward the northwest, moving volcanic venting to the southeast where lava pours into the sea, enlarging the island slowly and steadily, covering roads and destroying anything in its path. Same happened downstream from the Johnstown dam. Mother Nature has the right-of-way.
I used to live in Pittsburgh and had Johnstown as a part of my territory. I wouldn't even stay in a motel in downtown after visiting that museum. I always stayed on the top of the hill. It is beautiful country but the river valley is like a rain gutter.
Art
125 years and 1 day ago.
The South Fork Dam in Johnstown, Pennsylvania burst simultaneously with horrendous rainfall.
More than 2200 people were killed.
One of the worst natural disasters in American history.
And oh yes, the famous Pennsylvania Railroad was one of the victims tied to it, as well as playing a major part in the town's rebuild.
A terrible event but "natural disaster", I'm not sure of that. It's well documented that the members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club and previous owners were at least indirectly responsible for this due to negligence in maintenance and modification of the dam.
Just drove by a dam recently where all these houses were built downstream from
it, with me thinking, "I would not do that" (an earthquake cracked the Washington
Monument). On the big island in Hawaii, houses have disappeared that were built in the obvious path (looking at a map) of the drift of earth crust plates, toward the northwest, moving volcanic venting to the southeast where lava pours into the sea, enlarging the island slowly and steadily, covering roads and destroying anything in its path. Same happened downstream from the Johnstown dam. Mother Nature has the right-of-way.
No crustal plate boundaries in Hawaii. The island sits in the middle of the Pacific Plate.
However it has been found that practically all volcanic islands have on occasion allowed humongous chunks of themselves to go rocketing off into the ocean, the Hilina Slump being one potential one that you may be thinking of.
---PCJ
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