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| NWS State College Remembers the 100 Year Anniversary of the Austin Dam Break and Flood |
This weekend marks the 100 year anniversary of Austin, PA dam break and flood.
The summer of 1911 was much like the summer of 2011. It was a hot summer that turned very wet at the end of August and September. By months end, flooding was widespread across the northern mountains.
A new dam had just finished being constructed a half-mile above Austin in 1909 in southwest Potter County. The dam, built for the Bayless Pulp and Paper Mill, was built to supply reserve power. This concrete dam was 530 feet long, 49 feet high and at it's base, 32 feet wide.
The dam had problems from the start, actually flooding downstream in January 1910.
On September 30th, 1911 a sunny day, the reservoir was full from the recent rains and spilling over the top. 4.5 million gallons of water sat beind the walls of the dam. That afternoon a small hole developed on the western end of hte dam, and at 2:30 pm the pressure was too great, and the dam burst.
The floodwaters quickly engulfed the town of 2,000, leaving 78 citizens dead and great wreckage in its patch. This event is the second-workst flood disaster in Pennsylvania history, behind the Great Johnstown Flood of May 30, 1889.
A website commorating the this weekend is located at:
http://www.austin2011.com/
If you are ever in this beautiful part of the commonwealth, it is certainly worth a visit to this historic site.
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| Remnants of the Austin, PA Dam |
2011 Weather Features:
- October 29th (Record) Snowfall
- Williamsport Sets Annual Precipitation Record
- Flood Inundation Maps for Jersey Shore, PA begins on Wednesday, Oct. 26th
- NWS State College Remembers the 100 Year Anniversary of the Austin Dam Break and Flood
- Harrisburg Sets September and Annual Rainfall Records
- New River Forecast Points on Daily River Forecast
- Unofficial (subject to review) river crests for rain due to remnants of Lee (7 to 10 Sep 2011)
- Storm Total Rainfall Reports Sept 4-8, 2011
- Latest Aug 23rd Earthquake information.
- Historical Central PA Temperature Extremes for July 4th
- 2011 Tornado Summary (through June 14th)
- Two Tornadoes in York County on June 12th
- 2011 Central PA Tornadoes (so far)
- Tioga County Tornado of May 30th, 2011
- Huntingdon County Tornadoes of May 27th, 2011
- Tornadoes of May 26th, 2011
- Tornadoes of May 23rd, 2011
- Dauphin County Tornado of May 18th, 2011
- Tornadoes and Flooding of April 27th and 28th, 2011
- Flooding and Tornado of April 16th, 2011
- Flooding of March 10-13
- Feb 20-21 Snow Event
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