Flood in the Desert

Season 34Episode 660 minMai 3, 2022
Flood in the Desert

Just before midnight on March 12, 1928, about 40 miles north of Los Angeles, one of the biggest dams in the country blew apart, releasing a wall of water 20 stories high and causing the second deadliest disaster in California history. Ten thousand people lived downstream. Flood in the Desert tells the dramatic story of the St. Francis Dam disaster, which killed over 400 people and destroyed millions of dollars worth of property. The dam's collapse washed away the reputation of William Mulholland, the father of modern Los Angeles, and jeopardized more extensive plans to transform the West. A self-taught engineer, the 72-year-old Mulholland launched the city's remarkable growth by building both a cement aqueduct to pipe water 233 miles from the Owens Valley and Sierra Nevada Mountains across the Mojave Desert and the St. Francis Dam to hold a full year's supply of water for Los Angeles. Now, Mulholland was promoting a massive new project: the Hoover Dam. The collapse of the St. Francis Dam, the city's largest single reservoir, was a colossal engineering and human disaster that might have slowed the national project to tame the West. But within days, a concerted effort was underway to erase the dam's failure from popular memory. 

Flood in the Desert has aired on Mai 3, 2022 at 21:00
Previous EpisodeNext Episode

Trailer

We do not have any trailers for this episode

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
The Sandman
Running

The Sandman

A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven, The Sandman follows the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic — and human — mistakes he's made during his vast existence.

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered
Running

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered

Real-life mysteries. Investigative reporting. Justice. Dateline is the long-running, award winning newsmagazine bringing viewers stories ranging from compelling mysteries to powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Hosted by NBC News' Craig Melvin, each episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered incorporates the classic elements of drama and great storytelling: good guys, bad guys, conflict with the highest stakes, suspense and resolution. Hear the chilling tales directly from those most affected and involved, including investigators tasked with cracking the case and the families confronting tragedy. In every story we tell, we help the real people who lived the events share their journeys with you.

Poker Face
Running

Poker Face

Poker Face is a "mystery-of-the-week" series following Natasha Lyonne's Charlie Cale, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can't help but solve.

Homestead: The Series
Running

Homestead: The Series

A continuation of the movie Homestead... Amid chaos, ex-Green Beret joins prepper compound; love grows, truths arise, and a community unites.

Ted Lasso
Running

Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso centers on an idealistic — and clueless — all-American football coach hired to manage an English football club — despite having no soccer coaching experience at all.