(What to Do) When All Hell Breaks Loose

<p>In the late 1800s, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a modest, yet thriving community, located in the western part of the state.</p> <p>14 miles away was the South Fork Hunting &amp; Fishing Club, an exclusive group whose members included Andrew Carnegie, Henry Frick, and Andrew Mellon. In 1879, the club restored an abandoned earthen dam and created Lake Conemaugh, which was used for sailing and boating, and which the members stocked with expensive game fish for sport.</p> <p>Some people in Johnstown feared the dam wasn't safe. Daniel Morrell, one of Johnstown's most prominent civic leaders even had the dam inspected, and wrote to the club pointing out major flaws that were discovered, but his concerns were ignored.</p> <p>In May, 1889, there were several days of extraordinarily heavy rains. By May 31, management at the club realized the dam was in danger of giving way, but there was little they could do.</p> <p>Warnings were sent to Johnstown that the dam might collapse, but after years of false alarms, the messages weren’t taken seriously. The water began to top the dam, and eventually, it gave way.</p> <p>The water rushed down the valley, sweeping trees, rail cars, and entire houses in its path. By the time the 20 million tons of water reached Johnstown, it was carrying even more debris.</p> <p>The mass hit the city, flattening everything in its path, until it was stopped by an immense stone bridge at the far end of the town. The stone bridge held but created a disaster of its own. It acted like another dam, causing the water to back up and flood the city. Then the entire mass of debris caught fire.</p> <p>In the end, more than 2,200 people died in the Johnstown flood. Damage estimates were a conservative $17 million dollars, which equates to more than a half-billion dollars by today’s standard. It is still regarded as the worst dam collapse in U. S. history.</p> <p>You know, life can be a lot like that dam. Sometimes, the stresses and events of our lives build up incredible pressure, and even thoug