Looking Back: The 1977 Johnstown Flood - WJAC-TV (2007)
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- A documentary produced by NBC affiliate WJAC-TV in Johnstown, Pennsylvania profiling the 30th anniversary of the July 19 and 20, 1977 Johnstown Flood including interviews with survivors of the flood, rare footage from the flood, and its aftermath.
I've just uploaded the one-hour special WJAC aired on July 21, 1977, with more footage from the flood, along with eyewitness interviews and more.
ruclips.net/video/pvvwUqG6Yu0/видео.html&pp=ygUJam9obnN0b3du
I was there in 77 and although young, I remember. It was a hot and humid July night and so my dad and I slept on the porch of our home which was located in the flood plain along the Little Conemaugh River in South Fork. We were awoken by fire department loud speakers instructing us to evacuated. Unknown to us, the water was already knee high and rising in our yard. Wading through the yard, my dad, mom, infant sister and myself made it to our vehicle and drove up the street to pick up my maternal grandmother and aunt. We were going to dad's parents home which was on safe high ground above Mineral Point. We drove until stopped by police who blockaded the road and wouldn't allow us pass. Being this was the only way. My father told the officers, "I'm going through, so you can either move or get run over, but I'm going through." They moved over and let us pass, definitely a different time as I'm not sure how well this would work today, lol. It wasn't long after that our vehicles engine stalled because of the water, so all of us ended up walking to higher ground as rain poured down. Someone eventually stopped and got to our destination.
My mother's dad while trying to help others in South Fork ended up climbing a flagpole to escape the rising water finding himself in need of rescue at which some point the fire department did.
My elderly great aunt and uncle perished when their home in Tanneryville was washed away. The story according to my now deceased grandfather is their neighbor who lived further up the hill had seen the rising water and decided to walk down and bring them to safely, but by the time he got his boots on and grabbed an umbrella the house had been washed away.
There were also rumors some of the dead were actually looters who had been shot.
My grandmother was in the first Johnstown flood. She was a toddler I think. She died when she was almost 101 and could tell you about all 3 floods. Now my parents and my brother live in Johnstown. Its amazing to have a family that was part of history.
It will soon be the 40th anniversary of this flood. Such a tragedy. So many sad stories and lives lost. I lived in Richland at the time and my husband worked at A&P on Scalp Ave. We had just brought our premature twins home from the NICU at Memorial hospital several days prior to this storm. The night of the storm, my husband was working the nightshift and I was home alone with the babies. We lost our electricity and the lightening would light up the whole house. There was no use trying to sleep. My husband kept trying to phone me from the store, but the phone line was so bad I could barely hear him, despite the fact that we only lived a short distance from the store. People were coming up from the city and taking refuge in the store. We were lucky, as we only got a flooded basement. We moved away in 1986 because the city never fully recovered and it was difficult to find work.
Wow, what an intense story. I've heard so many stories of this flood over the years, both from folks in the middle of it and those living in the higher areas who ended up sheltering whole families. Heard a lot of the latter. Makes me feel good that the folks in the community helped each other out to such a degree.
My grandparents live at ingleside before the water plant in the valley and krings
My uncle was a heavy equipment operator working the clean-up after the flood. He would tell us about digging-up bodies. It really affected him.
As a nurse, who has worked both Emergency Departments and Hospice, as well as accidental death family consults, this is just so massive, so many families with so many multiple fatalities. I cannot imagine the courage and trauma of these survivors.
Weirdly enough, my first husband is a professor of meteorology, who specializes in weather studies. Because of his own trauma from this very disaster. He is from Pennsylvania, he lived through this. It still affects him. It is the etiology of his professorship studies in the effects of weather on communities. He studies this world wide academically. As a result of his response to this devastating threat to his 17 year old self in Pennsylvania as a youth.
I remember it as if it were yesterday. My family left Johnstown after this.
I was there my family had just buried my grandmother day before at the cemetery on top of mountain. I was 18 years old I was born in Johnstown my dad was from Johnstown, this is something you will never for get. my dad's name is Ralph Luke.
there too, i was 3 or 4, we lived in Richland, we rode uhround thuh next day lookin at thuh mayhem.
I was 21 at the time. Moved west in October 1979, right when the Pirates won their last World Series. My grandparents and relatives are in the same cemetary. I think Grandview?
I grew up just outside Pittsburgh, my oldest brother was with a group that went to Johnstown to help with the clean up. We moved away in Nov. of 79,
I lived on the Northside, then when to J-town the next day, night of the all star game it started raining in Pittsburgh.
Thanks for this piece. Brings back lots of memories. I went to school with the Smith boy who died. My brother was a photographer for WJAC in 1977. I knew J.D., what a great man. I do remember the house and earth shaking that night from the thunder and lightning ⛈️. Many of my classmates lived on David St in Dale, where the Smiths lived. The vacant lot that remained the following morning stayed vacant for my entire life. My friend Bob who lived a few doors away told me his story recently. A frightening evening for a bunch of 7 year old kids. I believe Mr. Pilot is the dad to a girl who was in my class, I remember having a crush on her at the time, we lived in Ferndale and I remember hearing this place repeated any time the Pilots name was mentioned, Tanneryville. I Had no idea what Tanneryville even was, but I am pretty certain Michelle’s grandparents lived there.
Lived in Ebensburg but was in Windber that night, and decided to leave early to head home. Had a heck of a time driving the streets and roads because of the flooding. Made it home on back roads, with the rain pouring and lightning so persistent and bright could have driven without headlights. Back home sat and stared out the window and could see houses, school, and football field better part of a mile away because of the lightning. Remember being shocked could see goal posts on the field in middle of the night. My grandparents in Johnstown woke with water over the bed height, and made it to the empty apartment upstairs after grandpap gouged a hole in the wall to the stairwell going there. I went there a day later and was shocked at the number of cars and amount of mud and debris at the bottom of hilly streets. Also shocked at the number of people killed by the flooding. People whose house survived sat on front porch in shock. Saw a camper that had floated down and rammed into the brick wall of a business about 20-25 feet up. Place has never recovered.
A tragic time; thank you for posting this video...
Many of these people are so resilient , blessed with a strong sense of faith.
At this time I was in the selfish years ( we all have them ) where life revolved around fun and men, and I had no knowledge of this event.
Two years later, my son born, everything changed in the world around me. Lifes dangers and uncertainties presented a threat on my child and knowledge became power to protect and prevent harm.
Peace to all the victims, hope for the survivors..
I’m 35 I had the opportunity to speak with a gentleman about the flood and I was shocked
I go to Johnstown every summer with my church and some lady told me her stuff about the flood
I just moved back to PA. I'm from Johnstown, and was here when the johnstown flood happened. We had moved back from San Francisco CA months earlier and my husband, 2 yr old daughter and I lived in an apartment over a garage next to the river across from Cochran Jr High. We moved back ironically, because there were 6 tremors one night, shaking our rental house, and I didn't want to be in an area where there were earthquakes! All of us who lived in Johnstown then, knew how the lightning and thunder was that night. Just pounding and not moving out. My dad's barbershop on Ohio St was washed away after 35 yrs and my husband's place of employment was wiped out in Tanneryville. I reside outside of Bedford now., surrounded by farms. Sitting with some neighbors, a few were farmers, they started telling how those clouds that formed that night were results of constant seeding of clouds by, I'm not sure who, but it was because of the crops not getting rainfall!!!! Does anyone know this??? That wasn't an act of God. The clouds were "over" seeded and everything went wrong!!!
Was almost 4 yrs old when this took place. My parents and other family remember it well like it was yesterday. I remember my mom telling me how I was in her arms and looked outside our window and said oh myyy with my hands on my cheeks. My dad told me how he helped stranded people also.
Please excuse my ignorance.Was this Johnstown Pa?...If so there was one in the late 1800's that killed OVER 2000 people
+Nicole Kriebel 1889, 1936, and 1977
Yes it is. The Flood of 1889 happened on May 31 killing 2209 people as the result of dam failure. Heavy rains from a strong thunderstorm caused the collapse of the poorly maintained South Fork Dam that held back Lake Conemaugh.
May 31, 1889, yes a lot of people died in that flood.
The Doyle girls are my family 💜 Cheryl is my gramma, Idonna is my aunt, and Debbie and Michelle are my grams sisters
They are all still alive and doing well today, my mom was only 1 month old at this time, and was with my great gramma in Oakhurst
This happened 45 years ago today.
Tanneryville was the hardest hit area. It lived in the shadow of the Laurel Run Dam and that casted a long shadow. Tanneryville is nestled in that narrow valley known as Pole Hollow. Tanneryville is located about 5 miles Northwest of downtown Johnstown in West Taylor Township, essentially on the western fringe of the city. The early morning of July 20, 1977, the Laurel Run Dam broke from the torrential thunderstorms that nearly stalled over the rain. It was too much for the dam to hold that copious amount of water in a short amount of time. According to eyewitnesses, the dambreached shortly after 3 AM. The wall of water that came cascading down the narrow valley sounded like a freight train and was estimated to be 17 feet high. The wall of water swept everything in its path. The destruction was surreal and incomprehensible leaving 39 people dead. The wall of water slammed into an already raging and swollen Conemaugh River. It caused a back washing effect that flooded Johnstown even more and sent a killer wave further downstream that decimated the Hoover Trailer Park in Seward killing more than a dozen people.
Johnstown and “flood free” are two words that shouldn’t mix.
I so remember that flood, I was just 7 Years Old My Parents, 4 Older Brothers, Older Sister and I were all living in Indiana County then, the basement of our house had 6 feet of water in it, My Late Dad and Oldest Brother used a sump pump to drain the water,My Parents replaced what They lost,We continued to live in the House unti July of 1986.
I remember We got that storm, lightning lit up the entire House( We had no electricity, lightning hit a transformer) and I thought it was never going to stop raining.
I survived with my grandma and grandpap in robindale with my cousin Eric and Rodney
I've seen "Slap Shot" (1976) several times, and didn't realise until right now, that there was a 1977 flood the very next year after filming. Kinda spooky that in the film, Paul Newman and Lindsay Crouse make fun of the saving of the flood victims memorial in the park, and then there's another flood the next year.
Richland high school was my father's school. Spend my summers there, and volunteer with the salvation army canteen trucks from Pittsburgh.
I went into this city just days after...I was 24. I'm 67 now. I will never forget the water marks on the downtown buildings.
My great grandfather lived on main street, he was born two years after the flood . his parents and older siblings lived there during the flood. If they had not survived this disaster i would not be alive today! lol.
So ur great grandfather would be 40 this year. I mean are u sure u put ur comment under the correct flood. Were talking about flood off 77
Your great grandfather was born in 1980? Is that even possible for him to be a great grandfather? Unless he had a kid at like 13, then that kid had one at 10 then that one at 10 when you were born. I don't think so.
@@nikkibest5010 The first flood may 1889. When the dam broke it killed over 2,000 people.almost completely wiped out main street. His parents lived on main Street during that time but somehow survived.
@@gianna5869 Oh ok. That makes much more sense. Wow, that's amazing history your family lived through.
@@nikkibest5010 it really is amazing anyone made it out alive . There was extended family that died about 15 people.
My Dad is past. I love my hubby, children. But I am a Spina Bifida patient. I want to continue here. I am the oldest of 6 children. I married my wonderful mate. Phillip was raised in the south. My mom told me if you're getting yelled at as a mother, then you're doing it correctly. My oldest is helping the east part of the state. My next born is helping folks here. I love Windber, PA. I LIVE❤❤.
my mother in law was in the hospital all our family was there we came from Rochester to find our family
I used to go camping at a beautiful campground close to Johnstown, call Yellowcreek campgrounds. It was wiped out completely. As well as a historical place called Ewings Mill. I was 7 years old when this happened. I remember going there after the waters had receded. The damage was astonishing. The sight of bridges and buildings just piled up like mounds of debris, and the water lines at heights, that seemed impossible were very hard to imagine as a small kid.
I just came across this. I grew up in Coopersdale and my father worked at the wire mill and was working 3-11 that night. He couldn’t get home get home even though we only lived. 1/2 mile away but I remember him telling us about a boy they pulled from the river and I think they took him up to Garfield School. I wonder if it was Tommy.
I feel sorry for all those hard working people, and those poor kids who lost their lives.
I lived here. Born and raised, ti post flood economy shrunk our office. I will never forget the sights, sounds and smells.
I remember it I was in town of robindale with my grandma and grandpap rudnik and my cousin Rodney and Eric
This can't be from 2007, looks ancient.
Local TV quality will do that.
@@YorkVid and the clothes 😬😅
Its from 1977
I used to wait on Marty and his wife. Super nice people
77 victims in 1977!🤔🙏. I was 17 and graduated at the time living in Pgh!
The damage from the flood is equal to that of a Category 3 hurricane. Our 2010 Flood was nothing compared to this.
My left ear loved this.
I remember it well.
I remember after the flood the water was contaminated and Pepsi distributed cans of water in their Pepsi cans. We had dozens and dozens of 6-packs of Pepsi cans with water, kind of like a collectors item. I remember when I drank the last one
jtown will never fully recover. beth'lm, and the flood ruined the city. i only hope that the next time the weather does somethin similar to the floods that it will not take any lives or more buildings and homes... im not from the area but it still makes me think can this hpn again. i live in the northern section of the county, where it wont flood (a top the mtns)
What is the song at the beginning?
Marty Gin and Tonic reporting.
🤣😂🤣😂🤣...Johnstown insider joke right there!🤣😂🤣
Was there with the salvation army canteen trucks that helped feed people, 44 years later I'm still feeding people....
And if the dam breaks open many years too soon...
3 major floods (2 broken dams), wiped out that valley!! 1889, 1936, 1977..I woulda said fairwell and left it to mother nature..
God bless those people 🙏
40 years later and the hairdo hasn't changed.
😂💯
Who lives there now?... I mean, who's waiting for the next flood?
I was thinking this too, this place has awfully bad luck when it comes to water & floods. 😳
😢
WTF not so many died in this flood it's incomparable.
Purple haze, Jimi Hendrix, were these hayseed country critters on LSD??
Almost biblical
Totally inaudible. (and yes: I DID try all the relevant settings)
If it happened before it can happen again. Why would anyone live in such a place? It’s like Moore, OK, you’re just asking for it.