Rain dumps into swollen lakes and rivers. Waves surge as water levels spike. Extra water has nowhere to go. Rapids pound against a dam. Its packed sand, clay, and dirt become soggy and loose. Patched cracks spring leaks. The South Fork Dam is in trouble.

Finally, the dam crumbles.

Fifty-seven minutes later, rushing water ravages Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 14 miles downstream. The current that slams into the city is as powerful as the Mississippi River.

The South Fork Dam was built between 1838 and 1853 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The dam was later sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad. It changed hands again in a sale to private investors. They thought the dam’s location was a prime spot for a private resort. The property became South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. As its owners changed, so did the dam. It was widened so a road could be built across it. Leaks were mended with mud and straw. Necessary pipes and valves were not maintained. The changes made the dam unsafe. It couldn’t withstand the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the area. On May 31, 1889, the dam failed, causing the famous Johnstown Flood.

Over 2,000 people died in that deluge. Even more lost their homes. The dam’s owners were never held legally responsible for the damage.

The failure of the South Fork Dam was catastrophic. How could it have been avoided? People still disagree about that. What we do know is that before it failed, the dam had frequent leaks. Its repairs were not well-engineered. An added fish screen clogged the spillway. Pipes that could have relieved water pressure were removed. There were warning signs. But no one heeded them. And when the dam failed, the community of Johnstown was broken into pieces.

A few years before the flood, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. She was a nurse who wanted to help people in distress. Miss Barton quickly joined the disaster relief efforts at Johnstown. She stayed for months helping provide shelter, food, and medical care to people hurt by the disaster.

Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. — Proverbs 8:33