Made Local: Lisa Olszak Zumstein

In 1980, a record-breaking thunderstorm unleashed a disastrous amount of water on the tiny town of Brady’s Bend.

In a mere forty minutes, the community was annihilated by a catastrophic flash flood. Residents ran for their lives, and nine people drowned. Although rescue and recovery soon followed, the harrowing experience left a mark on the survivors that remains decades later.

Author and Brady’s Bend native Lisa Olszak Zumstein tells this community’s story in full and reveals how this devastating storm mirrors numerous others in the Appalachian corridor.

Retiring after more than 30 years as a successful small business owner, Lisa Olszak Zumstein’s passion for local history and writing found time to bloom. Growing up with eight siblings in the tightly knit rural Appalachian community of Brady’s Bend, Pennsylvania, hard work and resilience are ingrained in Lisa's life. Drawing on her career as an interviewer, researcher, analyst, and compelling writer, she uncovers the broader significance of a 1980 catastrophic storm and flood in her hometown of Brady’s Bend. With a talent for turning complicated technical information into clear, relatable terms, she captures the emotional and long-term effects of the catastrophic flood on everyday life.