On June 7, 1906, Johnstown experienced major flooding that reached 17 feet (5.2 m) on the Franklin street bridge.
Warmer weather began to melt the accumulated snow on the ground, and the soil became saturated.
By March 17, the Conemaugh River reached flood stage and was continuing to rise at the rate of 18 inches per hour.
On March 18, whistles and sirens began to scream, as word spread that the Quemahoning Reservoir dam had broken.
1724 enlisted and 114 officers were mobilized by Governor George H. Earle effectively placing the area under martial law.
[4] As the flood was rising people crossed the Inclined Plane Bridge and were ferried to the Westmont hilltop by the funicular inclined plane, that only stopped when the flood waters rose too high for it to continue operating.
Those temperatures were accompanied by three days of severe rains, which saturated the land and caused swift run-off into local streams and rivers upstream from Johnstown.
[7] In 1936, a statewide temporary 10% tax on alcohol was created to assist with the city's recovery from the flood.
In August, 1938 work began on the most extensive flood control channel improvement project in American history.
[10] On November 27, 1943, Colonel Gilbert Van B. Wilkes, Chief of the US Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District reported to Johnstown leaders that the flood problem had been effectively solved.