Few disasters in history could have been so easily prevented and had as much causality as the Johnstone Flood which occurred in 1889. It was an accident of which few people are aware of but which has had a significant impact on the way we view preparedness and mitigation in the field of emergency management. The town of Johnstone, located in Pennsylvania, was founded in 1800 near the Conemaugh River and in later years attracted many Welsh and German immigrants who worked for the Pennsylvanian Railroad and the Cambria Ironworks. Adjacent to the city, 15 miles up the East Conemaugh River is South Fork Lake, which was about 400 feet higher than Johnstown. Containing South Fork Lake was the 70-foot-tall South Fork Dam, built between 1838 and 1856 during a public works project. The river contributed to Johnstown's great prosperity by providing the primary means of transportation for goods and personal travel. The main industrial goods produced in Johnstone were iron and coal, and these were transported down the river. What was a small town in the early 1800s quickly became a thriving steel town with a population of over 30,000. The rivers of Johnstone, which are its lifeblood, have also been one of Johnstown's greatest adversaries; this is especially true as its population has increased. As the population grew and the city branched out, it repeatedly encroached upon adjacent rivers. Most, if not all, of the downtown residential and commercial areas were located on this floodplain. These areas were regularly flooded by melting snow and rain throughout the 19th century. The first major flood in Johnstown occurred in 1833. During this flood... middle of paper... the dam, leaving workers to use only mud and some wood to try to strengthen the weakened dam. Additionally, the fish screen installed to ensure that the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club did not lose any fish to the dam proved to be a major catalyst in the dam's eventual defeat. The dam's inability to relieve pressure due to debris in this network made what could have been avoided a certainty. As George Santayana said: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This appears to be prophetic given the events that occurred during the Johnstone flood and Hurricane Katrina. However, with adequate plans and infrastructure, adequate inspections and maintenance, and an accurate and up-to-date emergency notification system, it is very likely that we will be able to stop this deadly trend in the future..