Faces of the Flood: Mother lost husband, two young sons
A few of their toys remained, stuck in the thick mud left behind by raging floodwaters. But Beverly Platt’s two young boys were gone, as was her husband and most of her home – all swept away in a deluge that left the family no chance to escape from their Dale Borough home. ....more>>
Ed Cernic Sr. had been warned that he should not expect much time with President Jimmy Carter. But in the aftermath of the 1977 Johnstown Flood, the West Taylor Township resident traveled to Washington, D.C., with hopes of landing federal aid for local businesses. He got the answer he was looking for.
What started as a relaxing evening for a Hornerstown family watching a ballgame ended with them fleeing their home as it was surrounded by swift-moving flood waters.
Jim Kist wasn't caught in raging waters during Johnstown's 1977 flood, and he didn't handle any harrowing rescues. But his story is a light-hearted snapshot of the dedication of local residents who pitched in - whether they were asked to do so or not. It started with a broken muffler.
When the fire call came in, Edward Zablotney, a pharmacist by day, climbed into the engine and headed out with other Windber firefighters to a vacant home struck by lightning.
In the early morning darkness of July 20, 1977, Ray McCombie and the rest of his ambulance crew turned onto Route 56 and headed toward Johnstown. They were well aware that heavy rain had been pouring down for most of the night. But they were not yet aware that Johnstown had been hit by a major flood that would claim 85 lives and ravage communities across the region.
Edna Mae Cook prayed while her two youngest children sang hymns. In another bedroom at the family's South Fork home, Wayne Cook could only watch as rushing floodwaters and tumbling debris pummeled his home.
In the days and weeks after the 1977 flood, Bruce Becker saw Mount Calvary Lutheran Church transformed into what some churchgoers would call "the hands and feet of Jesus" - a hub for hard-working disaster assistance.