Are you a flood survivor? Tell us about your experience. More Details INSIDE: Share your memories of the flood and read other people's experiences here.
WJAC-TV extensively covered the flood and its aftermath. Now, we take a look back. More Details INSIDE: In their own words, Channel 6 News anchor Marty Radovanic, sports director Tim Rigby and producer Lisa Cacicia recap the flood's destruction and the people who were affected.
Marking the 30th anniversary of the flood that ravaged the Johnstown area, WJAC-TV's Jim Burton talks to local children about the 1977 flood.
More Details Special Section: Looking Back: The '77 Flood INSIDE: Slideshow of Jim's visit
When the 1977 Johnstown flood struck, it had been 41 years since the last major flood. Hear from two local women who remember both the 1936 and 1977 floods vividly. More Details Special Section: Looking Back: The '77 Flood INSIDE: Video coverage
The rain never seemed to end that long night of the July 19. With almost 12 inches of rain falling. Water just poured down from the hillsides causing normally gentle streams to become raging….destructive rivers. No surrounding communities were spared from the wrath of this killer storm. More Details
For the third time in less than 100 years, downtown Johnstown was hit by another major flood. Main Street on the morning of July 20 was a sea of despair. The only way to get around safely was by boat because of the many missing manhole covers. Looters made their way thru the city, smashing and stealing their way through each downtown business. In response, Mayor Herb Pfuhl sealed off the downtown and issue an order to police that looters caught in the act were to be shot. More Details
The 1977 flood hit parts of Somerset County just as hard. A wave of water tore thru normally dry parts of Windber and Scalp Level. This is all that was left of the many homes and businesses. A two-foot deep carpet of muck and mud covered everything in the stifling July heat as people began the long progress of getting their lives back on track. More Details
The 1977 flood affected more than Johnstown. The storms dumped over 11 inches of rain and swept over an eight-county area. Robindale and Seward sit a few miles downstream along the Conemaugh River. There, the bony piles that lined the riverbanks helped save Robindale even though the entire town lay underwater. But folks in Seward weren't as lucky. With a wall of debris traveling 70 to 80 miles an hour, it made quick work of wiping out a trailer court that lined the river, leaving only death and ruin behind. More Details
The flood ripped through the neighborhoods that lined Solomon Run. Streets looked like they were bombed. Entire blocks were littered with chunks of debris that once had been homes and businesses. More Details
When the Laurel Run Dam broke during the early hours of July 20, it washed away 41 lives and a belief that history could not repeat itself. The Tanneryville section of West Taylor was by far the worst hit area since there was no time for any type of warning. Houses were torn from their foundations… leaving behind only a pile of rubble. More Details
It was a time of utter confusion with no gas or phone service and entire neighborhoods cut off from each other. It took days for most people to realize the scope of the disaster. More Details
What started out as a summer thunderstorm ended up causing problems in normally flood-free areas like the West End section of town. It was Elk Run that caused all these problems that July 20. More Details
Rolling up their sleeves and helped by an army of heavy machinery, business owners began to shovel the mud that quickly turned into a dusty mess along with the tons of waterlogged debris out of the city. As Johnstown slowly began to rise above the devastation, signs of life began to appear in many downtown businesses. But the city fought a long and hard battle to come back since the flood, showing the spirit that helped put the city on the map for the third time in its history. More Details
Just days after the flood, Johnstown was rocked by a deadly explosion at Royal Plate Glass along Washington Street. It left one person dead and eleven others injured. The explosion was so powerful that it leveled the business. A buildup of sewer gas just days after the flood went unnoticed until the afternoon of July 25, forcing police to evacuate the downtown business area for fear of more explosions that -- thankfully -- never did happen. More Details
Current Radar »
INSIDE: Share your memories of the flood and read other people's experiences here.
