U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for May 31

WASHINGTON, May 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

SATURDAY, MAY 31: JOHNSTOWN FLOOD

Profile America Saturday, May 31st. Today marks the anniversary of the one of the worst disasters to hit the U.S. -- the Johnstown Flood of 1889, in Pennsylvania. Heavy rains burst a nearby dam forming a lake for a fishing and hunting retreat. When the dam broke, it unleashed 20 million tons of water in a giant wave that roared through Johnstown, killing more than 2,300 men, women and children, and destroying the homes of thousands more. The flood remains one of the nation's most costly, single weather-related disasters. In the first seven years of this decade, floods across the U.S. killed some 278 people. Property damage is estimated at over $123 billion mostly in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments ready to air on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov/ (look under the "Newsroom" button). For further information, contact Rick Reed at +1-301-763-2812, fax at +1-301-457-3670, or e-mail at rreed(At)census.gov.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

CONTACT: Rick Reed of the U.S. Census Bureau, +1-301-763-2812

Web Site: http://www.census.gov/

2008-05-31 08:03:23 0374112 PRNEWSWIRE