The Johnstown Flood: Core Events of Deadly Disaster

by Marlee Richards, Marlee Richards

Most areas are prone to flooding now and then, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is no exception. But in May 1889, a dam burst following heavy rains, and the people of Johnstown were in the path of something shocking and tragic. Find out what happened when a gushing wall of water swept over the town and the people in it. Could anyone survive such a devastating disaster?

Genres: Nonfiction

32 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Erin Logan]

A dam constructed to contain the waters of a lake later breaches, flooding an entire town. I saw many parallels between Katrina, Harvey, and the Johnstown Flood. It was a little eerie to read, especially since this same story seems to keep happening in varying locations.

[Sarah]

Fiction Twin Text:
Sutton, S. (2013). Framer John's Tractor. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Rationale: The book Farmer John's Tractor is about a tractor who comes to the aid of towns people who tried to cross a road when the heavy rains cause a flood in their town. The details of how quickly the water rises, the movement of the water and the damage it can cause all relate back to the information that was highlighted in the nonfiction book about what happened to the town of Johnstown when a flood hit it, especially the component of how powerful water is compared to people.

Text Features: real photographs, in-picture text boxes with information, definitions of words that had been bolded, glossary, and references.

Text Structure: chronological- the book outlines the events that led up to and after the flood of 1889 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Engagement Strategy: have students compare the actions of the people in Farmer John's Tractor and The Johnstown Flood. Students could also make a list of what we do now to prevent floods compared to what used to be done.

[sucker4synth]

When a dam broke during a heavy rainstorm, the people of Johnstown were doomed. This book series has wonderful pictures and really shows you these terrible real-life events. Not for the faint of heart. Certainly a tragedy that had little consequence for the people involved in the upkeep of the dam. Warnings were ignored and lives were lost. The book points out that floods are difficult to manage to this day. It's an ongoing process. Scary to think of it that way.

[Morgan Miller]

Great non-fiction book about the flood of Johnstown. I really didn't know anything about this topic prior to reading the book, but this had a lot of information. I enjoyed how they broke it down chronologically and with chapters. I also liked how Capstone relates it to the Common Core strategies and facthound.

[Lin Lin]

Johnstown, a small Southwestern town in Pennsylvania, had the "flood of the century" in 1889. The human and environment interaction always has to strike in a balance. Too much modification of the environment by people might lead to more disasters, which seem natural, but in essence might be caused by unwise human decisions and actions.

[kate]

I thought I was ordering the work by David McCullough. This is a young adult version and informative. I'll try again.