About the Book Author:

Neil Coleman served as a Senior Staff Scientist for two federal advisory committees, the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste and the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. He retired in 2010 from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Rockville, Maryland, where he worked on licensing issues for the Yucca Mountain project, uranium mining, new reactor designs, and flood protection of nuclear reactors. A Navy veteran, he served on the carrier USS Constellation, later earning the M.S. degree in Geology from the University of South Florida. Mr. Coleman is a Professional Geologist in Pennsylvania and an emeritus member of the National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists. He currently teaches geophysics at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He has numerous peer-reviewed publications, including lead authorship (with Victor Baker) of a chapter in the 2009 book "Megaflooding on Earth and Mars." His continuing interests include the safety of the nation's dams, geophysics, the geology and paleo-hydrology of Mars, and research with colleagues on the watershed of the Little Conemaugh River.

About the Co-Author of the chapter, "The Forgotten Dam"

Stephanie Wojno is a recent graduate of Northern Missouri State University, where she earned a M.S. in Geographic Information Science (GIS). She also earned the B.S. degree in Geology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Her expertise includes cartography, GIS and LiDAR analysis for both Government and educational clients and partners.

Major revision to the history of the Johnstown flood

Shows how a catastrophic event from the late 1800's can be reconstructed and analyzed using modern scientific methods

Critically reviews a state-of-the-art engineering investigation report from 1891 that had exonerated the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club

Describes in simple terms how we study and predict floods, revealing "secrets" of hydrology and the behavior of rivers that can at times almost appear to be living things

Foreword.- Journey into the Past - Introduction.- Dams and Society: Treasures and Troubles - Safety of earthen dams.- Genealogy of the South Fork Dam.- Changes wrought by the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club.- Gathering of Waters - How we study rivers in flood.- Storm Clouds - Dawn of the 1889 flood.- Day of the Dam Breach - Eyewitness account of engineer John Parke.- Aftermath.- Investigation by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).- Post Mortem - Science reveals the true cause.- Autopsy - Probing the ASCE Investigation.- J. Wesley Powell - "The Lesson of Conemaugh".- Conclusions.- Acknowledgements.- Technical Appendix.