Here's where the Johnstown Flood started. This used to be South Fork Dam, built to create a man-made lake for the magnates of Pennsylvania behind it. The dam was made of dirt, which probably didn't help matters when conditions became extreme.
It was quite nice until the dam gave way in 1889, sending water down toward Johnstown about 13 miles away. You can see the gap in the dirt where the water escaped to lower ground. The amount of water was equal to what passes over Niagara Falls in 35 minutes, so you can imagine how much destruction it caused.
If you read David McCullough's book on the Johnstown Flood, you'll want to see for yourself what it looks like.
Here's a little history lesson about it:
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