“Never been so terrified in my life” – Interview with a survivor of the 1977 Porter Tunnel Disaster

An account from the 1977 Porter Tunnel Disaster offers a chilling first-person perspective on a deadly wall of water rushing through a Pennsylvania mine. Discover how these miners fought for survival and faced unimaginable terror deep underground. Read the full story.

Photograph of a mineworker during the Porter Tunnel disaster rescue efforts | March 1977

Discover the story behind a poignant 1977 photograph capturing an exhausted miner during rescue efforts at the Porter Tunnel disaster near Tower City. An unforgettable chapter Schuylkill County history. Read the full story.

Remembering the local emergency response to the Porter Tunnel Disaster | March 1977

On March 1, 1977, water poured into the Porter Tunnel mine in western Schuylkill County. Emergency crews raced to the scene.