St Francis Dam Disaster Presentation

A car passed by the St. Francis Dam on the way to Powerhouse 1 on March 12, 1928. The driver saw a torch light at the base of the dam, and figured the dam keeper, Tony Harnischfeger was down at the base of the dam. A little while later, a motorcycle passed by the St. …

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Image of the Week – 3/9/15

March 12, 2015 will mark the 87th anniversary of the collapse of the St Francis Dam in San Francisquito Canyon, Los Angeles County, California. The collapse occurred just before midnight on March 12, 1928. It is still California’s second largest disaster in terms of lives lost. Approximately 500 people died in the ensuing flood which flowed to the ocean near Oxnard, CA along the Santa Clara River Valley. Only the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire exceeds the number.