On May 30th, 1899, a storm hit Pennsylvania, dropping a record 6-10 inches of rain on the area. The rain turned small streams into raging rivers and poured into Lake Conemaugh, which had been a reservoir and was turned into a private lake resort. On the morning of May 31st, Elias Unger, the President of South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, woke to realize that the dam holding the water in place was in danger of collapse. He and others tried their best to relieve the pressure that the swollen rain was causing, as water started cascading over the top of the dam. They telegraphed Johnstown, which was downriver from the dam, but their warning was not heeded since there had been many false warnings in the past.

At 3:10 PM, the dam gave way, and within 40 minutes, the lake had drained completely. A tower of water headed down the valley bisected by the Little Conemaugh River. The first town to be hit was South Fork. The city was mostly on high ground, and the people had seen the dam break and rushed to higher ground, resulting in only four deaths. For a short period, the wall of water was stopped by the Conemaugh Viaduct, a large railroad bridge. The bridge gave way, but it had created even greater hydraulic pressure. The next town was Mineral Point, which was destroyed, and 16 people were killed. Next was East Conemaugh, where 50 people were killed, including 25 who were on stranded trains. Next was the town of Woodvale, where the Cambria Iron Works was located. It swept into town and took all before it, killing 314 people. Forty minutes after the dam gave way, a 60-foot wall of water traveling at 40 miles per hour hit the town of Johnstown. The residents were caught totally by surprise. Debris built up along the Stone Bridge in the center of the town, which soon caught fire, killing 30 people. In total, 2,209 people were killed in Johnstown. 1,600 homes were destroyed, and four square miles of the downtown were devastated.

The relief effort in Johnstown became a major national endeavor. Over 7,000 people poured into Johnstown to aid the survivors and bury the dead. Among those who came was Clara Barton, who had founded the American Red Cross. She stayed in the city for seven months, helping.

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