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11744667

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European%20Flood%20Awareness%20System

European Flood Awareness System

The European Flood Awareness System is a European Commission initiative to increase preparedness for riverine floods across Europe. The disastrous floods in Elbe and Danube rivers in 2002 confronted the European Commission with non-coherent flood warning information from different sources and of variable quality, complicating planning and organization of aid. In response to this event, the European Commission initiated the development of a European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) to increase the preparedness for floods in Europe. Following a Communication of the Commission in 2002 on the Elbe and Danube floods in 2002, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission was assigned with the task to develop EFAS. Its development has been financially supported by DG GROW, DG ECHO, the European Parliament as well as Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia through detachment of national experts. The aim of EFAS is to gain time for preparedness measures before major flood events strike particularly for trans-national river basins both in the Member States as well as on European level. This is achieved by providing complementary, added value information to the National hydrological services and by keeping the European Response and Coordination Centre informed about ongoing floods and about the possibility of upcoming floods across Europe. From 2005 to 2010 EFAS was tested in real-time mode, first with the National hydrological services and later also with the European Civil Protection. In 2011 EFAS became part of the Emergency Management Service of the COPERNICUS Initial Operations and in support to European Civil Protection. The operational components have been outsourced to Member State organisations. EFAS is running fully operational since autumn 2012. The operational EFAS The European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) is the first operational European system monitoring and forecasting floods across Europe. It provides probabilistic, flood early warning information up to 10 days in advance to its partners – the National Hydrological Services and the European Response and Coordination Centre (ERCC). The operational components of EFAS have been outsourced to different centres: EFAS hydrological data collection centre, outsourced to a Spanish consortium (Rediam and Soologic). EFAS meteorological data collection centre, outsourced to KISTERS AG and Deutscher Wetterdienst EFAS computational centre, outsourced to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts EFAS dissemination centre, outsourced to a consortium of hydro-meteorological services from Sweden, the Netherlands and Slovakia. EFAS is running fully operational since October 2012 as a 7/365 service. The Central European flood event of June 2013 was the first big scale crisis during which the operational EFAS was actively reporting to the ERCC. History Over the last decades severe fluvial floods of trans-national dimensions have taken place in Europe. There is evidence that in particular transboundary floods can be more severe in their magnitude, affect larger areas, result in higher death tolls, and cause more financial damage than non-shared river floods do. The European Environmental Agency estimated that floods in Europe between 1998 and 2002 caused about 700 deaths, the displacement of about half a million people and at least 25 billion Euros in insured economic losses (EEA, 2003). Some river basins suffered repeated flooding within a time span of a few years only – for example the Rhine and Meuse floods in 1993 and 1995 or the Po floods in 1994 and 2000. The disastrous floods in the Elbe and Danube basin in summer 2002 acted as a wake-up call for the National Authorities as well as the European Commission to investigate new strategies for flood prevention and protection, with focus on co-ordinated actions among countries sharing the same river basin. Shortly after the 2002 floods, the European Commission announced in the communication COM(2002)-481 the development of a European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) (http://www.efas.eu). Since then, Europe has been hit by several major flood disasters such as the Elbe and Danube floods in 2006 and the Central European floods in 2010 affecting mostly Poland but also the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia. EFAS is part of a strategy for improved disaster management in Europe to reduce the impact of transnational floods through early warning. First of all, the aim of the system is to provide, useful, complementary and shared information on upcoming flood events to the national hydrological services. Furthermore, EFAS provides a unique and coherent overview on ongoing and forecast floods across Europe, which is needed for improved coordination of international civil protection actions on European scale during severe flood events. EFAS development steps 1999-2003: Research study,. While EFFS was ongoing, Elbe and Danube were struck by widespread and devastating flooding in 2002. Since the hydrological model was set up for EFFS on European scale and the Deutscher Wetterdienst agreed to provide real-time weather forecasting data to the JRC during the event, the EFFS experimental set-up could be used to simulate the ongoing floods and how the flood waves could be expected to travel down the Danube river. 2003: Following the encouraging results of the ad hoc real-time test in 2002, the European Commission launched the development of a fully functioning European Flood Alert System (EFAS). The development was financially supported by the European Commission and the European Parliament. Furthermore, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia detached experts to assist the JRC with the building of such a system. The Deutscher Wetterdienst agreed to continue providing the JRC with historic and real time weather forecasts for setting up and testing of EFAS. 2004: Weather prediction more than a few days in advance is associated with a lot of uncertainty and in particular for rainfalls. In order to capture the possibility for extreme events correctly, ensemble prediction systems have been designed and multi-model approaches are desirable. Follow discussion (and contribute to the topic) on HEPEX. Therefore, in 2004 a collaboration agreement with ECMWF was signed, allowing the JRC to incorporate also ECMWF ensemble prediction data and its higher resolution deterministic forecast into EFAS in real-time. Technically, in 2004 only the deterministic forecast could be incorporated and the EPS only later in 2005. 2004: EFAS is adopted in the Danube Flood Action Plan. A dedicated EFAS-Danube is being established. 2005: An emerging European system for forecasting floods was viewed critically by the Member States as conflicting information to civil protection from different sources could lead to confusion and thus be counter-productive. Therefore, an EFAS partner network was established with clear dissemination and access rules. EFAS real time information was only to be distributed to partners having agreed to receive the data for testing purposes. EFAS real time information is not to be distributed to the public. EFAS partners were receiving annual training on the products and the system to understand the EFAS concepts, its strengths and weaknesses and were given the opportunity to discuss modifications to the development, visualisation, dissemination etc. During the 2005 Danube Alpine floods, EFAS distributed the first EFAS information reports to the EFAS partners. Since the EFAS network was still patchy, individual reports needed to be drafted for each partner on a daily basis, updates provided etc. EFAS becomes a Hydrological Ensemble Prediction Experiment (HEPEX) testbed. 2007: Following requests from the partners, a dedicated EFAS web-interface was developed which allowed partners to access the data. By 2007 the EFAS partner network covered the majority of the trans-national rivers in continental Europe. Partners have access to EFAS through a dedicated username and password and could browse through the different information layers. Access to EFAS through the interface accelerated the development since more suggestions were put forward by the partner network. 2009: EFAS methodologies, set-up documented as well as first skill scores published. Furthermore, the 16 members of COSMO-LEPS have been integrated in EFAS as a dynamic downscaling of the ECMWF EPS during the first 5 days of leadtime. 2009-2012: During this time the JRC participated in an FP7 project called IMPRINTS on the development of an early warning indicator for flash floods. The results during IMPRINTS were reported regularly to the EFAS partners and eventually adopted for testing by the partner network. Since 2012, the flash flood layers are part of the EFAS as separate layers. 2010: The EFAS interface was made also available to the European Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) which has become in 2013 the European Response and Coordination Centre (ERCC). Therefore, during the Central European Floods affecting mostly Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, the MIC/ERCC was – for the first time – informed ahead in time of the possibility of major upcoming floods in several countries. When Poland activated the European Civil Protection mechanism, the MIC was prepared and could react without delay. The teams onsite could follow online the flood situation with an outlook for the coming days also for the neighbouring countries on one interface displaying comparable information, harmonised colour codes, English language, etc. This was a major step forward for the MIC/ERCC. 2011: EFAS was inserted into the Emergency Management Service of the EFAS is co-financed between DG GROW/COPERNICUS and DG ECHO. 2012: The operational centres start setting up the services. The transfer from the pre-operational system to operations was in October 2012. 2013: First stress test for the operational centres was in June 2013 with the Central European floods. The service worked smoothly throughout the period. EFAS partners and network The EFAS network consists of National Hydrological services and associated partners. Associated partners can be Civil Protection authorities which are associated to their National or Regional Hydrological Service. International Commission for the Protection of the River Danube (ICPDR). EFAS has been adopted as part of the Danube Flood Action Plan and had developed a stand-alone EFAS-Danube system. However, with the development of the EFAS information system, a dedicated EFAS Danube system became obsolete and has been fully integrated in the operational EFAS-IS. EFAS experts report regularly to ICPDR. EFAS concepts and tools Ensemble Prediction Systems – key to longer flood warning times Most hydrological services rely either on observations only or on short-term deterministic rainfall forecasts of up to two days or less because the high degree of uncertainty in weather forecasts at longer lead times. Since these uncertainties are also unpredictable, they render the results unreliable and therefore not useful for decision making. Since the last 10 years, however, the hydrological community is looking increasingly at the use of ensemble prediction systems (EPS) instead of single (deterministic) forecasts for flood warning times beyond 48 hours. EPS have already become an integral part of operational weather forecasts over the past years. They are designed to give a measure of the predictability of the weather and uncertainty in the model solution for lead times up to two weeks which would be considered well outside the range of predictability for deterministic models. The trend for implementing hydrological ensemble prediction systems in operational flood forecasting centres can clearly be seen in Europe,. EFAS uses multiple weather forecasts and EPS as input. Its forecasts are based on two deterministic, medium-range forecasts from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the German Weather Service (DWD), (and thus different models) and on two sets of EPS: One from ECMWF which covers the medium-range up to 15 days globally (with a spatial resolution of ~30 km and 51 members, and one from the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO), a limited area model EPS covering most of Europe with a shorter range up to 5 days (with a spatial resolution of 7 km and 16 members). The reason for using the shorter term EPS is to enhance the spread of EPS within the first few days and to have a finer grid information in particular for mountainous areas. This allows to better identify the location of the floods within the river basin. In a case study it has been demonstrated that using the eight global medium-range EPS available worldwide can provide a higher reliability for the results, but is computationally intensive. LISFLOOD – the hydrological model for EFAS The hydrological model used for EFAS is LISFLOOD. The model is a hybrid between a conceptual and a physical rainfall-runoff model combined with a routing module in the river channel. LISFLOOD has been specifically designed for large river catchments. A particular feature of LISFLOOD is its strong use of advanced Geographical Information System (GIS), in particular as a dynamic modelling framework. Reducing false alarms – threshold exceedance and persistence EFAS is providing information to the national hydrological services only when there is a danger that critical flood levels might be exceeded. In EFAS, the critical thresholds are needed at every grid point and therefore cannot be derived from observations. Instead, based on observed meteorological data, long-term discharge time series are calculated at each grid with the same LISFLOOD model parameterisation that is set up in the forecasting system. From these long-term simulations return periods are estimated – currently the 1-, 2-, 5- and 20-year return periods. All flood forecasts are compared against these thresholds – at every pixel – and the threshold exceedance calculated. Only when critical thresholds are exceeded persistently over several forecasts, information at these locations is produced, e.g. in the form of colour-coded overview maps or time series information at control points. The persistence criteria have been introduced to reduce the number of false alarms and focus on large fluvial floods caused mainly by widespread severe precipitation, combined rainfall with snow-melting or prolonged rainfalls of medium intensity. Verification Forecast verification is important to understand the strength and weaknesses of the system and to build confidence in its results. For EFAS two types of verifications are applied. The first one is event-based – for each flood alert the hit, false alarm and misses are assessed. If a flood alert has been sent but no flooding was observed, a false alarm is counted. If somewhere in the basin flooding has been report, a hit it counted. If flooding has been reported for which an alert was not sent (even if the system itself simulated an event), a missed event is counted. The events are assessed through feedback reports and media throughout the year and reported during the EFAS annual meeting. In addition to the event-based verification, also skill scores are computed including Brier Skill Score, Root Mean Square Error, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient, continuous rank probability score, etc. These are reported regularly in the EFAS bulletins and in publications. Skill analysis has been reported for example at the European Geosciences Union More on skill scores can be found on HEPEX. The specific verification tool box for hydrological ensemble prediction has also been tested for EFAS. Links to other projects and initiatives Hydrological Ensemble Prediction Experiment (HEPEX) HEPEX was founded in 2004 with NOAA and ECMWF as co-chairs. It is an international research initiative with the aim to "demonstrate the added value of hydrological ensemble predictions (HEPS) for emergency management and water resources sectors to make decisions that have important consequences for economy, public health and safety." HEPEX is organised around six major themes, i) Input and pre-processing, ii) Ensemble techniques and process modelling, iii) Data assimilation, iv) Post-processing, v) Verification and vi) Communication and use in decision making. More information on HEPEX and the possibility to participate in discussions can be found on the HEPEX website. HEPEX is holding webinars which can be followed online with the possibility to ask question and participate in the discussion. HEPEXwebinars are transferred for online viewing on YouTube. Global Flood Awareness System Using similar concepts developed for the continental EFAS, a Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) is being developed in collaboration between ECMWF, the JRC and other contributing research organisations. GloFAS has become fully operational as part of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service in April 2018. GloFAS is part of the Global Flood Working Group. Research Projects EFAS has benefitted from the following research projects European Flood Forecasting System (FP6 project) FloodSite EuroRisk/Preview Safer IMPRINTS KultuRisk Relevant EU policies Regulation (EU) No 911/2010 n the European Earth monitoring programme (GMES) and its initial operations (2011 to 2013) A Union Civil Protection Mechanism COM(2002)481 THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THE FLOODING IN AUSTRIA, GERMANY AND SEVERAL APPLICANT COUNTRIES COM (2013) 216 Strategy for adaptation to climate change Publications on EFAS EFAS publishes bi-monthly bulletins with information on the hydro-meteorological situation of Europe, specific events and skill scores on the EFAS system. Raynaud, D., Thielen, J., Salamon, P., Burek, P., Anquetin, S. and Alfieri, L. (2014), A dynamic runoff co-efficient to improve flash flood early warning in Europe: evaluation on the 2013 central European floods in Germany. Meteorological Applications doi: 10.1002/met.1469 Alfieri, L., Pappenberger, F., Wetterhall, F., Haiden, T., Richardson, D. and Salamon, P. (2014) Evaluation of ensemble streamflow predictions in Europe, Journal of Hydrology, 517, 913–922, doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.06.035, 2014. F. Pappenberger, Stephens E., Thielen, J., Salamon, P., Demeritt, D., van Andel, S.J., Wetterhall, F., Alfieri, L.,(2013) Visualising probabilistic flood forecast information: expert preferences and perceptions of best practice in uncertainty communication, Hydrological Processes, Special Issue, Hydrological Ensemble Prediction Systems (HEPS), Volume 27, Issue 1, pages 132–146, Burek P, Thielen Del Pozo J, Thiemig V, De Roo A. Das Europäische Hochwasser-Frühwarnsystem (EFAS). Korrespondenz Wasserwirtschaft 4/11; 2011. Pappenberger F, Thielen Del Pozo J, Del Medico M. The impact of weather forecast improvements on large scale hydrology: analysing a decade of forecasts of the European Flood Alert System. HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES 25 (7); 2011. p. 1091–1113. JRC55592 Pappenberger F, Thielen Del Pozo J, Del Medico M. The impact of weather forecast improvements on large scale hydrology: analysing a decade of forecasts of the European Flood Alert System. HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES 25 (7); 2011. p. 1091–1113. JRC55592 Thielen J., Bartholmes J., Ramos M.-H, de Roo A. (2009) The European Flood Alert System – Part 1: Concept and development, Hydro. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 125-140 J. C. Bartholmes, J. Thielen, M. H. Ramos, and S. Gentilini (2009) The European Flood Alert System EFAS – Part 2: Statistical skill assessment of probabilistic and deterministic operational forecasts, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 141–153 M.-H. Ramos, J. Thielen and A. de Roo (2009) Prévision hydrologique d'ensemble et alerte avec le système européen d'alerte aux crues (EFAS) : cas des crues du bassin du Danube en août 2005, TRAITÉ D’HYDRAULIQUE ENVIRONNEMENTALE ; de la goutte de pluie jusqu’à la mer, Ed. (J.-M. Tanguy), HERMES, Vol. 7., HERMES, Lavoisier, Cloke H., Thielen J., Pappenberger F., Nobert S., Balint G., Edlund C., Koistinen A., de Saint-Aubin C., Sprokkereef E., Viel C., Salamon P., and Buizza R. (2009) Progress in the implementation of Hydrological Ensemble Prediction Systems (HEPS) in Europe for operational flood forecasting ; ECMWF Newsletter, Autumn 2009, 121, 20-24 R. Buizza, F. Pappenberger, P. Salamon, J. Thielen and A. de Roo (2009). EPS/EFAS probabilistic flood prediction for Northern Italy: the case of 30 April 2009 ECMWF Newsletter No. 120 – Summer 2009, p 10-16 Pappenberger F, Bartholmes J, Thielen J, CLOKE HL, Buizza R, de Roo A (2008) New dimensions in early flood warning across the globe using grand-ensemble weather predictions. Geophysical Research Letters. 35, L10404, doi:10.1029/2008GL033837 Younis J., M.-H. Ramos and J. Thielen (2008) EFAS forecasts for the March–April 2006 flood in the Czech part of the Elbe River Basin – a case study, Atmos. Sci. Let. 9:88-94 Bartholmes, J., Thielen J., and Kalas M. (2008) "Forecasting medium-range flood hazard on European scale", Georisk Vol.2, No.4, December 2008, 0-00 Kalas, M., Ramos, M.-H., Thielen, J., Babiakova, G. (2008) Evaluation of the medium-range European flood forecasts for the March–April 2006 flood in the Morava River, J. Hydrol. Hydromech J. Hydrol. Hydromech, 56, 2008, 2, Ramos, M.-H., Bartholmes, J., Thielen-del Pozo, J. (2007) Development of decision support products based on ensemble forecasts in the European flood alert system, Atmospheric Science Letters 8 (4), pp. 113–119 Demeritt, D., Cloke, H., Pappenberger, F., Thielen, J., Bartholmes, J., Ramos, M.-H. (2007) Ensemble predictions and perceptions of risk, uncertainty, and error in flood forecasting, Environmental Hazards 7 (2), pp. 115–127 Gouweleeuw B.T., Thielen, J., Franchello G., de Roo APJ., Buizza R. (2005) Flood forecasting using medium-range probabilistic weather prediction, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 9(4), 365-380 References External links (password protected) Global Flood Awareness System European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts German Weather Service; Deutscher Wetterdienst Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) European Union and science and technology European Commission projects Emergency management in Europe Flood control in Europe

11783775

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floods%20of%20Tears

Floods of Tears

"Floods of Tears"/ is the debut single by L'Arc-en-Ciel, released on November 25, 1992. It was a limited release and only 1,000 copies were produced. Track listing Personnel hyde – vocals ken – guitar tetsu – bass, backing vocals PERO – drums Kenji Shimizu – keyboards External links Official website L'Arc-en-Ciel at Danger Crue Records 1992 debut singles Japanese-language songs L'Arc-en-Ciel songs Torch songs Songs written by Tetsuya (musician) Songs written by Hyde (musician) Songs written by Ken (musician) 1992 songs

11830664

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floods%20in%20Australia

Floods in Australia

Australia has had over 160,708 floods in the last 10 years, many of which have taken out homes, wildlife and many habitats. Floods that have occurred in the country of Australia: References Further reading Devin, L.B. and D.L. Purcell (1983) Flooding in Australia Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service : (Water 2000 : consultants report no. 11)(Department of Resources and Energy). External links Flood and natural hazard research from Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Geosciences Australia overview fact sheets. South Australian flood history .

11837356

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardley%20Flood

Hardley Flood

Hardley Flood is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. It is part of the Broadland Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, and The Broads Special Area of Conservation. This area of tidal lagoons and reedbeds provides a spillway for the River Chet. The reedbeds provide nesting sites for birds, including nationally important populations of several breeding birds. Three rare flies have been recorded, Elachiptera uniseta, Elachiptera scrobiculata and Lonchoptera scutellata. The site is open to the public. References Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Norfolk Ramsar sites in England Special Protection Areas in England Special Areas of Conservation in England

11960536

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%20United%20Kingdom%20floods

2007 United Kingdom floods

A series of large floods occurred in parts of the United Kingdom during the summer of 2007. The worst of the flooding occurred across Scotland on 14 June; East Yorkshire and the Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire on 25 June; and Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and South Wales on 28 July 2007. June was one of the wettest months on record in the United Kingdom (see List of weather records). Average rainfall across the country was ; more than double the June average. Some areas received a month's worth of precipitation in 24 hours. It was the UK's wettest May–July period since records began in 1776. July had unusually unsettled weather and above-average rainfall through the month, peaking on 20 July as an active frontal system dumped more than of rain in southern England. Civil and military authorities described the June and July rescue efforts as the biggest in the UK in peacetime. The Environment Agency described the July floods as critical and expected them to exceed the 1947 benchmark. Meteorological background June 2007 started quietly with an anticyclone to the north of the United Kingdom maintaining a dry, cool easterly flow. From 10 June the high pressure began to break down as an upper trough moved into the area, triggering thunderstorms that caused flooding in Northern Ireland on 12 June. Later that week, a slow-moving area of low pressure from the west of Biscay moved east across the British Isles. At the same time, an associated occluded front moved into Northern England, becoming very active as it did so with the peak rainfall on 15 June. Rainfall records were broken across the region, leading to localised flooding. As it weakened, the front moved north into Scotland on 16 June and left England and Wales with a very unstable airmass, frequent heavy showers, thunderstorms and cloudy conditions. This led to localised flash flooding and prevented significant drying where earlier rains had fallen. On 25 June, another unseasonably low pressure (993 hPa / 29.3 inHg) depression, Cyclone Uriah, moved across England. The associated front settled over northern and eastern England and dumped more than of rain in places. The combination of high rainfall and high water levels from the earlier rainfall led to extensive flooding across many parts of England and Wales, with the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, South, West and East Yorkshire the most affected. Gales along the east coast also caused storm damage. RAF Fylingdales on the North York Moors reported rainfall totals of in 24 hours, an estimated in Hull and on Emley Moor in West Yorkshire. Until 2007, the average monthly total for June for the whole UK was . On 27 June, the Met Office released an early warning of severe weather for the approaching weekend, stating that of rain could fall in some areas, raising the possibility of more flooding within the already saturated flood plains. On 20 July, another active frontal system moved across Southern England. Many places recorded a month's rainfall or more in one day. The Met Office at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire reported : a sixth of its annual rainfall. The college at Pershore in Worcestershire reported , causing the Environment Agency to issue 16 further severe flood warnings. By 21 July, many towns and villages were flooded, with Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, London and South Wales facing the brunt of the heavy rainfall. Climate researchers have suggested that the unusual weather leading to the floods may be linked to this year's appearance of La Nina in the Pacific Ocean, and the jet stream being further south than normal. Affected areas in England England was affected by the June and July floods, with the North badly hit in June, the West badly hit in July, and many areas hit in both. It was England's wettest July on record. Gloucestershire was the worst affected county – with both some minor flooding in June, and major flooding in July. Non-administrative counties and administrative counties affected by the flooding are given below. Bedfordshire By 25 July, a number of low-lying parts adjacent to the river in Bedford and Luton were flooded and one man drowned attempting to swim across the River Great Ouse in Bedford. Parts of Felmersham and Turvey were also flooded. Berkshire On 20 July, the M4 was closed after a landslide caused by flooding between Junctions 12 and 13 eastbound. Approximately 1,100 properties in Thatcham were affected by flash flooding. By 21 July, Newbury and Maidenhead town centres were flooded, the shopping mall in Maidenhead was closed and parts of the Glade Festival were flooded. Officials warned that the River Thames, the River Ock, and its tributaries from Charney could burst their banks. Trinity School was badly affected by the flooding as well due to Vodafone's HQ nearby. Vodafone's ornamental lake overflowed due to the sudden downpour and badly damaged Trinity School's astro turf to the front of the school as well as some damage to inside the school. In Reading, rail services to the southwest were affected and westbound trains from Paddington could go no further. The flood waters affected the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Burghfield, which handles the United Kingdom's nuclear warheads, resulting in a suspension of work for almost a year. Buckinghamshire On 3 June, Stoke Goldington suffered flash flooding affecting 25 homes. Stoke Goldington was affected again on 3 July, with 10 houses being flooded. By 21 July, seventy homes and businesses were flooded by the River Ouse in Buckingham and 30 people spent the night in the town's Radcliffe centre, but away a system of balancing lakes prevented Milton Keynes from suffering significantly, apart from a flash flood of Stony Stratford High Street from the River Ouse. Cambridgeshire On 24 July, four bridges in St Neots, Cambridgeshire were shut when the river level peaked, and the Environment Agency warned residents in the St Neots, Paxton and Offords areas to expect flooding that night. By 25 July, parts of St Ives were flooded. Later the same day, the Environment Agency advised residents near the River Great Ouse that the peak had passed and further flooding was unlikely. County Durham On 15 June, heavy rainfall caused the postponement of the fourth test match between England and the West Indies at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street. On 23 June, flash floods affected parts of Darlington and Stanhope Road, Northgate, St Cuthbert's Way, Parkgate and Haughton Road were closed after water levels rose by about 2 feet (0.6 m). It has also led to Woodland Road to improve its drainage to prevent such flooding on one of the main roads out the town. On 17 July, flooding affected Peterlee town centre, closing shops and a local school. Cumbria A 64-year-old man hit his head and died after trying to bail out his flooded home in Alston, Cumbria. Derbyshire On 25 June, flooding affected properties in Coal Aston, Calow and Chesterfield town centre, and the A617 was covered by more than of floodwater causing traffic delays. Gloucestershire On 19 July, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service attended 1,800 calls in a 48-hour period, compared with the usual 8,000 calls a year. On 22 July, Gloucester City A.F.C.'s Stadium was flooded, and the Tewkesbury road at Longford was completely impassable by the Longford Inn. Tewkesbury was completely cut off with no road access, parts of the town were under around of water and flood waters entered Tewkesbury Abbey for the first time in 247 years. Tewkesbury's Mythe Water Treatment Works were flooded. Severn Trent Water warned that treated water would run out by early Sunday evening in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester and surrounding areas. Combined military and civil emergency services tried to stop floods reaching the Walham electricity substation in Gloucester supplying half a million people. On 23 July 50,000 Gloucestershire homes were left without electricity after a major electricity substation in Castle Meads had to be turned off. Efforts to stop flooding at Walham substation succeeded; the Castle Meads substation was repaired the next day. By 24 July, an estimated 420,000 people were without drinking water, including most of the population of Gloucester, Cheltenham, and Tewkesbury. Emergency services continued repair work at the Mythe water-treatment works but Severn Trent Water estimated that water supplies would not be restored for at least 14 days. 900 drinking water bowsers were brought in and the Army was mobilised to distribute three million bottles of water a day and keep the bowsers filled. Coors, Carlsberg, Scottish and Newcastle, Inbev and Greene King brewing companies offered 23 beer tankers to help supply drinking water. On 26 July Severn Trent Water organised a temporary non-potable water supply to 10,000 homes in Tewkesbury. It was not until 7 August – 16 days after Mythe Treatment Works stopped pumping – that the tap water for the 140,000 homes affected was again declared safe to drink. In terms of casualties, a man and his 24-year-old son died from asphyxiation from carbon monoxide poisoning on 27 July when attempting to stop flooding in the unventilated Tewkesbury Rugby Football Club cellar. On 28 July, the body of a 19-year-old boy, reported missing seven days earlier, was recovered in Tewkesbury. Greater London On 20 July flooding occurred in many parts of Greater London. Water and power supplies were not disrupted but parts of South West London were under of water. Heathrow Airport cancelled 141 flights. Two of four rail lines in South Croydon were closed by landslips. The London Underground was severely disrupted and 25 stations were closed. Herefordshire By 19 June, Herefordshire was affected by flooding. The M50 motorway near Ledbury was closed on 22 July due to flooding. More than 5,200 people in and around Bromyard, Herefordshire were without clean water on 22 and 23 July after the pumps at the Whitbourne works in Herefordshire failed. Once supply was restored residents were urged by Welsh Water to boil their tap-water until further notice. The village of Hampton Bishop, 3 miles (5 km) from the city of Hereford remains surrounded and flooded by water after the River Lugg burst its banks. On the afternoon of 24 July the Fire Service began pumping flood water out of the village, but not before 130 residents were evacuated. Houses, including the Herefordshire home of Daily Mail writer Quentin Letts, were flooded by a torrent of water gushing from what had previously been only a small, unnamed brook north of Ross-on-Wye. Residents of East Bromyard were rescued after the River Frome burst its banks. Lancashire On 12 June, Lostock Hall and Penwortham near Preston were hit by flash floods. On 3 July, heavy rain caused flooding in Earby and Ribchester, affecting homes and causing the Royal Lancashire Show to be cancelled on 9 July. On 4 July, the Blackburn Mela was cancelled due to ground conditions. On 18 July, Walton-le-Dale near Preston was hit by flash floods. Lincolnshire Louth and Horncastle were severely flooded, with some roads in that area impassable. Children at a school in Horncastle were evacuated because of floods. More than 600-flood related calls occurred across the county. In Lincoln, mainly round the Stamp End area, a house called Shuttleworth House was completely flooded with water in its insides. After power was lost in the area, more than 200 people were rescued in dinghies. Nottinghamshire On 27 June 2007, flash flooding caused extensive damage to the villages of Lambley, Woodborough and Burton Joyce. Major towns were hit including Mansfield and Hucknall but not as severely as Lambley. The same day, flooding occurred at Retford and Worksop after the River Idle and River Ryton respectively overtopped their banks. Oxfordshire Many rivers burst their banks, including both the Thames and the Cherwell in Oxford and the Ock in Abingdon the Windrush in Witney and the Evenlode. By 21 July, Banbury and Witney were flooded. Oxford, particularly Botley, was flooded and some 300 people were evacuated. On 22 July, the Environment Agency warned of further flooding and 1,500 people in Abingdon were evacuated. Forty thousand sandbags were transported from Grantham in Lincolnshire to Abingdon and Oxford. By 23 July, Oxford, Abingdon, Kidlington and Bladon were affected; some 3,000 homes including the home of William Morris at Kelmscott were flooded and 600 residents were evacuated, with many taking refuge in Oxford United Football Club's Kassam Stadium. On 24 July the Thames in Abingdon rose 3 feet (0.9 m) in less than 12 hours to a "perilously high" level and the Thames and the Severn were expected to rise to 20 feet (6.1 m) higher than normal. On 25 July residents of Osney in west Oxford were advised to leave their homes. About 30 people went to the Kassam stadium shelter while another 250 decided to stay with family and friends. Osney Mead substation, which supplies power to Oxford city centre, was threatened but did not flood. Later that evening, the Thames breached its banks at Henley. Shropshire By 19 June, rain had washed away the main road at Hampton Loade and the Severn Valley Railway line from Bridgnorth was closed after numerous landslips on the line. Also, on 19 June/20 June, parts of the town of Shifnal near Telford, were flooded when the Wesley Brook burst its banks. Some of the residents blame Severn Trent Water for opening floodgates at Priors Lee balancing lake, however no such gates exist. Repair costs to the railway were estimated at £2 million. On 26 June, the Burway Bridge collapsed, disrupting one of the main roads into Ludlow, severing a gas main and causing the surrounding area to be evacuated. On 1 July, a woman was pulled out of the River Severn at Jackfield on the Telford and Wrekin border near Ironbridge. By 24 July, the UK National Ballooning Championships in Ludlow had been cancelled for the first time in their 32-year history. Warwickshire By 21 July, flooded parts of Warwickshire included Alcester, Stratford-upon-Avon, Shipston on Stour and Water Orton. To a lesser extent, areas of Leamington Spa and Warwick also experienced flooding. Several nature reserves in the Tame Valley, including Ladywalk and Kingsbury Water Park were badly affected, just as ground- and reedbed- nesting birds were hatching young. West Midlands 200 people were forced to leave Witton Road and Tame Road in Aston, Birmingham when the River Tame flooded. Water entered the streets of Shirley, Solihull. As in Warwickshire, the Tame caused losses at a nature reserve; this time RSPB Sandwell Valley. In the Dudley borough flooding damaged local schools, shops and communities. Schools opened the doors with parts of buildings flooded with water, the damage in the West Midlands area estimated at 1.9 billion (2007 GDP). Wiltshire On 20 July, Swindon had a month's rainfall in less than half a day. More than 50 people were rescued from their flooded homes. Worcestershire By 19 June, Worcestershire was affected by flooding. A 68-year-old motorist died after he was trapped in his vehicle in flood water near Pershore whilst attempting to cross an old ford in Bow Brook which was by then 2 m deep. The waters were still rising, endangering the confluence of the River Teme and the River Severn. On 26 June 2007 the New Road Ground, home to Worcestershire County Cricket Club, was flooded after the River Severn overtopped its banks, causing the next day's Twenty20 match against Warwickshire to be cancelled. On 17 July, Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire was flooded for the second time in three weeks after a thunderstorm caused flash flooding. By 21 July the M5 was affected, compounded by the closure of the Strensham services, and the motorway was closed, stranding hundreds in their vehicles overnight. By 23 July, parts of Worcestershire were under 6 feet (2 m) of water and the Army was brought in to help emergency services supply the inhabitants of Upton-upon-Severn which was cut off by floodwater. On 1 June, the first day of the floods. A road in Cropthorne near Worcester was brutally forced down by a high impact of water flowing underneath the road in a pipe. The hole it made was deep and wide, traffic throughout the county was held up due to the collapsed main road. The site was named Cropthorne Canyon. East Riding of Yorkshire and Kingston upon Hull On 15 June, the region was hit by flooding. Roads including the A63 and A1105 in Hull and schools in the region were closed, the Hull Lord Mayor's Parade was cancelled, the Festival of Football was postponed, police declared a major incident and Hessle in Hull, on the border between Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, suffered two square miles of severe sewage-contaminated flooding. On 25 June, the region was hit by flooding again. Fire crews received over 1500 calls in a 12-hour period, dozens of homes in Beverley and about 50 people at a Hull nursing home were evacuated, boats were used to evacuate about 90 people from 4 feet (1 m) of floodwater in Hull's County Road North, and in Hessle a 28-year-old man died after becoming trapped in a drain. The new Hull police station had to be vacated because of flooding. The next day, only 12 of Hull's 88 schools were still open, affecting 30,000 out of 38,000 Hull schoolchildren. By 4 July in Hull, six schools were still closed and 120 residents in residential or nursing care had been relocated. By 5 July, an estimated 35,000 people in streets containing 17,000 homes had been affected by flooding in Hull and by the next day more than 10,000 homes had been evacuated. Hull City Council estimated repair costs at £200 million. By 24 July, Hull City Council had checked each house in the flooded streets and stated that 6,500 homes had been flooded. By 27 July, £2.1 million had been allocated to Hull and £600,000 to the East Riding for clean-up and immediate repairs, and £3.2 million to Hull and £1.5 million to the East Riding for further repairs to the region's estimated 101 schools suffering significant flood damage. By 3 September, figures released by Hull City Council had been revised upwards to 7,800 houses that had been flooded plus 1,300 businesses that were affected. North Yorkshire By 15 June, towns and villages in North Yorkshire were flooded, with Knaresborough, Harrogate and York being particularly affected. The A59 road at Kex Gill was closed due to a landslip where of earth slid down the hillside and trapped a couple in their car. In Scarborough, the main A171 Scalby Road flooded outside Scarborough Hospital, and the ornamental lake at Peasholm Park overtopped its banks and poured down Peasholm Gap into North Bay. Near Catterick, North Yorkshire, a 17-year-old soldier on a training exercise from Catterick Garrison died after being swept away whilst crossing Risedale Beck, Hipswell Moor. On 23 June, flooding affected Middlesbrough. Pickering was flooded after Pickering Beck overflowed its banks. On 18 July, streams overflowed and roads were blocked in Barton, Gilling West, Melsonby, Hartforth, Scotch Corner, Middleton Tyas and Kirby Hill after a freak rainstorm, and on 18 July 2007 a cloud burst left parts of Filey under 3 feet (1 m) of water, just caused by the rain, rather than by a river bursting its banks. Pensioners were stranded in the town's swimming pool and rescued by lifeboat. South Yorkshire On 25 June, Sheffield suffered extensive damage as the River Don over topped its banks causing widespread flooding in the Don Valley area of the city. A 14-year-old boy was swept away by the swollen River Sheaf, a 68-year-old man died after attempting to cross a flooded road in Sheffield city centre, and several cattle were washed away, found up to across fields in some areas of cultivated land. The Meadowhall shopping centre was closed due to flooding with some shops remaining closed downstairs until late September and Sheffield Wednesday's ground Hillsborough was under 6 feet (1.83 m) of water. A number of people were rescued by RAF helicopters from buildings in the Brightside area, whilst in the Millhouses Park area to the southwest of the city the River Sheaf overtopped its banks causing widespread damage. There was also widespread flooding in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham with much of these towns cut off. By 26 June, the waters in some parts of Sheffield and the surrounding area receded, and over 700 villagers from Catcliffe, near Rotherham's Ulley reservoir were evacuated after cracks appeared in the dam. Emergency services from across England pumped millions of gallons of water from the reservoir to ease the pressure on the damaged dam, and the nearby M1 Motorway was closed between junctions 32 and 36 as a precaution. On 27 June, the Army moved into the Doncaster area after the River Don overtopped its banks and threatened the area around what was Thorpe Marsh Power Station. A man was incorrectly reported missing near the village of Adwick le Street near Doncaster. West Yorkshire On 15 June and on 25 June, the villages of Scissett and Clayton West and other parts of Kirklees were flooded by the River Dearne, the second time worse than the first. On 25 June, Wakefield was flooded. Six elderly women, including a 91-year-old, were stranded in their homes. During the Wakefield flood, hundreds of homes were evacuated in the Agbrigg area of Wakefield and looting was feared, but by 1 July only four looters had been arrested in the city and were later released on bail. The village of Collingham (near Wetherby) was particularly affected by the flooding and one house was looted. Affected areas in Wales Wales was hit by flooding in June and July, with the Eastern areas most badly affected. It was Wales's wettest June since 1998, and its second wettest since 1914. The preserved counties and principal areas affected are given below. Clwyd On 26 June, roads including the A5 were impassable at Corwen in Denbighshire, a river overflowed at Worthenbury in Flintshire, and properties were affected in Wrexham. In North Wales, a man was rescued by fire services after he was stranded on a small island in the River Dee in Llangollen, Denbighshire. On 17 July, flash floods after torrential rain forced the closure of a secondary school in Prestatyn in Denbighshire. Dyfed Lampeter in Ceredigion was affected by flooding on 11 June and then again on 15 June. Gwent On 26 June, properties were affected in Tintern on the River Wye in Monmouthshire. On 20 July, flash floods affected parts of Newport, Monmouthshire and Torfaen. Powys In Montgomeryshire, ten people were taken to safety at Tregynon and a dozen homes were flooded at Bettws Cedewain on 22 July, firefighters used a boat to evacuate five people from a house near Welshpool after they were cut off by floods on 23 July, and the same boat was later used to rescue three people stranded in a car on the A483. In Radnorshire, 30 tonnes of debris and earth blocked the only road out of Barland near Presteigne on 23 July. In Brecknockshire, the River Wye burst its banks in Builth Wells on 1 July, the saturated ground later causing chaos at the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd on 24 July. South Glamorgan On 20 July, flash floods affected the Vale of Glamorgan, causing schools to be evacuated, roads to be closed, and boats used to rescue people from their homes in Barry. Affected areas in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland was hit by flooding in the June and July floods and it was Northern Ireland's wettest June since 1958. The non-administrative counties and districts affected are given below. County Antrim On 12 June, the Knockmore campus of the Lisburn Institute in Lisburn was affected by flooding. The same day, parts of East Belfast near the Antrim-Down border that were affected included the Kings Road, Ladas Drive, Strandtown Primary School and the Parliament Buildings in Stormont, with 80 residents evacuated from their old people's home on the Kings Road and Avoniel Leisure Centre opened to assist flood victims. On 2 July, houses were flooded and two people evacuated from their home in Cushendall in Antrim after the River Dall burst its banks following heavy rain. On 16 July, parts of Belfast International Airport near Aldergrove in Antrim were flooded by a freak thunderstorm leaving 10 planes unable to land, landslides closed the Antrim Coast Road near Ballygally, Larne, and people were trapped in their cars in Portrush, Coleraine. County Down On 15 June, there was severe flooding around Bangor in North Down, Saintfield, Crossgar and Ballynahinch in Down and Newtownards and Comber in Ards, with shops in Crossgar centre flooded. County Londonderry On 12 June, Magherafelt was affected by flooding. On 16 July, roads in Aghadowey, Coleraine and Portstewart, Coleraine were rendered impassable by floodwater. County Tyrone On 12 June, Omagh and Dungannon were affected by flooding, with a Dunnes supermarket evacuated in Omagh. Affected areas in Scotland Scotland was hit by flooding in June and July, with the Scottish Lowlands most badly affected. On 12 June, the Met Office issued torrential rain warnings for Scotland and it was Scotland's wettest June since 1938. The non-administrative counties and council areas affected are given below. Ayrshire and Arran On 21 June, about 2000 homes were left without electricity and properties were affected as flash floods hit Kilmarnock. On 18 July, flooding affected Kilmarnock again, the River Irvine burst its banks in Newmilns, and flash floods affected roads including the M77. Dumfries On 18 July, floods wrecked homes in Closeburn, power was cut off at Eaglesfield, and roads were closed at Moffat and Lochmaben. Edinburgh and Midlothian On 1 July rain cancelled the one-day international cricket match between Scotland and Pakistan in Edinburgh and by 3 July parts of Midlothian were flooded, with worst hit areas including residential areas in Dalkeith and Mayfield. Glasgow and Lanarkshire On 22 June, heavy storms flooded roads and dumped debris on the railway line in Glasgow. The same day, torrential rain caused a landslide just south of Lesmahagow, closing the M74. Moray On 3 July a landslide caused by floodwater disrupted traffic on the A941 Rothes to Aberlour road in Moray. Ross and Cromarty On 18 July, heavy rain caused landslips blocking the railway line between Strathcarron and Achnasheen for a predicted 10 days, Tweeddale On 25 June rain forced the 108-year-old Beltane Festival in Peebles to be held indoors for the first time. Timeline for June and July floods Areas affected by flooding during this period were as follows (see above for specific citations): 1–7 June: England (Buckinghamshire) 8–14 June: England (Lancashire), Northern Ireland (Belfast, Cookstown, Dungannon, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Omagh), Wales (Ceredigion) 15–21 June: England (County Durham, Herefordshire, North and West Yorkshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire), Northern Ireland (Ards, Down, North Down), Scotland (Ayrshire, Lanarkshire), Wales (Ceredigion) 22–28 June: England (East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, South Yorkshire), Scotland (Peebles), Wales (Denbighshire, Flintshire, Monmouthshire, Wrexham) 29 June – 5 July: England (Buckinghamshire, Lancashire, West Yorkshire), Northern Ireland (Antrim), Scotland (Midlothian, Moray) 6–12 July: De facto gap between the June and July floods 13–19 July: England (County Durham, Cumbria, Lancashire, North Yorkshire, Worcestershire), Northern Ireland (Coleraine, Larne), Scotland (Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, Ross and Cromarty), Wales (Denbighshire) 20–26 July: England (Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Greater London, Herefordshire, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire), Wales (Newport, Monmouthshire, Powys, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan) Aftermath Rescue effort Following the flooding in late June, the rescue effort was described by the Fire Brigades Union as the "biggest in peacetime Britain". Following the flooding in July, the RAF said it is carrying out its biggest ever peacetime rescue operation, with six Sea King helicopters from as far afield as RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall, RAF Valley in Anglesey and RAF Leconfield in the East Riding of Yorkshire rescuing up to 120 people. An RAF heavy lift Chinook helicopter was also employed to move aggregate to reinforce the banks of the River Don. The Environment Agency described the situation as "critical". 4x4 Response groups from throughout the UK assisted councils and blue light services during and in the immediate aftermath of the flooding. During the recovery phase a number of responders from around the UK 4x4 Response assisted the Red Cross in the distribution of fresh drinking water in the Gloucestershire area after mains drinking water was contaminated. Health risks The Health Protection Agency advised people that the risk of contracting any illness was low but that it was best to avoid coming into direct contact with flood water. There were no reported cases of any outbreaks. In some areas bottled water was handed out where sewage works got flooded. Crop damage The floods caused widespread crop damage, especially broccoli, carrots, peas and potatoes. In parts of Lincolnshire it was estimated that 40% of the pea crop may have been damaged, with other crops also suffering major losses. Prices of vegetables were expected to rise in the following months. Financial cost Environment Agency chief executive Baroness Young said that about £1 billion a year was needed to improve flood defences. The Association of British Insurers has estimated the total bill for the June and July floods as £3 billion. A report by the Environment Agency in 2010 concluded that "the scale and seriousness of the summer 2007 floods were sufficient to classify them as a national disaster", and that the "total economic costs of the summer 2007 floods are estimated at about £3.2 billion in 2007 prices, within a possible range of between £2.5 billion and £3.8 billion. Government response On 3 July, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced that the Government would increase the spending on risk management and flood defences by £200 million to £800 million by 2010–11. During Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons later that month, Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised £46 million in aid to flood-hit councils and £800 million rise in annual spending on flood protection by 2010–11, confirming Hilary Benn's announcement. Brown also pledged to push insurance firms to make payouts. On 22 July, the Government convened COBRA to co-ordinate the response to the crisis. Visiting Gloucestershire on 25 July, Mr. Brown praised emergency services for their efforts, but added: "We've got to get the supplies stepped up. We will get more tankers in, we will get more bowsers in, we will get more regular filling of them, and at the same time, more bottled water will be provided." On 8 August 2007 Defra announced that Sir Michael Pitt would chair an independent review of the response to the flooding. On 4 September of that year the Cabinet Office website launched a comments page to let people affected by the flooding contribute their experiences to the review. Sir Michael published his interim report on 17 December 2007. In April 2010 the government passed the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, which implemented many of Sir Michael Pitt's recommendations. The Act gives more power and responsibility to the Environment Agency and local authorities to plan flood defences co-ordinated across catchment areas and the wider country, to counteract the tendency for defences to be built for upstream areas without much thought for how this might be making flooding worse for downstream areas. In also brings in a new regime whereby new building activity which exacerbates flooding by reducing the capacity of land to absorb water will need to be accompanied by the construction of sustainable drainage systems such as grassy roofs, ponds and soakaways. Criticism of Hull City Council Hull City Council was criticised for not insuring the city's libraries, schools and other public buildings. In response, Hull City Council said that "Many councils do not have the feature in their budget", but other flood-hit councils were insured. It was thought that council tax payers would be left with the bill, as emergency Government funding would not cover it. Criticism of government response In June, councillors in Hull claimed that the city was being forgotten and had the floods occurred in the Home Counties, help would have arrived much more quickly. One in five homes in Hull was damaged and 90 out of the city's 105 schools suffered some damage. Damage to the schools alone was estimated to cost £100 million. The Bellwin scheme for providing aid after natural disasters was criticised as inadequate by Hull MP Diana Johnson. The lack of media coverage of flooding in Kingston upon Hull led the city council leader Carl Minns to dub Hull "the forgotten city". In July, the Government came under mounting criticism of its handling of the crisis, the fact that responsibilities were spread across four departments and no single minister could be held responsible, and the fact that the Army had not been called in to assist. The Observer newspaper stated on 22 July 2007 that the Government had been warned in the spring by the Met Office that summer flooding would be likely because the El Niño phenomenon had weakened, but no action was taken. In response to the criticism, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said on BBC Sunday AM that "This was very, very intense rainfall, with five inches in 24 hours in some areas; even some of the best defences are going to be overwhelmed". He praised the way the emergency services had dealt with "unprecedented" levels of rainfall and said he had "total confidence" in the response of the Environment Agency. Conservative leader David Cameron called for a public inquiry into the flooding after visiting Witney, the main town in his Oxfordshire constituency. Then Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell accused the government of lack of preparation leading to a "summer of suffering", and said, "With sophisticated weather forecasting as we now have, particularly in relation to what's happened over the weekend, there are quite a few questions as to how it was that flood-prevention measures were not in place or were not more effective." See also List of natural disasters in Britain and Ireland 2009 Great Britain and Ireland floods Great Sheffield Flood Flood risk assessment Rihanna Curse References External links Online Bowser Maps For Gloucestershire UK Flood Tewkesbury's Ongoing Flood Risk (Tewkesbury's new river monitoring system) Tewkesbury Medieval Town Showcase (Tewkesbury Town recovered) 2007 in England Geography of Sheffield 2000s floods in the United Kingdom 2007 disasters in the United Kingdom 2007 floods Disasters in Yorkshire Disasters in Lincolnshire June 2007 events in the United Kingdom July 2007 events in the United Kingdom

11964834

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Johnstown%20Flood%20%281926%20film%29

The Johnstown Flood (1926 film)

The Johnstown Flood is a 1926 American silent epic drama film directed by Irving Cummings, that addresses the Great Flood of 1889 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The film stars George O'Brien, Florence Gilbert, and Janet Gaynor. Plot Tom O'Day becomes engaged to Gloria Hamilton even though Anna has love for Tom, unbeknownst to him. Gloria's father, John Hamilton, owns a lumber camp outside of Johnstown, Pennsylvania and has control of the dam upriver. To satisfy obligatory contracts he has to make sure he clears as many trees as possible. To do this, John has made sure the water level behind the dam is at maximum capacity but Tom knows there is a fault in the dam. Tom has to do everything he can to convince John to open the flood gates before disaster strikes Johnstown in the valley below. Cast Preservation The Johnstown Flood is a surviving film with a print held in the George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection. References External links Lantern slide The Johnstown Flood 1926 films American silent feature films American epic films American black-and-white films Fox Film films Films directed by Irving Cummings 1926 drama films Silent American drama films Films with screenplays by Robert Lord (screenwriter) 1920s American films Silent adventure films

11966284

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash%20flood%20watch

Flash flood watch

A flash flood watch (SAME code: FFA; also referred as a "green box" by meteorologists) is severe weather watch product of the National Weather Service that is issued when conditions are favorable for flash flooding in flood-prone areas, usually when grounds are already saturated from recent rains, or when upcoming rains will have the potential to cause a flash flood. These watches are also occasionally issued when a dam may break in the near future. Countries such as Australia also issue similarly worded warnings. Example Flash Flood Watch Below is an example issued by the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey. 688 WGUS61 KPHI 071932 FFAPHI URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Flood Watch National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ 332 PM EDT Wed Jul 7 2021 NJZ001-007-PAZ054-055-060>062-080745- /O.NEW.KPHI.FF.A.0003.210708T1600Z-210709T1600Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ Sussex-Warren-Carbon-Monroe-Berks-Lehigh-Northampton- Including the cities of Jim Thorpe, Allentown, Newton, Washington, Bethlehem, Stroudsburg, Reading, and Easton 332 PM EDT Wed Jul 7 2021 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a * Flash Flood Watch for portions of northern New Jersey...and Pennsylvania...including the following areas...in northern New Jersey...Sussex and Warren. In Pennsylvania...Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, and Northampton. * From Thursday afternoon through Friday morning. * Heavy rainfall will develop over portions of eastern PA and NW New Jersey ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa Thursday afternoon. The heavy rains will see 1 to 2 inches with locally higher amounts and then will see another 1 to 2 inches with the heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Elsa Thursday evening through the overnight hours. * Heavy rain in short periods of time will cause the potential for streams and creeks to quickly rise out of their banks as well as the potential for flash flooding in areas of poor drainage. $$ DEZ001>004-MDZ012-015-019-020-NJZ008>010-012>027-PAZ070-071-101>106- 080745- /O.NEW.KPHI.FF.A.0003.210708T2100Z-210709T1600Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ New Castle-Kent-Inland Sussex-Delaware Beaches-Kent MD-Queen Annes- Talbot-Caroline-Morris-Hunterdon-Somerset-Middlesex-Western Monmouth- Eastern Monmouth-Mercer-Salem-Gloucester-Camden-Northwestern Burlington-Ocean-Cumberland-Atlantic-Cape May-Atlantic Coastal Cape May-Coastal Atlantic-Coastal Ocean-Southeastern Burlington-Delaware- Philadelphia-Western Chester-Eastern Chester-Western Montgomery- Eastern Montgomery-Upper Bucks-Lower Bucks- Including the cities of Glassboro, Denton, Jackson, Flemington, Media, Philadelphia, Doylestown, Chalfont, Morristown, Pennsville, Honey Brook, Centreville, Norristown, Georgetown, Mount Holly, Ocean City, Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Freehold, Pottstown, Hammonton, Cape May Court House, Oxford, Kennett Square, Sandy Hook, Chestertown, Morrisville, West Chester, Millville, Wilmington, New Brunswick, Dover, Trenton, Lansdale, Wharton State Forest, Atlantic City, Collegeville, Long Beach Island, Camden, Easton, Perkasie, Rehoboth Beach, and Somerville 332 PM EDT Wed Jul 7 2021 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a * Flash Flood Watch for portions of Delaware...northeast Maryland... New Jersey...and southeast Pennsylvania...including the following areas...in Delaware...Delaware Beaches, Inland Sussex, Kent, and New Castle. In northeast Maryland...Caroline, Kent MD, Queen Annes, and Talbot. In New Jersey...Atlantic, Atlantic Coastal Cape May, Camden, Cape May, Coastal Atlantic, Coastal Ocean, Cumberland, Eastern Monmouth, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Northwestern Burlington, Ocean, Salem, Somerset, Southeastern Burlington, and Western Monmouth. In southeast Pennsylvania...Delaware, Eastern Chester, Eastern Montgomery, Lower Bucks, Philadelphia, Upper Bucks, Western Chester, and Western Montgomery. * From Thursday afternoon through Friday morning. * Tropical Storm Elsa will move across portions of DelMarVa, New Jersey, and eastern PA Thursday night, bringing heavy rainfall to the region. Expected rainfall totals across DelMarVa and New Jersey range from 2 to 3 inches, with locally higher amounts up to 5 inches possible. Further west of the I-95 corridor could expect to see 1-2 inches, with locally higher amounts to 3 inches possible. * Heavy rain in short periods of time will cause the potential for streams and creeks to quickly rise out of their banks as well as the potential for flash flooding in urban areas. $$ Deal Source: PDS watches If a flash flood watch is likely to lead to a major flash flood disaster, then enhanced wording with the words This is a particularly dangerous situation (PDS) can be added to the watch; this is occasionally issued. Below is an example issued by the National Weather Service in Memphis, Tennessee. URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 239 PM CDT SUN APR 24 2011 ...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THIS WEEK WILL LIKELY LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT...WIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING... ...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION... A BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN STATIONARY ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI INTO KENTUCKY THROUGH MONDAY. REPEATED ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRACK ALONG THE FRONT BRINGING HEAVY RAINFALL. THEN A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK ALONG IT INTO MISSOURI AND PUSH THE FRONT FURTHER SOUTH TO ALONG THE I-40 CORRIDOR MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL SHIFT THE HEAVY RAIN AXIS FURTHER SOUTH TO ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE I-40 CORRIDOR. A SECOND LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK ALONG THE NEWLY STALLED BOUNDARY AND SET OFF ADDITIONAL TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. THE FINAL COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...ENDING THE PERSISTENT HEAVY RAINFALL. ARZ026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MSZ001>014-TNZ003-004-019>021- 048>055-088>092-250400- /O.NEW.KMEG.FF.A.0007.110426T0000Z-110428T0000Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ CRAIGHEAD-POINSETT-MISSISSIPPI-CROSS- CRITTENDEN-ST. FRANCIS- LEE AR-PHILLIPS-DESOTO-MARSHALL-BENTON MS-TIPPAH-ALCORN- TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-TATE-PRENTISS- COAHOMA-QUITMAN-PANOLA-LAFAYETTE- UNION-WEAKLEY-HENRY-DYER-GIBSON-CARROLL-LAUDERDALE-TIPTON-HAYWOOD- CROCKETT-MADISON-CHESTER-HENDERSON- DECATUR-SHELBY-FAYETTE- HARDEMAN-MCNAIRY-HARDIN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...JONESBORO...HARRISBURG...BLYTHEVILLE... WYNNE...WEST MEMPHIS...FORREST CITY...HELENA... SOUTHAVEN... OLIVE BRANCH...CORINTH...IUKA...TUNICA...[[Booneville, Mississippi|BOONEVILLE]]... CLARKSDALE...BATESVILLE...OXFORD...NEW ALBANY... MARTIN... DRESDEN...PARIS...DYERSBURG...HUMBOLDT...MILAN...HUNTINGDON... COVINGTON...JACKSON...LEXINGTON...BARTLETT...GERMANTOWN... COLLIERVILLE...MEMPHIS...MILLINGTON...SOMERVILLE... BOLIVAR... SAVANNAH 239 PM CDT SUN APR 24 2011 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS...NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND WEST TENNESSEE...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN EAST ARKANSAS...CRAIGHEAD...CRITTENDEN...CROSS... LEE...MISSISSIPPI...PHILLIPS...POINSETT AND ST. FRANCIS. IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI...ALCORN...BENTON...COAHOMA...DESOTO... LAFAYETTE...MARSHALL...PANOLA...PRENTISS...QUITMAN...TATE... TIPPAH...TISHOMINGO...TUNICA AND UNION. IN WEST TENNESSEE... CARROLL...CHESTER...CROCKETT...DECATUR...DYER...FAYETTE... GIBSON...HARDEMAN...HARDIN...HAYWOOD...HENDERSON...HENRY... LAUDERDALE...MADISON...MCNAIRY...SHELBY...TIPTON AND WEAKLEY. * FROM MONDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. * THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION * TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTH OF I-40 WITH 2 TO 5 INCHES EXPECTED SOUTH OF I-40. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY. * RAINFALL AMOUNTS SUCH AS THESE MAY LEAD TO WIDESPREAD... SIGNIFICANT...AND LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING. THIS EVENT MAY BE AS SEVERE AS THE MAY 1–2, 2010 FLOODING IN PLACES. FLASH FLOODING OF CITIES...RURAL AREAS...RIVERS...AND SMALL STREAMS ARE POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED. && $$ ARZ008-009-017-018-MOZ113-115-TNZ001-002-250400- /O.EXT.KMEG.FF.A.0006.000000T0000Z-110428T0000Z/ /00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/ RANDOLPH-CLAY-LAWRENCE-GREENE-DUNKLIN-PEMISCOT-LAKE-OBION- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WALNUT RIDGE...PARAGOULD...KENNETT... CARUTHERSVILLE...UNION CITY 239 PM CDT SUN APR 24 2011 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING... THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR * PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS...SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND WEST TENNESSEE...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN EAST ARKANSAS... CLAY...GREENE...LAWRENCE AND RANDOLPH. IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... DUNKLIN AND PEMISCOT. IN WEST TENNESSEE...LAKE AND OBION. * THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. * THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION * ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 9 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY. THIS...IN COMBINATION OF THE 2 TO 4 INCHES THAT HAVE ALREADY FALLEN MAY LEAD TO TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 12 INCHES IN MANY LOCATIONS. * RAINFALL AMOUNTS SUCH AS THESE WILL LIKELY LEAD TO WIDESPREAD... SIGNIFICANT...AND LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING. THIS EVENT MAY BE AS SEVERE AS THE MAY 1-2 2010 FLOODING IN MANY PLACES. FLASH FLOODING OF CITIES...RURAL AREAS...RIVERS...AND SMALL STREAMS ARE POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED. && $$ BORGHOFF See also Tornado warning Tornado watch Severe thunderstorm warning Severe thunderstorm watch Flash flood warning Particularly dangerous situation References National Weather Service Flood control Weather warnings and advisories

12002918

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June%202007%20Texas%20flooding

June 2007 Texas flooding

The June 2007 Texas flooding occurred after heavy rains hit the Southern Plains of the United States. Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico flowed north creating a slow-moving frontal system. Approximately 200 millimeters (8 inches) of rain poured in northern Texas, and 2 flood-related deaths were reported. Meteorological History During mid-June, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico flowed north creating a slow-moving frontal system that caused heavy rains in southern parts of the United States. Approximately 200 millimeters (8 inches) of rain hit northern Texas. The rain fell on swollen streams and lakes as well as wet soil causing heavy flooding in parts of northern Texas. Marble Falls, one of the hardest hit areas, received 18 inches (460 mm) of rain in a period six hours. The headwaters of Lake Marble Falls and Lake Travis had 19 inches of rain totals recorded. Damage 2 flood-related deaths were reported and approximately 300 homes were ordered to evacuate. Estimates of monetary damage caused by the storm exceed $50 million.[3]156 flash flood warnings were issued throughout the month, as well. See also 2015 Texas–Oklahoma floods References External links Summer Flood '07 Photo Gallery - KXAN Summer Flood '07 Photo Gallery 2 - KXAN Lake levels on the rise across Central Texas - KVUE Marble Falls Residents Begin Cleanup - KEYE Weather Damage Photo Gallery - KTBC National Guard on the move in flooding response - News 8 Austin Saturated Central Texas gets more rain - Houston Chronicle No relief expected from Texas, Oklahoma rain - MSNBC Rain Continues to Plague Flooded Texas - Associated Press Youtube Playlist - June 2007 Floods Floods in Texas and Oklahoma - NASA Earth Observatory Natural disasters in Texas Floods in Texas 2000s floods in the United States 2007 floods 2007 natural disasters in the United States Floods in the United States 2007 in Texas

12079977

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20insurance%20rate%20map

Flood insurance rate map

A flood insurance rate map (FIRM) is an official map of a community within the United States that displays the floodplains, more explicitly special hazard areas and risk premium zones, as delineated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The term is used mainly in the United States but similar maps exist in many other countries, such as Australia. Uses FIRMs display areas that fall within the 100-year flood boundary. Areas that fall within the boundary are called special flood hazard areas (SFHAs) and they are further divided into insurance risk zones. The term 100-year flood indicates that the area has a one-percent chance of flooding in any given year, not that a flood will occur every 100 years. Such maps are used in town planning, in the insurance industry, and by individuals who want to avoid moving into a home at risk of flooding or to know how to protect their property. FIRMs are used to set rates of insurance against risk of flood and whether buildings are insurable at all against flood. It is similar to a topographic map, but is designed to show floodplains. Towns and municipalities use FIRMs to plan zoning areas. Most places will not allow construction in a flood way. Creation process In the United States the FIRM for each town is occasionally updated. At that time a preliminary FIRM will be published, and available for public viewing and comment. FEMA sells the official FIRMs, called community kits, as well as an updating access service to the maps. There are also some companies that sell software to locate land parcels or real estate on digitized FIRMs. These FIRMs are used in identifying whether a land or building is in flood zone and, if so, which of the different flood zones are in effect. In 2004, FEMA began a project to update and digitize the flood plain maps at a yearly cost of $200 million. The new maps usually take around 18 months to go from a preliminary release to the final product. During that time period FEMA works with local communities to determine the final maps. Louisiana and FEMA In early 2014, two congressmen from Louisiana, Bill Cassidy and Steve Scalise, asked FEMA to consider the width of drainage canals, water flow levels, drainage improvements, pumping stations and computer models when deciding the final flood insurance rate maps. See also National Flood Insurance Program Floodplain Special Flood Hazard Area References External links FIRMettes from FEMA Hydrology and urban planning Flood control in the United States Flood insurance Federal Emergency Management Agency Geologic maps

12110323

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20control%20channel

Flood control channel

Flood control channels are large and empty basins where surface water can flow through but is not retained (except during flooding), or dry channels that run below the street levels of some larger cities, so that if a flash flood occurs the excess water can drain out along these channels into a river or other bodies of water. Flood channels are sometimes built on the former courses of natural waterways as a way to reduce flooding. Levees Flood control channels are not to be confused with watercourses which are simply confined between levees. These structures may be made entirely of concrete, with concrete sides and an exposed bottom, with riprap sides and an exposed bottom, or completely unlined. They often contain grade control sills or weirs to prevent erosion and maintain a level streambed. Distribution By definition, flood control channels range from the size of a street gutter to a few hundred or even a few thousand feet wide in some rare cases. Flood control channels are found in most heavily developed areas in the world. One city with many of these channels is Los Angeles, as they became mandatory with the passage of the Flood Control Act of 1941 passed in the wake of the Los Angeles Flood of 1938. See also Nullah Drop structure Urban runoff Weir Levee External links LA River Flood Control Channel Guadalupe River Flood Control Channel Flood control Rivers

12127446

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20Control%20Act%20of%201941

Flood Control Act of 1941

The Flood Control Act of 1941 was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by US President Franklin Roosevelt that authorized civil engineering projects such as dams, levees, dikes, and other flood control measures through the United States Army Corps of Engineers and other Federal agencies. It is one of a number of Flood Control Acts that is passed nearly annually by the US Congress. Projects Dams Kinzua Dam (begun in 1960, completed in 1965) Fort Gibson Dam (begun in 1941, completed in 1949) Allatoona Dam (begun in 1946, completed in 1950) Stormwater control Construction of mandatory storm drains and flood control channels throughout the city of Los Angeles in the wake of the Los Angeles Flood of 1938. See also Water Resources Development Act Rivers and Harbors Act for related legislation which sometime also implement flood control provisions. 1941 in the environment 1941 in American law 1941

12136244

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul%20Flood

Paul Flood

Paul Anthony Flood (born 29 June 1948) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a forward in the English Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion. He was capped by his country at schoolboy, youth and amateur level, appeared in the League of Ireland for Drogheda and Bohemians, and later played non-league football in the Sussex area. Life and career Flood was born in Dublin in 1948. He represented his country at schoolboy and youth level, and spent time with English club Coventry City as a youngster. When he returned to Ireland, still only 16, he played and scored for Drogheda in the 1964–65 League of Ireland season, and then moved on to Bohemians. To add to his nine League of Ireland goals in 1966–67, he scored the winning goal in that season's Leinster Senior Cup final, and his performances were rewarded with selection for the Republic of Ireland amateur team for a friendly against England in March 1967. The 18-year-old Flood returned to England in June 1967 and signed for Brighton & Hove Albion of the Football League Third Division. He never established himself as a first-team regular, contributing eight goals from 39 competitive appearances over four seasons. In 1971, he left the club for Tonbridge of the Southern League: he scored 28 goals from 246 appearances, during which he played in defence and midfield as well as his original forward position, and was a member of the team that won the 1974–75 Kent Senior Cup. He then played for Sussex-based non-league clubs including Eastbourne United, Horsham (two spells), Southwick, Worthinghelping the sixth-tier Isthmian League side reach the second round of the 1982–83 FA Cupand Peacehaven & Telscombe. He worked in insurance. References 1948 births Living people Association footballers from Dublin (city) Republic of Ireland men's association footballers Republic of Ireland men's amateur international footballers Men's association football forwards Coventry City F.C. players Drogheda United F.C. players Bohemian F.C. players Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players Tonbridge Angels F.C. players Eastbourne United A.F.C. players Horsham F.C. players Southwick F.C. players Worthing F.C. players Peacehaven & Telscombe F.C. players League of Ireland players English Football League players Southern Football League players Isthmian League players

12205504

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great%20Flood%20%28disambiguation%29

Great Flood (disambiguation)

Great Flood is a phrase used to describe the central event in any catastrophic flood. Some may be of the flood myth, whether historically accurate or mythological, while others are severe floods from around the world. Great Flood may also refer to: Outburst flood, evidence for prehistoric floods sometimes individually referred to as great floods Flood myth and List of flood myths Genesis flood narrative in the Hebrew and Christian Bible, which includes Noah's Ark Great Flood (China), a flood dating from the 3rd millennium BC Great Flood of 1823, in Bedford Great Flood of 1844, the biggest flood ever recorded on the Missouri River and Upper Mississippi River in terms of discharge Great Flood of 1851 in the Midwest U.S. Great Flood of 1862, a flood in California, U.S. Great Sheffield Flood, a flood that devastated parts of Sheffield, England on 11 March 1864 Great Flood of 1881, a natural disaster in Omaha, Nebraska Johnstown Flood, known locally as the Great Flood of 1889 1910 Great Flood of Paris, a January 1910 flooding of the River Seine Great Flood of 1913, a natural disaster in Indiana, Ohio and ten other states in the U.S. Great Dayton Flood, part of the Great Flood of 1913 Boston Molasses Disaster of 1919, known locally as the Great Molasses Flood Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the most destructive river flood in U.S. history Great Flood of 1951, a July 1951 flooding of the Kansas River in the U.S. state of Kansas Great Flood of 1968, a flood caused by very heavy rain that struck South East England and France in mid-September 1968 Great Flood of 1993 in the Midwest US, one of the most costly and devastating in U.S. history See also Great Deluge algorithm, a term in mathematics which uses an alternate form of the phrase

12258602

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006%E2%80%932007%20Southeast%20Asian%20floods

2006–2007 Southeast Asian floods

The 2006–2007 Southeast Asian floods were a series of floods that mostly affected Malaysia from 18 December 2006 to 13 January 2007. The floods were caused by above average rainfall, which was attributed to Typhoon Utor (2006) which had hit the Philippines and Vietnam a few days earlier. By the third week of January 2007, Johor had been affected by a larger flood. Singapore and certain parts of Indonesia were flooded due to the same typhoon. Throughout the week starting 18 December 2006, a series of floods hit Johor, Malacca, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan. During this period, these southern Malaysian states, along with Singapore, experienced abnormally high rainfall which resulted in massive floods. The rainfall recorded in the city of Johor Bahru on 19 December amounted to 289mm compared to the average annual rainfall of the city which is 2400mm. In Singapore, the 24-hour rainfall recorded on 20 December was 366 mm, the third highest recorded rainfall in 75 years. The flooding began when torrential downpours since Sunday caused rivers and dams to overflow. Weather officials described the flooding as the worst in the area in a century. At least six people died. Later that week, beginning 22 December, North Sumatra experienced abnormally high rainfall which also caused flooding. Causes Typhoon Utor was blamed for heavy rains of up to 350 mm within 24 hours in southern Peninsular Malaysia, specifically Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Pahang, causing massive floods within the southern region on 18 December 2006, which were considered as the worst in the history of the southern region of Malaysia. However, there were also reports a few days earlier that adverse weather was not to be blamed on the typhoon. The worst-affected areas were Segamat and Kota Tinggi, where both towns were totally inaccessible via land transport routes after all main roads leading to those towns were flooded. As of 4 January 2007, the floods had claimed 15 lives. Heavy rains were expected in Penang, Perak, Kelantan and other states in the northern region during this period. Areas affected Indonesia The floods affected areas such as Aceh and North Sumatra, leaving many homeless. The floods lasted for a week starting on December 22. An estimated 400,000 people were displaced at the peak of the flooding with at least 118 people dead and 155 people missing as of 29 December 2006. Malaysia Johor Several districts in Johor including Batu Pahat, Johor Bahru, Kluang, Kota Tinggi, Mersing, Muar, Pontian and Segamat were flooded. Between 60,000 and 70,000 people had been evacuated in the state while food shortage at relief centres had been reported. Flooded roads disrupted the delivery of aid to flood centres. Most of the flood victims had been living without clean water or electricity for days. According to health authorities, reports of water-borne diseases were on the rise. In some areas, looting was reported after floodwaters receded. The second bout of flooding, which was larger than the first one, had almost paralysed Johor after all 8 districts were submerged by the flood. The areas worst affected by the second flood were Batu Pahat and Kluang. Both waves of the flood disaster were considered as the costliest flood in Malaysian history, with the total cost of damage caused by the floods standing at RM 1.5 billion. In the early morning of 12 January 2007, floodwaters were slowly rising at Jalan Jaffar in Kota Tinggi, while the residents were all shifting their goods in preparation for the second flood. In the morning of 13 January 2007 around 4:00 a.m., the Sungai Semberong bridge at Batu 5, Jalan Kluang-Mersing (Federal route 50) collapsed after being washed by strong currents. Malacca In Malacca, 3,193 people from 691 families from Melaka Tengah, Alor Gajah and Jasin left their homes due to rising waters. A total of 35 relief centres were opened, with the floods regarded the worst for the three districts in 15 years. Pahang In Pahang, more than 2,000 people were evacuated in several areas in Rompin, especially in Bandar Tun Abdul Razak. After more than 10 hours of continuous rain, people in Kampung Rekoh in Bandar Tun Abdul Razak were evacuated to nearby community halls. Other affected areas were Kampung Kurnia, Yayasan Estate and Yayasan Estate II. More than 6,000 residents, including settlers in nine Felda Selancar schemes, were also stranded because of two badly damaged bridges in the area. Negeri Sembilan In Negeri Sembilan, the various government departments in charge of flood relief in the state were fully prepared and on standby, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. Flooded areas include Gemas and Gemencheh and a total of 80 people have been evacuated so far. Singapore Reactions Prime Minister's response Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi expressed his sadness over the disaster. When the flooding started, he just finished a 3-day visit to Venezuela and had just left for a vacation. He was back in Malaysia by 23 December 2006. Disaster Relief Several government agencies and NGOs provided assistance and aid to the victims during and after the floods. The Malaysian Red Crescent Society distributed hygiene kits to victims. The organisation also deployed several boats to the affected areas. MERCY Malaysia deployed 78 volunteers and also appealed for public donations to assist the victims. The Tzu Chi Foundation mobilised over 4,200 volunteers from both Malaysia and Singapore and have helped over 46,000 flood victims in 4 states. International response Aid was given to Malaysia by various international non-governmental organisations and countries such as United Sikhs, Red Crescent, United States of America, and Taiwan. The Singapore Red Cross Society sent volunteers to assist in the state of Johor. The society also sent aid worth RM22,600. The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided $50,000 through the U.S. Embassy to the Malaysian Red Crescent to support emergency relief efforts. The IFRC allocate CHF 50,000 (US$41,425) from the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 25 December 2006 to support the Malaysian Red Crescent's initial relief efforts. See also Floods in Malaysia 2007 Jakarta flood References Further reading 2000s floods in Asia 2006 floods Malaysian floods 2006 in Indonesia 2006 in Malaysia 2006 in Singapore 2007 in Malaysia 2007 in Singapore Floods in Indonesia Floods in Malaysia Natural disasters in Singapore

12277001

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James%20Clair%20Flood

James Clair Flood

James Clair Flood (October 25, 1826 – February 21, 1889) was an American businessman who made a fortune thanks to the Comstock Lode in Nevada. His mining operations are recounted to this day as an outstanding example of what may be done with a rich ore body and a genius for stock manipulation. Flood piled up millions as one of the famed "Bonanza Kings" and is considered to have been one of the 100 wealthiest Americans, leaving an enormous fortune. He is famous for two mansions, the James C. Flood Mansion at 1000 California St. in San Francisco, and Linden Towers located in Menlo Park, torn down in 1936. Biography Flood was born on October 25, 1826, in Staten Island, New York, to Irish immigrant parents. He had an eighth grade education, and was then apprenticed to a New York carriage maker. In 1849 he sailed for San Francisco and the Gold Rush. After some success in the mines, he returned east to marry Mary Emma Leary of County Wexford, Ireland. They were back in San Francisco by 1854. Flood had two children, Jennie who never married, and James Leary born in 1857. James Leary married Marie Rosina "Rose" Fritz, a burlesque dancer, who died in 1898. James L. had three children from his second marriage, James Flood (born 1900), Mary Emma Flood (Mrs. Theodore) Stebbins (born 1908), and a boy who died at age 5. As a tribute to his father, James L. built the Flood Building on San Francisco's Market Street, which in 2003 was still owned by the Flood family. Beginning of a fortune In 1857 James Flood opened a saloon with partner William S. O'Brien on Washington street in San Francisco. In 1858 they sold the saloon and went into business as stockbrokers. After the discovery of silver in Nevada in 1859, the partners began investing in mining stocks. The following year, Flood and O'Brien formed a partnership with fellow Irishmen James Graham Fair, a mine superintendent, and John William Mackay, a mining engineer. None of the four had impressed themselves on others than their immediate circle of friends and acquaintances until some time in the 1870s they joined forces in operating the Consolidated Virginia and the California claims in the Comstock Lode. Mackay and Fair had the mining knowledge and Flood and O'Brien raised the money. The purchase price of the claims, later to become a fabulous source of wealth, was about $100,000. The original stock issue was 10,700 shares, selling for between $4 and $5 a share. Stock gambling fever The new firm gained control of the Consolidated Virginia Mining Company stock in 1873, and it was in this mine that the greatest silver bonanza in history was discovered in 1873. The ore body was more than 1,200 feet deep, which yielded in March of that year as much as $632 per ton. A little while after uncovering the "big bonanza" the price of the stock went skyward. Flood is traditionally credited with having directed the subsequent proceedings so far as stock market operations were concerned. San Francisco and the entire mining world were hurtled into a fever of excitement by proof of early reports of richness of the mining claims. The first stock issue was converted into two issues of 108,000 shares each, and by the middle of 1875 the speculative value of the two mines were close to $1,000,000,000. Shares went as high as $710. It was said that in the first six months of 1875 the output of the mines averaged $1,500,000 monthly. Seats on the San Francisco Stock and Exchange Board jumped to $25,000 each as a result of the excitement. Varied interests sought to obtain stock control of the rich properties and there came the inevitable crash in which many went to financial doom. The "Bonanza Kings" profited, however, and late in 1875 Flood and O'Brien sought to become leaders in finance. After producing $133,471,000, the Consolidated Virginia and California mines could not be operated profitably, but in the language of the street, the owners had "caught them coming and going." Bank of Nevada The Bonanza firm was said to be held together by Flood, though he was the most unpopular of the partners with the public, and was regarded by some as a stock manipulator. The advent of Flood and O'Brien, operating independently of Fair and Mackay, into the financial field met fierce resistance from William Sharon and William C. Ralston of the Bank of California. As a result of a battle between the two groups, the Bank of California failed and Flood and O'Brien started the Nevada Bank. From that time on finance more than mining engaged Flood's time, and much of his wealth went into real estate. Dissension and an ill-fated attempt to corner the world wheat market in 1887 cost the firm millions. William Alvord, president of the Bank of California, in 1887 warned James C. Flood of signs of irregularities at the Nevada Bank, enabling Flood to avert the collapse of the Nevada Bank following the speculation of its cashier in the wheat market. Other investments In 1882, Flood purchased the Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores. References External links Photograph of Linden Towers 1826 births 1889 deaths American investors American stockbrokers Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma, California) Nob Hill, San Francisco People from Staten Island American mining businesspeople American people of Irish descent Burials at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park 19th-century American businesspeople

12400190

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20plain%20toadlet

Flood plain toadlet

The floodplain toadlet (Uperoleia inundata) is a species of frog in the family Myobatrachidae. Habitat The floodplain toadlet is endemic to northern Australia ranging from the Timor sea to the gulf of Carpentaria. The floodplain toadlet natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and intermittent freshwater marshes. Conservation status The population of the species is stable and is on the least concerned list. The species faces no threats. References Uperoleia Amphibians of Queensland Amphibians of the Northern Territory Amphibians of Western Australia Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Amphibians described in 1981 Frogs of Australia

12496727

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20%282007%20film%29

Flood (2007 film)

Flood is a 2007 British-Canadian disaster film, directed by Tony Mitchell. It features Robert Carlyle, Jessalyn Gilsig, David Suchet and Tom Courtenay and is mainly set in London, England. It is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Doyle. Plot A storm surge travels between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, raising sea levels and coinciding with the spring tide. Several parts of Scotland are devastated, including Wick. The Met Office's head forecaster, Keith Hopkins, mistakenly believes the storm will head towards the Netherlands and is guilt-ridden by Deputy Prime Minister Campbell when he critiques the failed forecasts. Professor Leonard Morrison proves that the approaching surge of water will break through the Thames Barrier and flood London in the next three hours. Leonard had focused his life around the belief that the barrier was built in the wrong area, and turned his son Rob (grieving from the death of his mother) into a bitter man. However, upon learning his father's obsession turned out to be truthful, Rob apologises. Deputy Prime Minister Campbell, in charge while the Prime Minister is away, declares a state of emergency. He begins to evacuate over one million people from Central London before the water surge hits. He is assisted by Police Commissioner Patricia Nash, Major General Ashcroft and a guilt-stricken Hopkins. The Thames barrier is raised, but the tsunami arrives and overwhelms the barrier. It sweeps into the city, destroying everything in its path. Rob and his ex-wife Sam, both expert engineers, jump into the Thames to escape. Leonard is saved by a military helicopter and taken to Whitehall, where the authority figures desperately require his assistance to handle the disaster. Rob and Sam end up in the London Underground with other survivors. They are led through a ventilation duct to higher ground by two underground maintenance workers, Bill and Zack. When the surge floods the station, Bill is drowned sealing a door behind the others. The group find a ventilation shaft and escape the underground, finding themselves in the flooded Trafalgar Square, where Rob and Sam are able to contact Leonard. They end up returning with him to the barrier, where Leonard believes the water flow can be reversed back out of London, as the tide has turned and the water level is starting to go down. But General Ashcroft disagrees and prepares to destroy the barrier with an air strike. Hopkins, feeling even more guilty when thousands of corpses are shown on a news report, quietly disappears and is later reported by Ashcroft to be dead, an apparent suicide. Nash is at odds with Ashcroft, wanting to give the Morrisons a chance to remedy the situation, while also distraught over her own two missing daughters, who later are found alive. Rob, Sam and Leonard discover the controls to the Thames barrier are now underwater. One can activate them, but likely will not survive. Rob and Sam try to decide which of them should go, but Leonard leaves on the suicide mission. He saves London by activating the barrier's controls before running out of air whilst underwater and dying in the effort. Campbell is informed that the Thames barrier has been activated and orders the air strike to be aborted. Rob and Sam lower the Thames barrier and the water flows back out of London. Cast Production The film was shot on location in London for two weeks and in South Africa for 11 weeks. It is notable for the use of intricate production design and special effects in depicting famous London landmarks such as the London Underground, Houses of Parliament and The O2 being partially submerged under water. Twenty-six studio sets were constructed with built-in water effects to shoot the actors in a wide range of flood sequences. Miniature sets in water tanks were used to shoot larger flooded buildings such as the Thames Barrier, London Underground and car parks. Computer generated visual effects were used to create shots of flooded London by combining shots of London with digitally created water. Locations in Cape Town were used for Whitehall, the Scottish coastline, London Underground and the Thames Barrier. Release A 110-minute version of the film was given a limited theatrical release in the UK, premiering on 24 August 2007 and was released on DVD in the UK in October 2007. An extended two-part TV version was screened on ITV1 on May 4 and 5 2008 and released in the UK on DVD October 2008. It also played as a mini-series in Lithuania, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Finland and Denmark. The extended version was repeated on ITV3 on 10 and 11 January 2009. Critical response Anna Smith at the BBC gave the film 3 stars out of five with the reviewer calling it "an American disaster movie on rather sodden British soil." References External links Risques VS Fictions n°8, filmed interview (subbed in French) with Steve East, technical support team leader of the real Thames Barrier about the depiction of the barrier and scientific accuracy in the film. 2007 films British disaster films British drama films British science fiction films Canadian disaster films Canadian drama films Canadian science fiction films Films based on British novels Films set in London Films set in Scotland Films set in the United Kingdom Films shot in London Films shot in South Africa Flood films 2000s English-language films Films directed by Tony Mitchell 2000s British films 2000s Canadian films

12597704

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%20South%20Asian%20floods

2007 South Asian floods

The 2007 South Asian floods were a series of floods in India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh. News Agencies, citing the Indian and Bangladeshi governments, place the death toll in excess of 2,000. By 3 August, approximately 20 million had been affected and by 10 August some 30 million people in India, Bangladesh and Nepal had been affected by flooding. UNICEF said that the situation "is being described as the worst flooding in living memory". Background Rajpal Yadav of the Indian Meteorological Department reported that "we've been getting constant rainfall in these areas for nearly 20 days" due to abnormal monsoon patterns. Flooding in Pakistan began during the landfall of Cyclone 03B in June 2007. Pakistani states Balochistan and Sindh were particularly affected. Melting snow from the Himalayan glaciers increased the water levels of the Brahmaputra River. Areas affected in Bangladesh On 1 August, there was flooding on the Padma and Brahmaputra rivers. By 3 August, the main highway connecting Dhaka to the rest of the country was impassable, many districts were flood-affected and 500,000 people had been marooned. By 7 August an estimated 7.5 million people had fled their homes. By 8 August more than 50,000 people had diarrhoea or other waterborne diseases and more than 400,000 people were in temporary shelters. By 11 August, flood deaths were still occurring in Bangladesh, the number of people with flood-related diseases was increasing and about 100,000 people had caught dysentery or diarrhoea. By 13 August, the confirmed death toll in Bangladesh was 405. By 15 August, five million people were still displaced, the estimated death toll was nearly 500, and all six of Bangladesh's divisions were affected. Dhaka Districts in Dhaka that were affected by flooding on 21 July include Dhaka, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Manikganj, Netrakona, Jamalpur and Tangail. Khulna Districts in Khulna that were affected by flooding on 21 July include Magura and Narail. Rajshahi Places in Rajshahi that were affected by flooding on 21 July include Sirajganj, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Bogra and Kurigram. Besides, Belkuchi, Enayatpur too. Sylhet Districts in Sylhet that were affected by flooding on 21 July include Sylhet, Sunamganj and Sherpur. Areas affected in Bhutan In Bhutan, the rain had led to landslides across the country, disrupting a number of major roads. Samdrup Jongkhar and Sarpang By 5 August water was still above the warning level in the foothills of Bhutan. Areas affected in India By 7 August in India, an estimated 13.7 million people had fled their homes. According to the Indian government, the total cost of the monsoon this year, of which these floods are a part, is in excess of since 1 June The full extent of the damage and number of lives lost may never be known. president Pratibha Patil has condoled the loss of lives due to the floods. Arunachal Pradesh Places in Arunachal Pradesh that were affected by flooding on 12 July include Lakhimpur, Chamuah Gaon, Nowboicha and Bharaluwa Gaon. Assam In Assam, approximately 100,000 sought shelter in 500 government-sponsored relief camps. Millions of dollars' worth of crops were also destroyed. 500,000 residents in Assam were displaced, and nineteen have been killed. On 1 August 2007, a teenage boy from Assam was shot by a police officer after a flood as survivors attacked a group of aid workers. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were the hardest hit states due to their high population density. By 3 August, the estimated death toll was 41 people, and 48 schoolgirls were marooned in a school in the Darbhanga district. By 8 August, an estimated 10 million people in Bihar had been affected by flooding. Army helicopters delivered food packets to Bihar residents and 180 relief camps were set up. By 10 August, aid workers in Bihar said the number of people with diarrhoea had jumped dramatically and by 11 August, flood deaths were still occurring. Gujarat On 8 August, Jamnagar reported 269 millimetres (10 inches) of rain and fresh flooding was reported in Gujarat. By the next day, nine people had been killed and more than 400 villages were cut off. By 10 August, more than 22,000 people were displaced and health workers were disinfecting the worst-hit areas. Haryana Haryana was affected by flooding on 12 August. Himachal Pradesh On 14 August in Himachal Pradesh, a cloudburst caused a landslide that buried an entire village, killing an estimated 60 people. Jammu and Kashmir Parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the part of Kashmir administered by India, that were affected by flooding on 12 August include Jammu city, Udhampur, Nikki Tawi, and lower Satwari. Jharkhand and West Bengal While relief efforts have been concentrated elsewhere in India, the plight of the traditional region of Bengal (the flood plains of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river delta and its tributaries) has been less reported. The Damodar and Kangsabati rivers overflowed their banks in late June, but levels finally began to fall as of 6 August. The Durgapur Barrage and Kangsabati Dam (near Bankura) may be partly responsible. In North Bengal, the floods have caused economic damage also estimated in the millions of U.S. dollars (at least Rs. 500 million); and in Siliguri, flash floods have wiped away at least 100 houses on a single night (28 July 2007). The state government of West Bengal has set up facilities to house 50,000 refugees. As the flood has affected parts of the East Midnapore (Purba Medinipur) district, long-standing political divisions and conflicts have flared in the wake of the floods. Kerala Kerala was affected by flooding on 19 July. Maharashtra By 3 August most streets were flooded in Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra were waterlogged. On 7 August there was extensive flooding in the Gadchiroli district. Meghalaya Places in Meghalaya that were affected by flooding on 12 July include the West Garo Hills district, the Tura and Rishipara areas. National Capital Territory of Delhi New Delhi was also affected by the heavy rains. Orissa On 8 August, fresh flooding was reported in Orissa. Punjab Punjab was affected by flooding on 12 August. Tripura Places in Tripura that were affected by flooding on 12 July include Udaipur, Amarpur and Sonamura. Uttarakhand Uttarakhand, which was known as Uttaranchal until 2006, was affected by flooding on 12 August. Areas affected in Nepal In Nepal, eighty-four people were killed by the floods and resulting landslides and 9,700 families were displaced. Twenty-eight of the country's seventy-five districts were affected, in eleven of Nepal's fourteen zones and all five of Nepal's regions. Nepali officials were concerned about the spread of waterborne diseases. By 7 August an estimated 333,500 people in Nepal were affected by flooding. Central Region Janakpur Zone Districts in the Janakpur Zone that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sindhuli, Sarlahi and Ramechhap. Narayani Zone Districts in the Narayani Zone that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Chitwan and Rautahat. East Region Koshi Zone Districts in the Koshi Zone that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Sunsari and Morang. Province No. 1 The Jhapa District in the Province No. 1 was affected by flooding from 23 July. Sagarmatha Zone Districts in the Sagarmatha Zone that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Udayapur, Okhaldhunga, Saptari, Solukhumbu and Siraha. Far West Region Mahakali Zone Districts in the Mahakali Zone that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Baitadi and Darchula. Seti Zone Districts in the Seti Zone that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Kailali, Bajhang and Bajura. Mid West Region Bheri Zone Districts in the Bheri Zone that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Banke, Bardiya and Surkhet. Rapti Zone The Dang district in the Rapti Zone was affected by flooding from 23 July. West Region Dhawalagiri Zone The Baglung District in the Dhawalagiri Zone was affected by flooding from 23 July. Lumbini Zone Districts in the Lumbini Zone that were affected by flooding from 23 July include Nawalparasi and Gulmi. Areas affected in Pakistan By 11 August, 28 people had died in rain-related accidents in Sindh. By 12 August, flood waters were sweeping through villages in southern Pakistan. The Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was affected by flooding on 12 August. Areas in coastal Balochistan were destroyed, including the village of Solband, which was levelled. See also Kangsabati Project International response By 15 August, non-governmental organisations, many with contributions from governments, that were contributing aid included Malteser International, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe, Direct Relief International, World Concern, Islamic Relief, Church World Service, International Save the Children Alliance, Lutheran World Relief, Medical Teams International, Care International, Catholic Relief Services, British Red Cross Society, World Vision, Diakonie Emergency Aid, David McAntony Gibson Foundation, Caritas Internationalis, Action by Churches Together (ACT), Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Baptist World Aid (BWAid), Mercy Corps, and many others. References External links Dartmouth Flood Observatory 2007 Global Register of Major Flood Events British Red Cross-Asia Floods Appeal Give to the Asia Floods Appeal South Asian floods South Asian floods Health in Nepal Health in Bangladesh South Asian floods South Asian floods South Asian floods South Asian floods Floods in Bangladesh Natural disasters in Bhutan Water in Bhutan Floods in India Floods in Nepal Floods in Pakistan 2007 disasters in India

12738246

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%20Sudan%20floods

2007 Sudan floods

On 3 July 2007, flash floods during Sudan's rainy season devastated much of the country's central, southern, and western regions. The Sudanese government referred to the floods as the "worst in living memory". An estimated 200,000 Sudanese were made homeless while 122 reportedly died. The United Nations played a principal role in the ensuing recovery and relief program. Damage As of the 12th of August, 2007, the emergency had caused the total or partial destruction of over 150,000 homes, leaving at least 750,000 homeless or in need of emergency shelter due to a destroyed home (according to an average of available estimates). The areas worst affected were the states of Kassala, Khartoum, North Kurdufan, Unity State, and Upper Nile. The United Nations, whilst not providing specific figures for the devastation, estimates that "well over 30,000 houses" were fully destroyed, and "at least 365,000 people" have already been directly affected, including a reported 64 dead and 335 injured. The United Nations reported on 19 August the following highlights: At least 257 schools destroyed, leaving over 56,000 children without primary education. At least 12,000 livestock, 16,000 chickens, and 96,000 feddans of crops lost. Outbreaks of waterborne disease continue in Gedaref and Kassala, killing one person every two weeks on average. Response Within four weeks after torrential rains started to devastate many parts of the Sudan, the United Nations and partners, in support of the Government, have assisted up to half a million people affected by the floods. This includes aid of a preventive nature, designed to avert the huge risk of epidemics. David Gressly, acting United Nations Resident Coordinator in the country, stated: "Although the floods came earlier than expected, the response has been swift and successful. We had contingency measures in place, and were able to prevent further distress to the population. [But] if current flooding patterns continue unabated, the situation will deteriorate considerably". On 6 August, the United Nations reported that the following had been achieved: The United Nations and partners have so far supplied essential non-food items to approximately 200,000 people, whose indispensable household goods were lost in the destruction. Families received badly needed commodities, such as blankets, pieces of plastic sheeting to serve as shelter, jerry cans for carrying and storing clean water, cooking sets, and sleeping mats. However, it is estimated that many more people will need similar relief over the coming months. Amidst the risk of waterborne epidemics, the lack of clean water has been a primary concern. In close cooperation with the Government, the United Nations and partners have so far provided water purification products and hygiene education to approximately 500,000 people without access to clean water, with over 1,400 kilograms of chlorine powder and 878,000 chlorine tablets already supplied. In Kassala near the Eritrean border, tankers have been delivering clean water to the most affected neighbourhoods, covering at least 10,000 people. Over the rest of the rainy season, clean water — potentially life-saving — will continue to be a priority need for hundreds of thousands. Despite these preventive measures, 637 cases of suspected acute watery diarrhoea were reported in the states of Gedaref and Kassala in Sudan's east, leading to 39 known deaths. Emergency epidemic surveillance measures have been put in place, along with pre-positioning of preventive and curative health supplies. Over 34,000 people in the affected areas have received cholera awareness education. In order to respond to the increased risk of potential diseases transmittable by insects, the United Nations and partners will endeavour to procure sufficient medical drugs, mosquito nets, insecticides, and other supplies, to cover all those in need until the emergency is over. So far, 40,000 flood victims have received food, but the United Nations estimates that many more could soon be in need of emergency food rations. Funding On 16 August, the United Nations announced that an appeal for the floods would be forthcoming. The amount of the appeal, however, was not disclosed. On 20 August, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced that US$8.7 million had been allocated to the response, from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The statement also noted that US$3.8 million had already been allocated to the response from a local pooled fund. The Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator of the United Nations, Oluseyi Bajulaiye, then launched an appeal on 28 August to the international community, requesting US$20.2 million in funding for the ongoing response. See also 2013 Sudan floods 2018 Sudan floods 2020 Sudan floods 2022 Sudan floods References 2000s floods in Africa 2007 floods Floods Floods in Sudan Floods

12784883

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%20North%20Korean%20floods

2007 North Korean floods

Flooding in North Korea in August 2007 caused extensive damage and loss of life. The flooding affected most of the southern half of the country including the capital and some of its most productive agricultural regions. Aid officials feared the loss of crop land could seriously hinder the North's ability to feed its people, causing widespread famine. History On August 15, 2007, North Korea announced it had been hit extremely hard by floods after a solid week of torrential rains, and that it desperately needed assistance from the outside world. The previous year, the country also experienced massive flooding when torrential rains in July left hundreds if not thousands dead. The difference is this time Pyongyang reacted quickly to the disaster, requesting help while the waters were still high, rather than keeping silent as long as possible, as it has done in the past. Television footage from North Korea showed citizens in Pyongyang wading in knee- and waist-deep waters along the capital's grand boulevards. Government officials invited foreign diplomats in Pyongyang to venture out to the countryside to view first-hand the devastation wrought by the relentless rains. On August 27, North Korea said it had suspended its yearly showcase Arirang mass games. The performance resumed after the flood damage was cleared away. By August 31, North Korea reported recovering from devastating floods thanks to vigorous work by its citizens and officials. Railway services had resumed with many sections of broken track restored. Telecommunications workers were reported restoring destroyed or submerged electrical cables. Yet, the dispatch made no mention of foreign assistance. The country's leader Kim Jong-Il thanked the leaders of 11 countries on September 11 for their help in flood relief, except South Korea even though they sent 37.4 billion won (39.8 million dollars) of relief aid. Farmland The flooding submerged, buried or washed away more than 11 percent of the country's rice and corn fields. The North is especially susceptible to bad weather because of a vicious circle where people strip hillsides of natural vegetation to create more arable land to grow food — increasing the risk of floods. On August 16, 2007, Paul Lysley, spokesperson for the WFP Asia, has estimated the damage to crops alone at 450,000 tons. The United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported some 223,381 hectares of farmland were damaged, with about 20 percent of North Korea's paddy fields and 15 percent of its corn fields flooded or washed away. Relief aid On August 17, 2007, Seoul, South Korea decided to provide $7.5 million in flood relief to North Korea. Initial aid shipments included noodles, drinking water, powdered milk, blankets and medicines. On August 23, 2007, a convoy of 34 trucks carrying emergency food rations, water and other goods left South Korea for the North. Seoul has pledged to provide 7.1 billion won ($7.6 million) in aid. NGOs such as the Red Cross also asked people to raise funds because they feared a humanitarian catastrophe. On August 29, Japan considered sending humanitarian aid to North Korea to help it recover from devastating floods. Sending aid would be a reversal for Japan, which has previously linked aid to resolving a row over North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens. Japan has not sent any humanitarian aid to North Korea since late 2004, in protest at a lack of progress over Japanese nationals kidnapped by Pyongyang in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The United Nations requested US$14 million to provide North Korea with food, medicine, drinking water and other emergency goods. The United States pledged at least US$100,000 for the U.N. See also North Korean famine 2006 North Korean floods 2012 North Korean floods 2018 North Korean floods References North Korean floods Flooding Floods in North Korea 2007 disasters in North Korea

12788951

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Flood%20%28Stravinsky%29

The Flood (Stravinsky)

The Flood: A musical play (1962) is a short biblical drama by Igor Stravinsky on the story of Noah and the flood, originally conceived as a work for television. It contains singing, spoken dialogue, and ballet sequences. It is in Stravinsky's late, serial style. The work was premiered in the United States on the CBS Television Network on 14 June 1962, a production conducted by Robert Craft and choreographed by George Balanchine. Dramatic actors participating in the work included Laurence Harvey (narrator), Sebastian Cabot (Noah), and Elsa Lanchester (Noah's wife, which Lanchester played with a Cockney accent). Robert Craft also conducted the first staged performance, by the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico in 1962, and again in Hamburg on 30 April 1963. Text The narrative of The Flood juxtaposes the story of the Creation with that of Noah. The text was compiled by Robert Craft using material from Genesis and the York and Chester cycles of mystery plays. Excerpts from the Te Deum are sung by the chorus. Scoring The work is scored for tenor soloist (Lucifer/Satan), two bass soloists (God), several spoken parts (a narrator, Satan, Eve, Noah, a caller, Noah's wife, son of Noah), chorus (SAT) and a large orchestra of 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), alto flute, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones (1st doubling alto trombone), tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, xylorimba, 3 tom-toms, harp, celesta, piano and strings. The Flood was published in 1963 by Boosey & Hawkes. Structure The work is in seven parts: Recordings The original cast recording, with Robert Craft conducting (in the composer's presence) the Columbia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, recorded in 1962 for Columbia Masterworks Records, released on CD by Sony Classical Records (SM2K 46300) Oliver Knussen conducting the London Sinfonietta on Deutsche Grammophon (DG 447 068–2, released 1995) References Cited sources Phillip Ramey: Liner notes to Igor Stravinsky Edition, vol. X: Oratorio and Melodrama (Sony Classical SM2K 46300) Boosey & Hawkes' information about the score. Retrieved August 16, 2007 Holman, J. K. (ed.) 2007. Wagner Moments: A Celebration of Favorite Wagner Experiences. New York: Amadeus Press. . Snippet view on Google books at books.google.com. Kuster, Andrew, Analysis of The Flood. Retrieved 5 May 2009. Further reading Straus, Joseph. N. 2001. Stravinsky's Late MusicCambridge Studies in Music Theory and Analysis. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. (cloth); (pbk). Stravinsky, Igor, and Robert Craft. 1962. Expositions and Developments. Garden City, NY: Doubleday; London: Faber and Faber. Reprinted, Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1981. . van den Toorn, Peter C. 1983. The Music of Igor Stravinsky. Composers of the Twentieth Century. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. . White, Eric Walter. 1979. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, second edition. Berkeley and Los Angeles: The University of California Press. . Ballets by George Balanchine Operas by Igor Stravinsky 1962 operas Operas for television English-language operas Operas Operas based on the Bible Noah's Ark in popular culture

12805603

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20%28surname%29

Flood (surname)

Flood is a traditional Irish and Scottish surname and may refer to: Alexandra Flood (born 1990), Australian operatic soprano, sister of Georgia Flood Ann Flood (1932–2022), American actress Anthony Flood (born 1984), Irish footballer Chris Flood (born 1947), Irish politician Colleen M. Flood, professor Curt Flood (1938–1997), American baseball player Daniel J. Flood (1903–1994), American politician Dennis Flood, American politician, mayor of Irvington, New York in 1994–2006 Edward Flood (1805–1888), Australian politician Emmet Flood, American attorney Frank Flood (1901–1921), Irish war of independence soldier Georgia Flood, Australian actress, sister of Alexandra Flood Gerald Flood (1927–1989), British actor Henry Flood (1732–1791), Irish politician Hulda Flood (1886–1968), Swedish politician James Clair Flood, (1826–1889), American businessman Liam Flood (circa 1943 – 2014), Irish bookmaker and poker player Lisa Flood (born 1971), Canadian swimmer Mark Flood (disambiguation), several people Martin Flood (born 1964), Australian quiz–show winner Michael Flood (21st century), Australian sociologist Mike Flood (born 1975), American politician Philip Flood (born 1935), Australian diplomat Robert L. Flood (born 1955), British management scientist Sonny Flood (born 1989), British actor Toby Flood (born 1985), English rugby union player W. H. Grattan Flood (1857–1928), Irish musicologist, historian, and author Warden Flood (1694–1764), Irish judge and politician, MP for Callan 1727–1760, Lord Chief Justice 1760–1764 Warden Flood (1735–1797), Irish politician, MP 1769–1797 for Longford Borough, Carysfort, Baltinglass, then Taghmon; nephew of the judge Willo Flood (born 1985), Irish footballer Sarah Flood-Beaubrun (born 1969), Saint Lucian lawyer and politician See also Mark Ellis (born 1960), British record producer known professionally as "Flood" English-language surnames Surnames of Irish origin Surnames of Scottish origin

12840562

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1947%20Thames%20flood

1947 Thames flood

The 1947 Thames flood was the most severe flood of the River Thames in the 20th century, affecting much of the Thames Valley as well as elsewhere in England during the middle of March 1947 after a severe winter. The worst in over 100 years, it was exacerbated by an extremely high tide. Background The source of the Thames is in Gloucestershire, and it flows east through Oxfordshire. Records have been kept of its water levels since 1893. In January 1947, the country—particularly the southeast—had been hit by blizzards, which were severe enough to freeze the upper reaches of the River Thames. Winter storms continued into February. Before the flooding, 117 mm (4.6 inches) of precipitation and snow had fallen; the peak flow was 61.7 billion litres of water per day and the damage cost a total of £12 million to repair. The heavy snow had been followed by a period of relatively warm weather, which caused the snow to quickly melt on top of the still-frozen ground, which meant it had nowhere to drain. War damage to some locks made matters worse. Maidenhead was particularly badly damaged, with over 2,000 dwellings flooded. The same weather conditions caused widespread flooding to many river basins in the country during March 1947. Although there were no deaths as a consequence of the flooding, the shock value was sufficient to put flooding on the political agenda. Aftermath Other significant Thames floods since 1947 have occurred in 1968, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2014. Following the 1947 flood, a recent commentator has suggested, the Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead—having been particularly heavily hit—"judged that the zoning regulation after 1947 would cause the area to become derelict and destroy its amenities". It is considered a 1/60 year-occurrence event. The flood of 1947 is considered as being instrumental in formulating major government policy developments regarding flood control. See also 1928 Thames flood Winter of 1946–1947 in the United Kingdom Great Flood of 1968 The Cut-off Channel Notes References Bibliography 1947 Thames Thames Flood Thames Flood History of the River Thames 20th-century floods in the United Kingdom 1940s floods Thames Flood Thames Flood

12855211

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%20Midwest%20flooding

2007 Midwest flooding

The 2007 Midwest flooding was a major flooding event that occurred in the Midwestern United States in the third week of August 2007. While Hurricane Dean was affecting the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico, and Tropical Storm Erin was affecting Oklahoma and Texas, a persistent storm system hung over the Midwest for several days, causing repeated flash flooding in the US states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Cool Canadian air clashed with large quantities of warm moist air from the Gulf, producing torrential rains along a stationary front. 5 deaths across the central United States were attributed to the resulting flooding. Seven Minnesota counties, eight Ohio counties, fourteen counties in Wisconsin, and seven counties in Illinois were declared Federal Disaster Areas. Meteorological synopsis On Saturday, August 18, a warm front pushed northward into Iowa and Illinois, where it became stationary. Warm, moist air pushing over the frontal boundary fueled showers and thunderstorms that moved in a west-to-east fashion, training over the same areas for hours at a time. Some parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa saw moderate to heavy rain for nearly a full day before the activity finally cleared out. Additional thunderstorms formed over these areas on Sunday, August 19, exacerbating the flooding problems. Tropical Storm Erin had pushed into the coast of Texas on August 15, and by August 18 had stalled over Oklahoma. Though the remnants of Erin did not directly impact the flooding in these areas, moisture from Erin streamed northward, enhancing the thunderstorm activity for two to three days. The stationary front and associated energy then extended eastward through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio on August 19 and August 20. Similarly, the front was the focus for thunderstorm development, and the precipitation continued moving over the same areas, leading to extended periods of heavy rainfall. Approximately 1,000,000 homes lost electricity due to the storms. Runoff from the heavy rain also caused river flooding to the south of the affected areas. The Rock River near Joslin, Illinois peaked at 17.11 feet, above flood stage. Moderate flooding was also reported on the Mississippi River from the Quad Cities to St. Louis, Missouri. Illinois The city of Rockford, Illinois was deluged in the weeks preceding the major flooding during the third week of August. On August 7, Rockford was hit by five to seven inches (127–178 mm) of rain. Many streets, including main thoroughfares, were flooded. There was also fear that the Alpine Dam might break. The following day, Governor Rod Blagojevich declared both Rockford and Winnebago County a state disaster area. With this declaration, he dispatched both the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to assist the city. Debris removal, law enforcement, damage assessment, and other physical assistance were offered by the governor. Two weeks later on August 23, violent storms rolled through most of the Chicago metropolitan area. Tornado warnings were issued during the first round of storms, which produced wind gusts as high as 80 miles per hour (130 km/h); the highest being reported in Manhattan. A small tornado was reported in Bolingbrook in a DuPage County Forest Preserve. The storms shut down airports (including O'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport), uprooted trees and left over 600,000 residents in northern Illinois without power, some for several days. The storms also caused flooding on streets and major expressways such as the Bishop Ford Freeway. Rainfall totals in Boone and LaSalle Counties topped 1987 records. Governor Rod Blagojevich declared McHenry, Lake, Cook (including Chicago), DuPage, and Kane counties to be disaster areas after the storm. Flooding across northern Illinois was widespread in the aftermath of the storms. Along the Rock River in Byron, the river reached moderate flood stage on August 24; moderate stage is above 14 feet (4 m). Officials in Ogle County recommended that people in low-lying areas along the Rock River, and along Killbuck Creek near Lindenwood, evacuate to higher ground. Downstream, in Lee County at Dixon, the river had not reached flood stage as off August 25, though it continued to rise. Though not affected by flooding as it was on August 7, the city of Rockford received 1.23 inches (31 mm) of rain, setting an all-time record for Rockford's wettest month in recorded climate data history, with a total of 13.82 inches (351 mm) of rain. Other rivers and streams in the Rock River valley experienced moderate to major flooding as well. The Kishwaukee River at Perryville crested at 17.57 feet (5.36 m), more than five feet above flood stage. The same river also rose above flood stage in Belvidere. After 4.85 inches (123 mm) of rain fell on August 23 and 24 in DeKalb County, at DeKalb, the South Branch Kishwaukee River rose to its highest level since 1983 and its second highest level in recorded history. Numerous roads and bridges were closed, and the cities of DeKalb and Sycamore declared local emergencies, though DeKalb County was not included in Blagojevich's initial disaster declaration. DeKalb County received state disaster area designation from Blagojevich on August 26. In DeKalb and Sycamore, about 600 residents were displaced from their homes, and the DeKalb campus of Northern Illinois University was closed because of the flood. The Fox River at Dayton crested after it rose to more than 17 feet (5 m), over five feet above the river's flood stage. In Plano, Illinois the Fox rose up around the historic Farnsworth House, a modern architecture masterpiece designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Preservationists used a boat to save the home and its furnishings, which previously had been devastated by high water in 1996. With the boat, preservationists were able to enter the house and move vulnerable furnishings to higher locations within the home. Water rose to within a foot of the Farnsworth House's raised platform, covering the terrace in front of the home, but the river crested before any damage occurred. At Starved Rock State Park, parking lots were closed due to the level of the Illinois River, which stood at 26.5 feet on August 25, 6.5 feet (2 m) above its flood stage. Governor Blagojevich estimated total flood damages could cost nine Illinois counties and the state more than $22.8 million, and the state requested federal assistance. On September 25, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster aid was available for the state of Illinois to assist with recovery from the August storms. The disaster aid was made available when President George W. Bush declared DeKalb, Grundy, Kane, LaSalle, Lake, and Will Counties, in northern Illinois, "major disaster" areas. The federal funding made individual assistance available to flood victims in Lake, Will and Grundy Counties, and individual and public assistance available to those in DeKalb, Kane and LaSalle Counties. Indiana In Dyer, Indiana, southeast of Chicago, authorities evacuated 70 patients from St. Margaret Mercy Hospital after a waters from a nearby creek started seeping into the hospital. Also in northwest Indiana, a section of Interstate 80/94 (Borman Expressway) was closed on August 24 due to flooding on the roadway. It was reopened on August 27. Iowa The Des Moines River near Fort Dodge crested at 4 feet (1.2 m) above flood stage, necessitating the evacuation of three subdivisions. In Ottumwa, storm sewers backed up into the city's water treatment plant, shutting four pumps down and leaving the entire town without adequate drinking water. This was caused by rainfall of over 12 inches (304.8 mm) that fell in southeast Iowa during the night of August 23–24. August 24 damage estimates in nearby Boone County, Iowa reached $150,000 in road damage and an additional $1 million damage to a scenic railroad. Minnesota A large swath of heavy rain fell across most of southern Minnesota during Saturday, August 18, and Sunday, August 19, with the highest totals in the far southeast counties of the state. Twenty-four-hour rainfall totals of 15.10 inches (384 mm) were recorded in Hokah, which easily broke the old state record of 10.84 inches (275 mm). An unofficial twenty-four-hour total of over 17 inches (432 mm) was recorded near Caledonia. During the entire weekend rainfall event, parts or all of 28 counties in Minnesota received at least 4 inches (102 mm) of rain. The highest total for the entire event was 18.17 inches (462 mm) near La Crescent. Southeast Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin are in the Driftless Area, which was not covered by the last glaciation, and therefore is not covered by deep layers of glacial till. The soils therefore are thin and less able to retain water; they lie atop porous rock into and through which surface waters can rapidly drain into the water table. The highly dissected topography, characterized by steep hills and bluffs and deep coulees, gives steep gradients to the drainage and makes streams highly erosive. As the rains far exceeded the absorption rate of 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in six hours, flash floods rapidly overflowed the water courses and spread across the valley floors. The towns of Stockton, Houston, Elba, Minnesota City, and portions of Winona, on the Mississippi River, were evacuated. Citizens were moved to Saint Mary's University in Winona, Lewiston, and Caledonia, Minnesota. Massive bluffs gave way in Brownsville and several homes were completely washed away. Governor Tim Pawlenty ordered 240 National Guard soldiers to help and declared a state of emergency in six counties. The Minnesota Army National Guard soldiers guarded communities that were cleared out after the flooding early August 19. The Army Corps of Engineers opened up the floodgates on the rising Root River to release some of the water creating pressure on the dike in Houston. High flood waters on the Middle Branch of the Whitewater River, which runs through Whitewater State Park, destroyed three bridges and damaged campgrounds, bathhouses, a group dining hall, and water and sewer systems in the park. About 500 campers were staying in Whitewater State Park at the time. The park was closed to the public on August 20, 2007, for an indefinite period of time. E. coli bacteria were found in the Rushford's water supply, and residents were urged not to use it until the city's water system could be flushed. Amtrak train service between Minneapolis and La Crosse, Wisconsin was shut down for a week because of damage to the tracks. Passengers were bussed between the two until repairs could be made. The passenger rail line resumed service on August 27. State Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes stated after initial flooding, "This is the worst disaster that's hit southeast Minnesota in a lifetime." Four thousand two hundred homes were damaged or destroyed in the state, and seven deaths were reported. It is estimated that there has been $67 million in damage. Dodge, Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona counties were declared federal disaster areas. Ohio The Blanchard River was 7.5 feet (2 m) above flood level in Findlay, the highest level since 1913. A 92-year-old man drowned trying to get to safety after his car became trapped in floodwater near Findlay, where water poured into the downtown area from the Blanchard and its tributary creeks. One hundred thirty inmates were moved from a Hancock County jail. Bucyrus received 9 inches (229 mm) of rain, and several hundred people were evacuated from their homes in Crawford County. The river also reached 8.7 feet (3 m) above flood level in Ottawa, Ohio. Ottawa's Main Street (U.S Route 224) was fully flooded, as were homes and churches for blocks around. Between Findlay and Ottawa, Route 224 was washed out in several spots. The fire department in Ottawa rescued dozens of people from their deluged homes by boat. Northwest Ohio's most serious flooding was along the Blanchard, though other rivers, including the Auglaize, Tiffin, Portage, and Sandusky, all experienced some level of flooding. The cities of Bellevue and Shelby also had severe flooding that forced residents from their homes. Allen, Crawford, Hancock, Hardin, Putnam, Richland, Seneca, and Wyandot counties were declared federal disaster areas. Wisconsin In Wisconsin, Governor Jim Doyle declared a state of emergency on August 20 in three counties in the southwest corner of his state after weekend rains of ten to twelve inches fell. (254–305 mm). More than 200 homes were flooded in the Crawford County communities of Gays Mills and Soldiers Grove, each with about 600 to 640 residents. A mudslide pushed one house onto state Highway 35 in Vernon County. Approximately $48 million in damage was reported in 12 Wisconsin counties. Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, and Vernon counties were declared federal disaster areas. In Madison, a mother and daughter waiting for a Madison Metro bus were electrocuted when lightning struck a power line and caused it to fall onto a flooded street on which they were standing, while another child was injured. A passenger on the bus was killed, and the driver was injured, both having been shocked after coming out of the bus to help. Before this torrential rain and flooding event, much of the state was in a moderate to severe drought that had persisted until mid-August. Although the southern half of the state received abundant precipitation, an upper-level high pressure ridge centered in Quebec caused a cut-off of precipitation to the north, leaving much of northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan with continued drought conditions. See also Floods in the United States: 2001-present List of Minnesota weather records Tropical Storm Erin References External links Amateur video of a flash flood in a residential area – Minneapolis Star Tribune Flooding at the Farnsworth House, Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, includes photo slide show. Rainfall totals & prediction – Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service 2000s floods in the United States 2007 floods 2007 natural disasters in the United States Natural disasters in Illinois Natural disasters in Indiana Natural disasters in Iowa Natural disasters in Minnesota Natural disasters in Ohio Natural disasters in Wisconsin Floods in the United States

12975009

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%20floods

2007 floods

2007 floods may refer to: 2006-2007 Malaysian floods 2007 United Kingdom floods 2007 South Asian floods 2007 Sudan floods June 2007 Hunter Region and Central Coast storms 2007 Midwest flooding in the United States 2007 Mozambican flood 2007 North Korea flooding 2007 Jakarta flood March 2007 floods in the Argentine littoral June 2007 Texas flooding 2007 Tabasco flood See also List of notable floods Floods in the United States: 2001-present

13072631

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1893%20Brisbane%20flood

1893 Brisbane flood

The 1893 Brisbane flood, occasionally referred to as the Great Flood of 1893 or the Black February flood, occurred in 1893 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Brisbane River burst its banks on three occasions in February 1893. It was the occurrence of three major floods in the same month that saw the period named "Black February". There was also a fourth flood later in the same year in June. The river runs through the centre of Brisbane with much of the population living in areas beside the river. It first flooded on February 6 due to a deluge associated with a tropical cyclone, called "Buninyong". The second cyclone struck on 11 February, causing relatively minor flooding compared to the first flood. When the third cyclone came on 19 February, it was almost as devastating as the first, and it left up to one third of Brisbane's residents homeless. This time however the flood in the Brisbane River was largely from waters from the upper reaches of Brisbane River, rather than the Stanley River. The 1893 floods caused 35 deaths. For the first flood, Crohamhurst recorded an all-time Australian record of of rain in a 24-hour period. The water surge was recorded on the Port Office gauge (now the City gauge) as being 8.35 metres (27 feet, 5 inches) above the low tide level. The February 1893 floods were the second and third highest water levels ever recorded at the City gauge, the highest being the January 1841 flood at 8.43 metres (27 feet, 8 inches). The 1893 floods were preceded by two notable yet less severe floods in 1887 and 1890. Both were caused by high levels of summer rainfall; however the rainfall around this period (with the exception of the two summers) was described as "very low". Historical context Brisbane sits on the land of the Indigenous Turrbal people. Ipswich, Queensland, and Lockyer Valley Region sit on the land of the Jagera people. Brisbane was established in 1825 as a convict settlement as part of the British colony of New South Wales, and by 1842 opened to free settlement. Queensland became a self-governing colony in 1859. Samuel Griffith was the Premier of Queensland during the Black February period, although in March 1893 (shortly after the floods) he resigned in order to join the Supreme Court of Queensland. Thomas McIlwraith then became Premier of Queensland. In 1901 the Commonwealth of Australia was formed, at which time Queensland became a State. Brisbane in 1891 had a population of 84,000 people. The area was under the jurisdiction of several local governments (the present City of Brisbane being formed by their amalgamation in 1925). John McMaster was Mayor of Brisbane Municipal Council, which contained the City Centre, and was the most important of the local government authorities. Damage The total damage caused by the flooding has been estimated at A$4 million (1893 figures), although no official figures exist. The southern regions of the city were most affected by the flood. The most flooded suburb of what was to become the City of Brisbane was Rocklea. However it only housed a small village and farms at that time. Both of the bridges that crossed the river, the Victoria Bridge and the Albert Bridge at Indooroopilly were destroyed. The Victoria Bridge, which was an iron bridge with a turning span to allow traffic to go upriver, was partially destroyed on Monday 6 February, when the northern half of the bridge was washed away. It was not replaced until 1897. In the meantime, ferries were used to transport people and goods across the busy river. This, however, led to the capsize of the ferry Pearl disaster in 1896 with the loss of more than 40 lives. The great advances in technology associated with photography meant that there were many photos taken of the floods, some of which still exist today. A local businessman who would later become Premier, Robert Philp had a photo album (a very expensive item at the time) of the floods, which survives today. Casualties The flooding was responsible for around 35 deaths. The floods also forced the hospitalisation of 190 residents. Ipswich Coal Mine disaster Seven of the victims were workers at John Wright's Eclipse colliery in north Ipswich which was flooded on Saturday 4 February by the Bremer River, a tributary of the Brisbane River. The seven miners killed included Thomas Wright (Mine Manager) and George Wright who were both sons of the owner. The other five miners were Andrew Smart, Patrick McQuade, John McQuade (son of Patrick), Charles Walker, and Mathew Cuthbertson. The lease over the mine was nearly expired so the mine was not in operation, but the men were removing rails and other mine equipment for use elsewhere. The colliery had two tunnels, and the flood waters had already reached the works. Thomas Wright, despite his father's advice against going down into the mine, arranged for seven men to go into the main tunnel and three men to go into the minor tunnel. Without warning, the roof collapsed over part of the main tunnel with air forced out of the mine in a great rush hurling wagons out of the way and trapping all seven men who entered the main tunnel. The men signaled the engine driver on the surface to pull them out but the collapse was major enough to prevent rescue. In minutes water had flooded the works and those not killed in the collapse would have drowned. Early warning signs of the 1st and 3rd floods The Indigenous people used to build their camps on higher ground along the rivers, aware of the dangers of floods. They had warned the free settlers of the potential threat of floods, but their advice was ignored and settlements were built closer to the banks of the rivers. Henry Plantagenet Somerset (1852–1936), was a landowner in the area where the Stanley River and the Upper Brisbane River meet. He built a homestead called "Caboonbah" on the cliffs above the river, where he lived with his wife, Katherine Rose Somerset (1855–1935). Caboonbah meant "big rock" in the local indigenous language, and it was built 60 feet (18 metres) higher than the rock cliff (Weldon's Knob) which was the location of the previous highest flood mark, from the 1890 flood. In early February, after the heavy rains caused by Tropical Cyclone Buninyong, the weather had finally broken, and to his surprise, Somerset saw from his porch a great wall of water come down the Stanley River. This was especially concerning to Somerset, as the heavy rains caused by a tropical cyclone Buninyong (informally named after the ship that first sighted it) had already caused the Stanley River to exceed the 1890 flood level. Somerset, realizing that people downriver where in great danger sent one of his workers, Henry (Harry) Winwood to Esk to send a telegraph to warn them. The telegraph sent warned the Brisbane General Post Office that Brisbane, Ipswich, Goodna, Lowood and other areas were in danger. The inhabitants of Brisbane were not worried however due to the fine weather, as the days of heavy rain having ended, all threat of floods seemed to have disappeared. The Brisbane General Post Office only posted the warning on a single noticeboard, and it went almost completely unheeded. On 17 February, another cyclone crossed the Queensland coast near Bundaberg to drench the already saturated Brisbane River catchment. Somerset observed that the Brisbane River was flooded in similar levels to the first flood of the Stanley River. He knew that the telegraph lines were down between Esk and Brisbane, but he knew that there was a telegraph office at the small township of North Pine (now Petrie), although this would require crossing the D'Aguilar Range. William (Billy) Mateer, of Eidsvold (Dalgangel Station) was Somerset's most talented horseman, and he was selected to undertake this dangerous mission. Somerset and his men had to arrange for a dangerous crossing of the already flooded Brisbane River, with Mateer sent on with the only surviving horse (called Lunatic). Mateer survived the hazardous journey to North Pine, and delivered Somerset's message, which was again sadly ignored. Whilst the warnings went unheeded, as a result of these heroic efforts, Caboonbah Station was made an official flood warning station, with a telegraph line to Esk. Somerset initially manned the station in its early years, having to use morse code for 12 years prior to the introduction of the telephone. In modern times, Caboonbah Homestead was restored and used as a museum. However, on Monday 11 May 2009, the homestead caught fire and burnt to the ground. Mitigation works Lake Somerset is a 904,000 megalitre dam located on the Stanley River (the normal water supply capacity is 380,000 megalitres, but the dam can hold another 524,000 megalitres of extra flood capacity). The site was first suggested for the location of a dam by Henry Somerset, after the 1893 floods, and he championed its construction when he was elected to parliament in 1904, where he served for 16 years as the Member for Stanley. Construction of the dam was not started until 1933, and it was finally finished in 1953. It was seen as a major job creation project when it commenced in the Great Depression, but was delayed by World War II when its workers were redeployed. The same day that the notice of Billy Mateer's death appeared in the newspaper, there was also a major announcement that the Queensland Government had approved the construction of Somerset Dam. The site had been identified in 1933, by the Bureau of Industry. Floods occur naturally, but now they had become a serious threat to people in this area. The clearing and developing of the land close to the water's edge essentially caused an increase in height and velocity of the rising water, and of the resulting damage. European thinking was the basis for the belief that engineering a dam could tame a river system. By 1959, it was believed that the Brisbane River system was regulated. By the 1970s, the social memory of the 1893 floods had all but vanished. This memory was refreshed by the 1974 Brisbane flood. See also List of disasters in Australia by death toll References Williams, Cyrus John Richard. Floods in the Brisbane river, and system of predicting their heights and times (With Map and Diagrams.) in Instit. civ. eng. Min. of proc. 136: 268–281. 1899. External links Flood Fire Famine Virtual Exhibition, Queensland State Archives 1893 flood, Brisbane River, Queensland Historical Atlas Trigonometrical Survey of Queensland, 1893 from Trigonometrical survey of Queensland : illustrating extent of major triangulation to 31 December 1893, printed and published at Surveyor-General's Office 1893 Brisbane Flood - John Oxley Library Blog, State Library of Queensland Local History - South Brisbane, ABC Madonna King and SLQ Brian Randall, 10 March 2006 Brisbane River History, ABC, Brian Randall, 18 October 2006 Deluge: the true story of the Great Brisbane Flood of 1893, Video Destruction of the Victoria Bridge: 1893 Brisbane Flood - John Oxley Library Blog, State Library of Queensland Queensland 1890 flood oral histories, State Library of Queensland Photograph album of the Brisbane flood 1893, State Library of Queensland Weather events in Australia History of Brisbane 19th-century floods in Oceania 1890s floods 1893 natural disasters Brisbane River floods Disasters in Brisbane 19th century in Brisbane 1893 disasters in Australia

13127033

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20risk%20assessment

Flood risk assessment

A flood risk assessment (FRA) is an assessment of the risk of flooding from all flooding mechanisms, the identification of flood mitigation measures and should provide advice on actions to be taken before and during a flood. The sources of water which produce floods include: Groundwater (saturated groundwater) Vadose (water flowing the ground in an unsaturated state) Surface water Artificial water (burst water mains, canals or reservoirs) Rivers, streams or watercourses Sewers and drains Flooding of low-lying coastal regions due to sea level rise For each of the sources of water, different hydraulic intensities occur. Floods can occur because of a combination of sources of flooding, such as high groundwater and an inadequate surface water drainage system. The topography, hydrogeology and physical attributes of the existing or proposed development need to be considered. A flood risk assessment should be an evaluation of the flood risk and the consequences and impact and vulnerability. Non-professional flood risk assessments can be produced by members of the public, Architects, environment assessors, or others who are not specifically professionally qualified in this field. However, it is a complex evaluation and such assessments they can be rejected by Authorities as inadequate, or could be considered as negligent in the event of a flooding event, damage and a claim to insurers being made. In the UK, the writing of professional flood risk assessments is undertaken by Civil Engineering Consultants. They will have membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers and are bound by their rules of professional conduct. A key requirement is to ensure such professional flood risk assessments are independent to all parties by carrying out their professional duties with complete objectivity and impartiality. Their professional advice should be supported by professional indemnity insurance for such specific professional advice ultimately held with a Lloyd's of London underwriter. Professional flood risk assessments can cover single buildings, or whole regions. They can part of a due-diligence process for existing householders or businesses, or can be required in England and Wales to provide independent evidence to a planning application on the flood risk. England and Wales In England and Wales, the Environment Agency requires a professional Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) to be submitted alongside planning applications in areas that are known to be at risk of flooding (within flood zones 2 or 3) and/ or are greater than 1ha in area, planning permission is not usually granted until the FRA has been accepted by the Environment Agency. PPS 25 – England only Flood Risk Assessments are required to be completed according to the National Planning Policy Framework, which replaces Planning Policy Statement PPS 25: Development and Flood Risk. The initial legislation (PPG25) was introduced in 2001 and subsequently revised. PPS 25 was designed to "strengthen and clarify the key role of the planning system in managing flood risk and contributing to adapting to the impacts of climate change." and sets out policies for local authorities to ensure flood risk is taken into account during the planning process to prevent inappropriate development in high risk areas and to direct development away from areas at highest risk. In its introduction, PPS25 states "flooding threatens life and causes substantial damage to property [and that] although [it] cannot be wholly prevented, its impacts can be avoided and reduced through good planning and management". Composition of an FRA For a flood risk assessment to be written, information is needed concerning the existing and proposed developments, the Environment Agency modeled flood levels and topographic levels on site. At its most simple (and cheapest) level an FRA can provide an indication of whether a development will be allowed to take place at a site. An initial idea of the risk of fluvial flooding to a local area can be found on the Environment Agency flood map website. FRAs consist of a detailed analysis of available data to inform the Environment Agency of flood risk at an individual site and also recommend to the developer any mitigation measures. More costly analysis of flood risk can be achieved through detailed flood modelling to challenge the agency's modelled levels and corresponding flood zones. The FRA takes into account the risk and impact of flooding on the site, and takes into consideration how the development may affect flooding in the local area. It also includes provides recommendations as to how the risk of flooding to the development can be mitigated. FRAs should also consider flooding from all sources including fluvial, groundwater, surface water runoff and sewer flooding. Northern Ireland In 2006, the Planning Service, part of The Department of the Environment, published Planning Policy Statement 15 (PPS15): Planning and flood risk. The guidelines are precautionary and advise against development in flood plains and areas subject to historical flooding. In exceptional cases a FRA can be completed to justify development in flood risk areas. Advice on flood risk assessment is provided to the Planning Service by the Rivers Agency, which is the statutory drainage and flood defence authority for Northern Ireland. Republic of Ireland In 2009, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Office of Public Works published planning guidelines requiring local authorities to apply a sequential approach to flood risk management. The guidelines require that proposed development in flood risk areas must undergo a justification test, consisting of a flood risk assessment. See also Flood warning Floods directive Flood Modeller (software used to undertake flood risk assessments) References Flood control Environmental policy in the United Kingdom Extreme value data

13180828

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floods%20%28Fightstar%20song%29

Floods (Fightstar song)

"Floods" is the fourth single from Fightstar's second studio album, One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours. It was originally intended to be released as the second single, however this was changed to "We Apologise For Nothing" due to the recent floods in the UK at that time. Charlie Simpson has stated the song deals more with environmental issues, such as global warming and climate change, and about how people have influenced their own downfall within it. The song was released on their MySpace on 14 January 2008. In a question and answer session in September 2007, both Charlie and Alex confirmed that the third single from the album would most likely be Floods. Eventually, it was, in fact, "Deathcar" released on 3 December 2007. However, during another Q and A session on the band's official forums on 28 November 2007, Alex confirmed they were worked,on new tracks to be possibly used as part of an EP for the "Floods" release. It was confirmed via the band's official website and MySpace, that "Floods" would be released as the latest single on 3 March 2008. It reached No.3 on the UK Rock Chart, and No.2 in the UK Indie Chart, but failed to chart in the UK Singles Chart. The release included three brand new b-sides, "Flotation Therapy", "Zihuatanejo" and "Dark Star" (released exclusively on the Gut Records digital download bundle). Track listing CD Single: "Floods" "Floatation Therapy" "Floods" (Instrumental) "Floods" (Music Video) "Floods" (Making of The Video) 7" Vinyl: "Floods" (Radio Mix) "Zihuatanejo" Digital Download: "Floods" (Instrumental) "Floods" (Radio Mix) iTunes Exclusive: "Floods" (Acoustic) "Floods" Gut Record Exclusive Bundle: "Floods" (Album Version) "Dark Star" Video The video depicts the band playing inside the attic of a small house. As the song progresses various CGI shots from the film Flood are shown, which visualises mass flooding across famous landmarks in London. Firstly the 02 (formerly the Millennium Dome), then Tower Bridge, followed by the London Eye and finally Westminster. As the song comes to a climax the sound of rain fall increases as bass player Dan Haigh looks at the window. The camera swings out to show nearly everything submerged under water, including the house the band were playing in, This is exactly the same shot as in the film, but the film depicts a lady screaming for help. The video is available on the band's official site and YouTube. A "Behind The Scenes" clip is also soon to be made available. Chart performance References Reviews STV Singles review: 21 February 2008 link Music News review by James Coplin External links Floods music video. Environmental songs Songs about floods Songs about climate change 2007 songs Fightstar songs Songs written by Alex Westaway Songs written by Charlie Simpson

13228059

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956%20Murray%20River%20flood

1956 Murray River flood

The 1956 Murray River flood involved the rising of waters in the Murray River and flooding of many towns in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The flood was and still is considered the biggest flood in the recorded history of the Murray and described as "the greatest catastrophe in South Australia's history", although few lives were lost. The flood occurred due to higher than average rainfalls in Western Queensland and heavy rains in the proceeding three months in the Murray-Darling basin. Flood waters moved down the Murray and Darling rivers for seven months and peaked between 11 and 14 August at Merbein in Victoria and at Morgan in South Australia. Inflow into South Australia peaked at 341 gigalitres per day, the highest on record; the next highest on record is 220 gigalitres per day in 1931. From upstream to downstream, flooding occurred in the towns of Wentworth in New South Wales; Colignan, Iraak, Mildura, Nangiloc, and Red Cliffs in Victoria; and many South Australia towns including Renmark, Mannum and Murray Bridge. Some areas were flooded up to from the natural flow of the river. As a result of the flood, the Menindee Lakes were constructed to store high flows from the Darling River. Impact Mildura, Victoria In 2006, historic flood markers were erected at Apex Park and the lawns of the Mildura Rowing Club at Mildura, indicating the height the river reached in 1956. Additional markers were to be erected at various locations along the river from Wentworth to Colignan. Wentworth, New South Wales The town of Wentworth, located on the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers, erected a statue in 1959 in honour of the Fergie TE20 tractor, responsible for helping to erect a levee around the town which kept floodwaters at bay for months. A tractor rally is also held every five years to celebrate the Fergie. Mannum, South Australia Hotels in the main street of Mannum operated their bars from the second floor with boats tying up to the balcony. The flood water broke the levee bank on 24 August, and had not fully receded until Christmas. Several towns in South Australia have depth markers showing how high the floodwaters rose. In popular culture Author Philip Pullman used his childhood memories of being taken to see the flood as a basis for his 2017 fantasy novel La Belle Sauvage. References External links 1956 River Murray Flood at State Library of South Australia 1956 Flood at Culture Victoria Murray River Flood 20th-century floods in Oceania 1950s floods 1956 natural disasters Murray River Flood Flood, 1956 Flood, 1956 Murray River Flood Murray River Flood Murray River Flood Murray River Flood 1956 disasters in Australia

13262541

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiting%20for%20the%20Floods

Waiting for the Floods

Waiting for the Floods is the first and only studio album by British new wave band The Armoury Show. It was released in September 1985 and entered the UK Albums chart at number 57 that month. Reception In his retrospective review, Dan LeRoy of AllMusic praised the album, writing "[Richard] Jobson created an album that, though it went largely unnoticed, outdid Big Country – and nearly every other "big-guitar" band of the time, save U2 – in anthemic power." Jeffrey X. Martin of Popshifter gave the album a glowing review when it was reissued as a two-disc set in 2013, writing, "Theatrical without being pompous, Waiting For The Floods is Arthurian nationalism at its bravest and most stentorian. You half expect the songs to rise up from the lake, bearing Excalibur." Track listing The 2-disc reissue is not a complete compilation of The Armoury Show's work. Missing are two of their three charted singles; the original non-LP single recording of "Castles In Spain" (produced by Nick Tauber), and the non-LP A-side "Love in Anger". Also missing is "Uptown Downtown", which was on the "Love in Anger" 12", and the band-produced demo version of "A Feeling" which appeared on the 12" of "We Can Be Brave Again". Personnel The Armoury Show Richard "The Captain" Jobson – lead vocals, drums, drum programming John "The Legend" McGeoch – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals; 12-string guitar and piano on "Sense of Freedom"; Arpeggio Roland guitar synthesizer on "Avalanche" Russell "Universe" Webb – fretless bass, keyboards, drums, drum programming, harmony and backing vocals John "Doylie" Doyle – drums, drum programming, backing vocals Additional personnel Nick "Fats" Launay - last bass note on "Glory of Love"; drum programming on "Avalanche" Paul Fishman – keyboards, programming Billy Currie – violin on "Higher Than the World" Robin Jones - percussion, congas, timbales, cabasa, shaker, tambourine John Batten - backing vocals on "Castles in Spain" Billy Nicholls, Chris Staines, Mike Nicholls, Steve Hunt - backing vocals on "Avalanche" Technical Nick Launay – production, engineering, mixing See also Magazine Public Image Ltd. Siouxsie and the Banshees Skids Slik References External links 1985 debut albums Albums produced by Nick Launay The Armoury Show albums EMI America Records albums

13285220

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%20African%20floods

2007 African floods

The 2007 floods of Africa was reported by the UN to be one of the worst floodings in recorded history. The flooding started with rains on September 14, 2007 local time. Over 14 countries had been affected in the continent of Africa, 250 people were reported to have been killed by the flooding and 1.5 million were affected. The UN had issued warnings of water borne diseases and locust infestations. Info from African sources Ghana 400,000 were homeless with at least 20 people dead and crops and livestock had been washed away. George Azi Amoo - Ghana's national disaster management co-ordinator Sudan 64 people were reported killed. Ethiopia 17 people were reported dead. In the Afar Region, the Awash River flooded caused a dam to collapse. Around 4,500 people were stranded, surrounded by water. Uganda 150,000 people were displaced and 21 reported dead. 170 schools were under water. Rwanda 18 people were reported dead and 500 residences were washed away by floods. Mali 5 bridges had collapsed and 250 residences were washed away. Burkina Faso 33 people were reported dead. Kenya 12 people were reported dead. Togo 20 people were reported dead. See also 2009 West Africa floods Global storm activity of 2007 Water scarcity in Africa References External links Africa Floods reported by BBC News Independent article on the floods Sunday Times article BBC News article Kansas City Star ABC.net.au article Africa Floods Appeal West Africa Floods (as of October 2007) - UN/ROWA 2000s floods in Africa 2007 floods Floods 2007 disasters in Africa

13364328

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry%20D.%20Flood

Henry D. Flood

Henry De La Warr Flood (September 2, 1865 – December 8, 1921) was a representative from the Commonwealth of Virginia to the United States House of Representatives, brother of U.S. Representative Joel West Flood and uncle of U.S. Senator Harry Flood Byrd. Early and family life Flood was born September 2, 1865, in "Eldon" in Appomattox County, Virginia, to former Virginia state senator and CSA Major Joel Walker Flood (1839–1916), and his first wife, the former Ella Faulkner (1844–1885). He had an elder sister, Eleanor Bolling Flood Byrd (1864–1957), and a younger half-brother Joel West Flood (1894–1964). Flood attended public schools in Appomattox and Richmond, Virginia. He received his undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University and his law degree from the University of Virginia. On April 18, 1914, the middle-aged bachelor married Anna Florence Portner (1888–1966), daughter of German beer brewer and inventor Robert Portner. They married at All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C., followed by a reception at the Pan American Union Building. His young namesake Henry D. Flood III died in 1920, the year of his birth, as had their daughter Anna Portner Flood in 1916. Their children Bolling Byrd Flood (1915–2000) and Eleanor Faulkner Flood Schoellkopf (1917–1975) survived their parents. Career Flood was admitted to the bar in 1886 and commenced practice in Appomattox, Virginia. He was elected Commonwealth's Attorney for Appomattox County in 1891, 1895, and 1899. Voters also elected Flood as Appomattox County's delegate to the Virginia House of Delegates from 1887 to 1891 (a part-time position). He served as member of the Senate of Virginia from 1891 to 1903. He was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1901. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Fifty-fifth Congress. Flood was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-seventh and to the ten succeeding Congresses and served until his death (March 4, 1901 – December 8, 1921). In his first term, he proposed creation of what ultimately became Shenandoah National Park more than a decade after his death, due to the efforts of his nephew Harry F. Byrd, who became one of Virginia's U.S. Senators in 1933. Flood served as chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (Sixty-second through Sixty-fifth Congresses), Committee on Territories (Sixty-second Congress). In 1911, he was responsible for the Flood amendment to the enabling act for New Mexico statehood, which provided for a simple majority to ratify amendments to the New Mexico Constitution. In 1917, he helped to bring the United States into World War I as the author of the resolutions declaring a state of war to exist between the United States and Germany and Austria-Hungary. Death and legacy Henry died on December 8, 1921, in Washington, D.C. He was interred in a mausoleum on the courthouse green at Appomattox, Virginia; the courthouse is located in the Appomattox Historic District. See also List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49) References External links Henry D. Flood, late a representative from Virginia, Memorial addresses delivered in the House of Representatives and Senate frontispiece 1924 1865 births 1921 deaths Democratic Party Virginia state senators Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates County and city Commonwealth's Attorneys in Virginia University of Virginia School of Law alumni Washington and Lee University alumni Delegates to Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1901 20th-century American politicians People from Appomattox County, Virginia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia

13370208

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London%20Beer%20Flood

London Beer Flood

The London Beer Flood was an accident at Meux & Co's Horse Shoe Brewery, London, on 17 October 1814. It took place when one of the wooden vats of fermenting porter burst. The escaping liquid dislodged the valve of another vessel and destroyed several large barrels: between 128,000 and 323,000 imperial gallons (580,000–1,470,000 L; 154,000–388,000 US gal) of beer were released in total. The resulting wave of porter destroyed the back wall of the brewery and swept into an area of slum dwellings known as the St Giles rookery. Eight people were killed, five of them mourners at the wake being held by an Irish family for a two-year-old boy. The coroner's inquest returned a verdict that the eight had lost their lives "casually, accidentally and by misfortune". The brewery was nearly bankrupted by the event; it avoided collapse after a rebate from HM Excise on the lost beer. The brewing industry gradually stopped using large wooden vats after the accident. The brewery moved in 1921, and the Dominion Theatre is now where the brewery used to stand. Meux & Co went into liquidation in 1961. Background In the early nineteenth century the Meux Brewery was one of the two largest in London, along with Whitbread. In 1809 Sir Henry Meux purchased the Horse Shoe Brewery, at the junction of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street. Meux's father, Sir Richard Meux, had previously co-owned the Griffin Brewery in Liquor-Pond Street (now Clerkenwell Road), in which he had constructed the largest vat in London, capable of holding 20,000 imperial barrels. Henry Meux emulated his father's large vat, and constructed a wooden vessel tall and capable of holding 18,000 imperial barrels. of iron hoops were used to strengthen the vat. Meux brewed only porter, a dark beer that was first brewed in London and was the most popular alcoholic drink in the capital. Meux & Co brewed 102,493 imperial barrels in the twelve months up to July 1812. Porter was left in the large vessels to mature for several months, or up to a year for the best quality versions. At the rear of the brewery ran New Street, a small cul-de-sac that joined on to Dyott Street; this was within the St Giles rookery. The rookery, which covered an area of , "was a perpetually decaying slum seemingly always on the verge of social and economic collapse", according to Richard Kirkland, the professor of Irish literature. Thomas Beames, the preacher of Westminster St James, and author of the 1852 work The Rookeries of London: Past, Present and Prospective, described the St Giles rookery as "a rendezvous of the scum of society"; the area had been the inspiration for William Hogarth's 1751 print Gin Lane. 17 October 1814 At around 4:30 in the afternoon of 17 October 1814, George Crick, Meux's storehouse clerk, saw that one of the iron bands around a vat had slipped. The tall vessel was filled to within of the top with 3,555 imperial barrels of ten-month-old porter. As the bands slipped off the vats two or three times a year, Crick was unconcerned. He told his supervisor about the problem, but was told "that no harm whatever would ensue". Crick was told to write a note to Mr Young, one of the partners of the brewery, to have it fixed later. An hour after the hoop fell off, Crick was standing on a platform from the vat, holding the note to Mr Young, when the vessel, with no indication, burst. The force of the liquid's release knocked the stopcock from a neighbouring vat, which also began discharging its contents; several hogsheads of porter were destroyed, and their contents added to the flood. Between 128,000 and 323,000 imperial gallons were released. The force of the liquid destroyed the rear wall of the brewery; it was high and two and a half bricks thick. Some of the bricks from the back wall were knocked upwards, and fell onto the roofs of the houses in the nearby Great Russell Street. A wave of porter some high swept into New Street, where it destroyed two houses and badly damaged two others. In one of the houses a four-year-old girl, Hannah Bamfield, was having tea with her mother and another child. The wave of beer swept the mother and the second child into the street; Hannah was killed. In the second destroyed house, a wake was being held by an Irish family for a two-year-old boy; Anne Saville, the boy's mother, and four other mourners (Mary Mulvey and her three-year-old son, Elizabeth Smith and Catherine Butler) were killed. Eleanor Cooper, a 14-year-old servant of the publican of the Tavistock Arms in Great Russell Street, died when she was buried under the brewery's collapsed wall while washing pots in the pub's yard. Another child, Sarah Bates, was found dead in another house in New Street. The land around the building was low-lying and flat. With insufficient drainage, the beer flowed into cellars, many of which were inhabited, and people were forced to climb on furniture to avoid drowning. All those in the brewery survived, although three workmen had to be rescued from the rubble; the superintendent and one of the workers were taken to Middlesex Hospital, along with three others. 17 to 19 October Stories later arose of hundreds of people collecting the beer, mass drunkenness and a death from alcohol poisoning a few days later. The brewing historian Martyn Cornell states that newspapers of the time made no reference to the revelry, or of the later death; instead, the newspapers reported that the crowds were well-behaved. Cornell points out that the popular press of the time did not like the immigrant Irish population that lived in St Giles, so if there had been any misbehaviour, it would have been reported. The area surrounding the rear of the brewery showed a "scene of desolation [that] presents a most awful and terrific appearance, equal to that which fire or earthquake may be supposed to occasion". Watchmen at the brewery charged people to view the remains of the destroyed beer vats, and several hundred spectators came to view the scene. The mourners killed in the cellar were given their own wake at The Ship public house in Bainbridge Street. The other bodies were laid out in a nearby yard by their families; the public came to see them and donated money for their funerals. Collections were taken up more widely for the families. Coroner's inquest The coroner's inquest was held at the Workhouse of the St Giles parish on 19 October 1814; George Hodgson, the coroner for Middlesex, oversaw proceedings. The details of the victims were read out as: Eleanor Cooper, age 14 Mary Mulvey, age 30 Thomas Murry, age 3 (Mary Mulvey's son) Hannah Bamfield, age 4 years 4 months Sarah Bates, age 3 years 5 months Ann Saville, age 60 Elizabeth Smith, age 27 Catherine Butler, age 65. Hodgson took the jurors to the scene of the events, and they viewed the brewery and bodies before evidence was taken from witnesses. The first witness was George Crick, who had seen the event happen in full; his brother was one of the men who had been injured at the brewery. Crick said that hoops on the vats failed three or four times a year, but without any previous problems. Accounts were also heard from Richard Hawse—the landlord of the Tavistock Arms, whose barmaid had been killed in the accident—and several others. The jury returned a verdict that the eight had lost their lives "casually, accidentally and by misfortune". Later As the coroner's inquest reached a verdict of an act of God, Meux & Co did not have to pay compensation. Nevertheless, the disaster—the lost porter, the damage to the buildings and the replacement of the vat—cost the company £23,000. After a private petition to Parliament they recovered about £7,250 from HM Excise, saving them from bankruptcy. The Horse Shoe Brewery went back into business soon afterwards, but closed in 1921 when Meux moved their production to the Nine Elms brewery in Wandsworth, which they had purchased in 1914. At the time of its closure the site covered . The brewery was demolished the following year and the Dominion Theatre was later built on the site. Meux & Co went into liquidation in 1961. As a result of the accident, large wooden tanks were phased out across the brewing industry and replaced with lined concrete vessels. See also List of non-water floods Notes and references Notes References Sources Books Journals Newspapers Internet 1814 disasters in the United Kingdom 1814 in London 1814 industrial disasters Brewing in London Disasters in London Food processing disasters History of the London Borough of Camden October 1814 events Regency London 1814 natural disasters Floods in England 19th-century floods in the United Kingdom

13422395

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel%20West%20Flood

Joel West Flood

Joel West Flood (August 2, 1894 – April 27, 1964), the brother of Henry De La Warr Flood and uncle of Harry Flood Byrd, was a Virginia lawyer and judge and briefly United States Representative from Virginia. Early and family life He was born near Appomattox, Appomattox County, Virginia on August 2, 1894, to former CSA Major and Virginia General Assembly member Joel Walker Flood (1839-1916) and his second (or third) wife, Sallie Whiteman Delk, whom he had married in Philadelphia in 1892. Joel Flood had an elder half siblings Eleanor Bolling Flood Byrd (1864-1957)) and Henry De La Warr Flood (1866 -1921). He attended public schools in Appomattox and Richmond, Virginia, before receiving an undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University. He also attended the University of Virginia School of Law (receiving a law degree) and Oxford University. Career After his father's death and his own admission to the Virginia bar in 1917, Flood began a legal practice in Appomattox, Virginia. He also took over what remained of the family plantation. During World War I, Flood served from March 29, 1918, until his discharge July 18, 1919, as a private in Company A, Three Hundred and Fifth Engineers, Eightieth Division. Appomattox County voters elected Flood Commonwealth attorney in 1919, a position once held by his elder half-brother Henry D. Flood. He was re-elected multiple times and served until November 8, 1932. Also, upon returning to Virginia, Flood became a member of the unofficial Byrd Organization created by his nephew Harry F. Byrd upon the demise of Sen. Thomas Staples Martin. Joel Flood also served as an assistant to Governor E. Lee Trinkle of Virginia in 1922–1926, and as special assistant to the Attorney General of Virginia from April 1, 1928, to July 1, 1932. Elected to Congress as a Democrat to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henry St. George Tucker, he served from November 8, 1932, to March 3, 1933 (in the Seventy-second Congress). The seat was eliminated due to restructuring after the 1930 census. Flood was not a candidate for election to the Seventy-third Congress, but returned to his legal practice and agricultural pursuits. He also served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1936. He was appointed assistant United States attorney for the Western District of Virginia and served from June 1, 1939, to January 28, 1940. Virginia legislators elected him as a judge of the fifth judicial circuit of Virginia in January 1940, in which capacity he served until his death. Death and legacy Joel Flood died in the Richmond Veterans Administration hospital Chesterfield, Virginia on April 27, 1964, of pneumonia and a heart condition, survived by his widow, Dorothy E. Flood. He is interred in the Flood Mausoleum, Appomattox Courthouse Square. References 1894 births 1964 deaths County and city Commonwealth's Attorneys in Virginia Virginia lawyers Washington and Lee University alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia University of Virginia School of Law alumni Alumni of the University of Oxford People from Appomattox County, Virginia

13609204

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zambezian%20flooded%20grasslands

Zambezian flooded grasslands

The Zambezian flooded grasslands is an ecoregion of southern and eastern Africa that is rich in wildlife. Setting The Zambezian flooded grasslands can be found on seasonally- or permanently-flooded lowlands in the basin of the Zambezi and neighboring river basins. These enclaves lie in the Zambezian region, a broad belt of seasonally-dry miombo and mopane savannas and woodlands that extend east and west across Africa, from northern Botswana, Namibia, and Angola in the west to Tanzania and Mozambique in the east. Large enclaves of flooded grassland include: Kilombero Valley and Mkata Plain in southern Tanzania Malagarasi-Muyovozi floodplain and Ugalla River floodplain in western Tanzania Wembere River-Lake Kitangiri floodplain in Tanzania The Okavango Delta in Botswana around Lake Chilwa in Malawi The Barotse Floodplain, Kafue Flats, Busanga Swamp, and Lukanga Swamp in the Zambezi basin of Zambia. The upper Chambeshi River, Bangweulu Swamp, the Luapula River delta south of Lake Mweru, and Lake Mweru Wantipa in Zambia. The region has a tropical climate with a hot wet summer between November and March. Flora These patches of wetland contain grassland and swamp vegetation which varies from area to area within this widely spread ecoregion. Fauna Even during the dry season the floodplains sustain a great deal of wildlife including grazing African buffalo, wildebeest, and elephants, zebras, and giraffes, with hippopotamus and crocodiles in the waters. There are many antelopes such as waterbucks, pukus, elands, and lechwe, the Bangwelu Swamp in particular being home to black lechwe (Kobus leche smithermani), tsessebe, and sitatunga while the Kafue Flats have large groups of Kafue lechwe and Burchell's zebra. The large numbers of birds, especially waterbirds, in the floodplains include saddle-billed storks. There are two endemic reptiles; the Merara toad (Amietophrynus reesi) in the Kilombero valley, and the Barotse water snake (Crotaphopeltis barotseensis). Threats and preservation Despite the tsetse fly and the swampy water the floodplains have long been home to rural communities, such as the Lozi people in the Barotse Floodplain and the Tonga in the Kafue Flats, but are mostly unspoilt and large areas are protected. However, wildlife is still vulnerable to poaching and illegal farming or grazing of livestock. Meanwhile as the population in this part of Africa is continually growing demand for water and farmland places the floodplains under constant threat as land is polluted or farmed, grassland set on fire and rivers are dammed or diverted. The Kafue Flats have been drastically changed by the damming of the river and similar projects are planned for the Okavango. Protected areas include the Okavango Delta, the Bangweulu, Moyowosi and Kilombero swamps and the Kafue Flats and in addition Lake Chilwa is a Ramsar birding area. Of these Okavango is the largest and best-known, being mostly within the Moremi Game Reserve, having spectacular wildlife and a well-developed safari industry based in the town of Maun. In Zambia Lochinvar and Blue Lagoon National Parks are protected. References and external links Afrotropical ecoregions Ecoregions of Angola Ecoregions of Botswana Ecoregions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Ecoregions of Malawi Ecoregions of Mozambique Ecoregions of Namibia Ecoregions of Tanzania Ecoregions of Zambia Flooded grasslands and savannas Floodplains of Africa Zambezian region

13646671

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee%20Flood%20Relief%20Channel

Lee Flood Relief Channel

The Lee Flood Relief Channel (FRC) is located in the Lea Valley and flows between Ware, Hertfordshire, and Stratford, east London. Work started on the channel in 1947 following major flooding and it was fully operational by 1976. The channel incorporates existing watercourses, lakes, and new channels. Water from the channel feeds the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain. Design Flood defences are rated according to the probability that a particular level of flood water will be exceeded at least once in a specific period, so a 100-year flood represents a level that would only be expected to occur once in 100 years. This is often known as 1 per cent protection. The level of flooding in 1947 was estimated to be a 1.4 per cent occurrence, and the flood channel, when it was first designed, was built to cope with this level of flooding. Since it was completed in 1976, there have been no major flood events in the Lea Valley, although there have been three occasions when the river system was full virtually to its capacity: in 1987, 1993 and 2000. Since its completion, the level of protection afforded by the structure has declined, so that in some areas it offers 2 per cent protection, and in some, only 5 per cent protection. The Environment Agency published a strategic environmental assessment in 2008, which looked at ways to maintain the flood defences in the Lea Valley. Course Hertfordshire and Essex Marking the start of the FRC at Ware, the channel is incorporated into the Lee Navigation. It flows through Hardmead Lock and Stanstead Lock, which have had automatic sluice gates installed to cope with high water levels. At Feildes Weir a parallel channel has been constructed. The channel then skirts the Glen Faba Lake and passes under Dobbs Weir Road before entering the North Lagoon of the Nazeing Meads lake complex and leaving at the South Lagoon at Nazeing Weir. Continuing under Nazeing Road (B194), the channel flows through the River Lee Country Park at Holyfield Lake and out through Holyfield Weir. Flowing under Stubbins Hall Lane, it merges with the old River Lea at Fishers Green. After skirting Seventy Acres Lake and then Hooks Marsh Lake, the channel is incorporated into the Horsemill Stream, also known as Waltons Walk. The water forms a natural boundary for the Royal Gunpowder Mills as it passes through the mechanically controlled radial gates of the David Stoker sluice near Waltham Abbey. Now flowing parallel with the Lee Navigation, and only yards apart, the channel flows firstly under the A121 road and through Rammey Marsh Sluice - a set of three computer-controlled vertical lift sluice gates and then under the M25 motorway to be joined by Cobbins Brook before flowing through Newman's Sluice – a set of four computer-controlled vertical lift sluice gates. Greater London The channel crosses Rammey Marsh to form the eastern boundary of the former Royal Small Arms Factory, which is now a housing development called Enfield Island Village. Further downstream, the channel merges with the River Lea to become the man-made, concrete-banked River Lee Diversion as it skirts the eastern perimeter of the King George V Reservoir, the first of the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain, and then the William Girling Reservoir. The river forms the boundary of the London Borough of Enfield and Waltham Forest and the historical boundary between Middlesex and Essex. Flowing under the North Circular Road and close to Banbury Reservoir, it splits from the River Lee Diversion to cross Tottenham Marshes, and passes close to the Lockwood Reservoir, High Maynard Reservoir and Low Maynard Reservoir. Flowing firstly under Forest Road (A503 road) and then the Gospel Oak to Barking line, it skirts the Walthamstow Reservoirs close to Walthamstow Marshes. It passes under Coppermill Lane before flowing under the Lea Valley Line as the channel approaches Lea Bridge Road, part of the A104 road. It crosses Hackney Marshes and passes through a culvert before joining the Old River Lea close to the New Spitalfields Market. Passing under the Eastway road and then flowing under the A115 (Carpenter's Road) to meet the Waterworks River below Carpenter's Road Lock in Stratford, the channel continues through the Prescott Channel and Bow Creek to reach the Thames at Leamouth. References External links Glen Faba lakes Nazeing Meads lakes Seventy Acres lake-Conservation Project Waltons Walk fishery Rivers of Essex Rivers of Hertfordshire Rivers of London Water supply and sanitation in London Thames Water Flood Relief Channel

13950778

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floods%20in%20California

Floods in California

All types of floods can occur in California, though 90 percent of them are caused by river flooding in lowland areas. Such flooding generally occurs as a result of excessive rainfall, excessive snowmelt, excessive runoff, levee failure, poor planning or built infrastructure, or a combination of these factors. Below is a list of flood events that were of significant impact to California. A 2022 study found that Climate change in California, is likely to increase the extremity of water cycle events such as droughts and megafloods, greatly increasing the severity of future floods due to atmospheric rivers. In part this is due to the expectation that the Sierra Nevada mountains, which typically retain water as snow, will no longer be as cold. Early historic record Geologic evidence indicates that "megafloods" occurred in the California region in the following years A.D.: 212, 440, 603, 1029, c. 1300, 1418, 1605, and 1750. Prior to European settlement, these early floods predominantly affected the indigenous peoples of California. California flood of 1605 In 1605, present-day California was subject to massive flooding due to an unusually powerful atmospheric river. This was potentially the largest flooding event of the prior 2,000 years. 1800–1899 Los Angeles flood of 1825 This flood changed the course of the Los Angeles River from its western outlet into Santa Monica Bay following the course of Ballona Creek to a southern outlet at San Pedro Bay near where it is today. January 1850 In January 1850, a major flood devastated the then new city of Sacramento; rain from heavy storms saturated the ground upon which Sacramento was built, and the American and Sacramento rivers crested simultaneously. Years closely following January 1850 Many subsequent floods occurred following 1850 in Sacramento and other low-lying cities along the Sierra-originating rivers, caused by hydraulic mining in the foothills. Malakoff Diggins was one example, in which silt runoff purportedly raised the river beds in the valley below by an additional two feet. Hydraulic gold mining, widespread at the time, would eventually be eliminated by the California Legislature. October 1858: Schooner-beaching storm surge in San Diego December 1861 – January 1862: California's Great Flood Beginning on December 24, 1861, and lasting for 45 days, the largest flood in California's recorded history occurred, reaching full flood stage in different areas between January 9–12, 1862. The entire Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys were inundated for , averaging in breadth. State government was forced to relocate from the capital in Sacramento for 18 months to San Francisco. The rain created an inland sea in Orange County, lasting about three weeks with water standing deep up to from the river. The Los Angeles basin was flooded from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, at variable depths, excluding the higher lands which became islands until the waters receded. The Los Angeles basin lost 200,000 cattle by way of drowning, as well as homes, ranches, farm crops and vineyards being swept-away. 1900–1949 1909: California flood The storm extended from Fort Ross along the Sacramento River up to the Feather River basin. One small town along the flood path (La Porte) was inundated with over the course of 20 days. The flood episodes of 1907 and 1909 in California resulted in an overhaul of planned statewide flood control designs. March 1928: St. Francis Dam disaster A recently constructed dam collapsed 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The flooding beneath the dam killed at least 431 people, and probably more. December 1933 – January 1934: Crescenta Valley flood In the last week of December 1933, of rain fell in the communities of La Crescenta, La Cañada and Montrose just north of Los Angeles. On New Year's Eve, more rain fell. The result was a flood of mud and water that began around midnight, destroying more than 400 homes in this area. This was commemorated in Woody Guthrie's song "Los Angeles New Year's Flood". As a result of this flood, the Army Corps of Engineers and the County of Los Angeles built a flood control system of catch basins and concrete storm drains to prevent a repeat of the disaster. February 1937: Santa Ana flood The storm of February 4–7, 1937 resulted in the highest four-day rainfall totals at several stations in the Santa Ana River basin. The Riverside North station had over of rain in that four days, which equaled a 450-year event. Other stations also received high amounts of rain within those four days. December 1937: Northeast California flood The storm of December 1937 was a high-elevation event in the northeast corner of the state. February–March 1938: Los Angeles Flood of 1938 September 1939: Los Angeles River 1950 – 1999 November 1950: California flood A statewide disaster was declared November 21 when floods caused 9 deaths and $32 million in damage. December 1955: California flood The storm affected the central Sierra Nevada mountains and South Bay areas. The Eel River on the North Coast saw the greatest flow of record to that time while Central Valley rivers saw near-record flows. A statewide disaster was declared, with the storm resulting in 74 deaths and $200 million in economic losses. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall was recorded on December 20, when fell in Shasta County. The storm's toll on Sutter County was severe. At 12:04 a.m. on December 24, 1955, a levee on the west bank of the Feather River, at Shanghai Bend, collapsed and a wall of water 21 feet high entered the county, flooding 90 percent of Yuba City and the farmlands in the southern Yuba City basin. Some 600 people were rescued by helicopter and 37 people drowned. October 1962: Columbus Day Flood The storm caused widespread damage in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. March 1964: North Coast California tsunami The 1964 Alaska earthquake caused a tsunami in March, devastating several North Coast towns and resulting in 14 deaths and an economic loss of $14 million in Del Norte County alone. December 1964: California flood The six days from December 19–24, 1964 were the wettest ever recorded at many stations on the North Coast. Every major stream in the North Coast produced new high values of extreme peak flows. 34 California counties were declared disaster areas. September 1976: Hurricane Kathleen (Ocotillo flash flood) Hurricane Kathleen was a tropical cyclone that had a destructive impact in California. On September 7, 1976, a tropical depression formed; two days later it accelerated north towards the Baja California Peninsula. Kathleen brushed the Pacific coast of the peninsula as a hurricane on September 9 and made landfall as a fast-moving tropical storm the next day. With its circulation intact and still a tropical storm, Kathleen headed north into the United States and affected California and Arizona. Kathleen finally dissipated late on September 11. Damage in the United States was considerable. California received record rainfall, with over a foot of rain falling in some areas. Flooding caused catastrophic destruction to Ocotillo, and six people drowned. Flooding extended west; railway tracks were destroyed in Palm Desert and high winds and severe flooding were recorded in Arizona. Overall, the damage total was $160 million (1976 USD) and 12 deaths were attributed to the storm. August 1977: Hurricane Doreen Hurricane Doreen and its remnants caused severe flooding in northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States. In Mexico, heavy rainfall was reported on Baja California and the mainland of Mexico. Flooding left 2,000 people homeless in Mexicali along the United States-Mexico border, in addition, 325 homes and businesses were destroyed in southern California. Several highways were also flooded during the passage of the storm, most notably, lanes on Interstate 8 and Interstate 15 were washed out. In San Diego and Imperial County, the total damage to agricultural interests was $25 million (1977 USD). In addition, eight fatalities were reported in California. Elsewhere, impact from Doreen was relatively light. January 1982: Northern California flood Heavy rainfall in the San Francisco Bay region on January 3–5 triggered thousands of debris flows from Santa Cruz Country to Contra Costa and Sonoma Counties, as well as flooding along the San Lorenzo River, Soquel Creek, and Aptos Creek in Santa Cruz County. Floods along creeks in Marin County added significant amounts of sediment to Tomales Bay. The landslides caused at least $66 million in damage. Landslides caused 25 of the 33 storm-caused deaths. Total estimated storm-related losses were $280 million. 1986 California and Western Nevada floods On February 11, 1986, a vigorous low pressure system drifted east out of the Pacific, creating a Pineapple Express that lasted through February 24 unleashing unprecedented amounts of rain on northern California and western Nevada. The nine-day storm over California constituted half of the average annual rainfall for the year. Record flooding occurred in three streams that drain to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay area. Extensive flooding occurred in the Napa and Russian rivers. Napa, north of San Francisco, recorded their worst flood to this time while nearby Calistoga recorded of rain in 10 days, creating a once-in-a-thousand-year rainfall event. Records for 24-hour rain events were reported in the Central Valley and in the Sierra. Thousand-year rainfalls were recorded in the Sierras. The heaviest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded in the Central Valley at occurred on February 17 at Four Trees in the Feather River basin. In Sacramento, nearly of rain fell in an 11-day period. System breaks in the Sacramento River basin included disastrous levee breaks in the Olivehurst and Linda area on the Feather River. Linda, about north of Sacramento, was devastated after the levee broke on the Yuba River's south fork, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. In the San Joaquin River basin and the Delta, levee breaks along the Mokelumne River caused flooding in the community of Thornton and the inundation of four Delta islands. Lake Tahoe rose as a result of high inflow. The California flood resulted in 13 deaths, 50,000 people evacuated and over $400 million in property damage. 3000 residents of Linda joined in a class action lawsuit Paterno v. State of California, which eventually reached the California Supreme Court in 2004. The California high court affirmed the District Court of Appeal's decision that said California was liable for millions of dollars in damages. January and March 1995: California flood During the events of January and March 1995, over 100 stations recorded their greatest 1-day rainfalls in that station's history. The major brunt of the January storms hit the Sacramento River Basin and resulted in small stream flooding primarily due to storm drainage system failures, though flooding affected nearly every part of the state. The Salinas River exceeded its previous measured record crest by more than four feet, which was within a foot or two of the reputed crest of the legendary 1862 flood. The Napa River set a new peak record, and the Russian and Pajaro rivers approached their record peaks. 28 people were killed and the flood cost $1.8 billion. The flooding also affected Southern California. January 1997: Merced River flood A series of extratropical storms, powered by the subtropical jet stream and the pineapple express, struck northern California from late December 1996 to early January 1997. December 1996 was one of the wettest Decembers on record. The Klamath River on California's North Coast experienced significant flooding which led to the river permanently changing course in some areas. The Klamath National Forest experienced its worst flood since 1974. Unprecedented flows from rain surged into the Feather River basin while melted snow surged into the San Joaquin River basin. Rain fell at elevations up to , prompting snow melt. The Cosumnes River, a tributary to the San Joaquin River, bore the brunt of the flooding. Sacramento was spared, though levee failures flooded Olivehurst, Arboga, Wilton, Manteca, and Modesto. Massive landslides in the Eldorado National Forest east of Sacramento closed U.S. Route 50. Damages totaled US$35 million (1997 dollars). Watersheds in the Sierra Nevada were already saturated by the time three subtropical storms added more than of rain in late December 1996 and early January 1997. Levee failures due to breaks or overtopping in the Sacramento River Basin resulted in extensive damages. In the San Joaquin River Basin, dozens of levees failed throughout the river system and produced widespread flooding. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta also experienced several levee breaks and levee overtopping. 48 counties were declared disaster areas, including all 46 counties in northern California. Over 23,000 homes and businesses, agricultural lands, bridges, roads and flood management infrastructures – valued at about $2 billion – were damaged. Nine people were killed and 120,000 people were evacuated from their homes. were flooded, including the Yosemite Valley, which flooded for the first time since 1861–1862. February 1998: Palo Alto Flood The storm caused damage in urbanized areas of East Palo Alto and the surrounding cities in the flood plain of the San Francisquito Creek. 2000–present California experienced significant flooding events due to oceanic activity in 2005, 2014, 2017, 2022, and 2023. Los Angeles County flood of 2005 The Los Angeles County flood of 2005 was the first large flood in Los Angeles County since 1938. It affected communities near the Los Angeles River and areas ranging from Santa Barbara County in the north to Orange and San Diego Counties in the south, as well as Riverside and San Bernardino Counties to the east. Large amounts of rain in January caused the Los Angeles River basin to overflow. The Ventura, Santa Ynez, and Santa Clara Rivers also flooded. August 2014: Coastal flooding due to "Big Wednesday" wave action 2017 California floods January 2017: Russian River flooding The Russian River near Sacramento, California rose three feet above flood stage, overspreading about 500 houses with water. Dams were opened to relieve pressure from built-up floodwaters, with the Sacramento Weir being opened for the first time in eleven years. Numerous areas in Northern California closed roads to flood and mudslide conditions, with U.S. Route 395 temporarily closed in both directions. Over 570,000 customers of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company lost power in Northern and Central California during the event. Over 3,000 people in the Guerneville area were evacuated. The high-amplitude ridge off the West Coast that characterized the preceding drought was replaced by a persistent presence of anomalous troughs impacting California. Another feature in the 2013–2015 winters was the extreme temperature contrast between a warm western U.S. and a cold eastern continent. These anomalous temperature and circulation patterns were referred to as the North American winter “dipole”. Figure (a) shows the climatological geopotential height (Z) overlaid with its eddy component, in which the dipole centers are located (indicated by X and +). The dipole basically describes the wintertime stationary waves over North America, which contribute to the mean temperature difference between the climatologically warmer western U.S. and colder eastern half. Therefore, an amplification of the stationary wave would enhance such a temperature difference, like in 2013–2015 winters, while a weakening of the stationary wave would reverse the situation, like in 2016–2017 winter. Indeed, in winter 2016–2017 this dipole was apparently reversed. February 2017: Oroville Dam spillway failures 2022–2023 California floods See also El Niño–Southern Oscillation Floods in the United States before 1900 Floods in the United States (1900–1999) Floods in the United States (2000–present) ARkStorm References External links A Half Century of Watching California Floods California 2006 Storms and Flooding California's Historic Floods El Niño and La Niña: Their Relationship to California Flood Damage California Awareness Floodplain Maps from the California Department of Water Resources Approximate areas of the Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular Ranges affected by damaging rainstorms Table 1.1 (pp. 10–11) in U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper |issue=1434. California Natural history of California Water in California

14019253

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floodgate%20%28novel%29

Floodgate (novel)

Floodgate is a novel by Scottish author Alistair MacLean, first published in 1983. It is a rare example of inter-novel continuity in MacLean's writing, as one of the characters in his previous novel Puppet on a Chain makes a re-appearance. Plot introduction A mysterious terrorist organization known as the "FFF" has detonated a mine which bursts dykes in the Netherlands and caused massive flooding of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. Unless their demands are met (i.e. immediate withdrawal of all British military forces from Northern Ireland), they threaten to detonate more mines, flooding Holland beneath a wall of water from the North Sea. Colonel van de Graaf, the Amsterdam Chief of Police, puts Detective Lieutenant Peter van Effen, a man with a sardonic sense of humor and many hidden talents, in charge of the investigation. Lieutenant van Effen is also an undercover operative with connections to a Dutch criminal gang; posing as a criminal explosives expert and with the help of fellow undercover officers Vasco (as a corrupt Dutch Army officer) and George (as a black market arms dealer), he sets out to infiltrate the FFF and sabotage their plans one way or another. Matters, however, take an unexpected and dangerous turn when van Effen's sister Julie and Annemarie Meijer (an undercover policewoman and the daughter of a powerful Dutch industrialist) are kidnapped and held hostage by the FFF. Note Remarkably, in the Dutch translation of the book (Hoogwater), the plot has been changed and Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport had not been flooded. In the Dutch version only a Fokker Friendship is destroyed on the runway. References External links Book review at AlistairMacLean.com 1983 British novels Novels by Alistair MacLean Novels set in the Netherlands William Collins, Sons books

14105488

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%20Tabasco%20flood

2007 Tabasco flood

The 2007 Tabasco flood occurred in late October and early November 2007 in the Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas, in which as much as 80% of the former was left under water. At least 20,000 people were forced to seek emergency shelter. Over 1,000,000 residents were affected. Geography The southern Mexican state of Tabasco is bordered by the states of Veracruz to the west, Chiapas to the south, and Campeche to the north-east. To the east Tabasco borders with the Petén department of Guatemala, and to the north with the Gulf of Mexico. Tabasco is in the northern half of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The state capital is Villahermosa. The hydrology of Tabasco is complex. Most of the state is a wide coastal plain crossed by rivers coming from the mountains further south in Chiapas and Guatemala. The two main rivers in the region are the Río Grijalva and the Río Usumacinta, which converge before draining into the Gulf of Mexico north of Villahermosa through the wildlife-rich wetlands known as the Pantanos de Centla. These rivers are considered mature, since they are in the lowest part of their course, and the plain they cross allows them broad, wide flows, meandering and dividing into separate branches. This is the case with the Grijalva, which separates into several branches in the central part of Tabasco (known locally as the Río Carrizal, Río Samaría and Río Mezcalapa). These three rivers converge at Villahermosa, where they recombine and again take the name Grijalva. The main branch of the Grijalva in Chiapas is dammed by the country's four largest hydroelectric plants. Causes of the floods The Tabasco floods caused largely by the sinking of the land over the last century. The constant extraction of petroleum and gas, the construction of dams in the zone, the erosion of land and deforestation have all contributed toward making this region more flood-prone. Deforestation has allowed silt to fill in rivers thereby reducing their capacity and making floods more likely. With the onset of constant rainfall due to a low pressure system located nearby, the combination of these influences contributed to making the flood event even worse than it might otherwise have been. Some have suggested that global warming has increased sea levels, making water regions at the low sandy zones of the Gulf of Mexico disappear. However, sea level rises due to global warming were probably still negligible in their contribution to these floods. A number of sources point to the misuse of hydroelectric dams as a cause of the floods. Hydroelectric plants in the dams of Tabasco share the production of electricity with newer, private, more expensive gas plants. Investors complained that government owned plants cover most of the production of the electricity, lowering the price, and have put pressure on the government to lessen production on hydroelectric plants in order for them to sell more energy and raise their profit levels. This allegedly led to the dams retaining more water than they should have done. Impact Tabasco was subject to heavy rain in late October and early November 2007, causing widespread flooding. As much as 80% of the state was under water. At least 20,000 people were forced to leave their houses in the search of emergency shelter. Over 1,000,000 residents have been affected. The 2007 Tabasco flood not only destroyed many family houses and took away people's belongings, but also affected theaters, libraries, artistic schools and museums. One of the buildings affected was the house of the poet Carlos Pellicer Cámara, which ended up under the water. The house where the poet lived his childhood is located in Narciso Sáenz 203, in the center of Villahermosa, Tabasco. Another historical house affected is located at 620 Calle Lerdo de Tejada, in Villahermosa, close to Carlos Pellicer's house. The house once was occupied by José Gorostiza, the author of the Muerte sin fin poem, his brother, the dramatist Celestino Gorostiza, and the man of letters Andrés Iduarte. Economic impact at national levels will be insignificant. There is important damage in the fields which is causing increases in banana and cacao prices. The flood in Tabasco will not affect the economy in Mexico as much. Guillermo Ortiz Martínez, president of the Banco de México (the central bank), agrees that Mexico will not have excessive inflation because of the Tabasco flood. But some prices of products will increase such as banana and cacao. The General Peasant Confederation informed that because of the flooding, 100% of the harvests are lost. This represents an economic damage of US$480 million. President Felipe Calderón has sent seven thousand and five hundred people to help people in Tabasco. This is because of the major damage to roads, houses, and farms. The flood destroyed agricultural production in the state of Tabasco, the largest producer of cocoa in the country and a major source of bananas, but is not expected that losses affect international prices, experts said on Friday. Tabasco produces 80% of all Mexico's cocoa and 40% of its bananas, according to Luis Rey Carrasco Linares, an expert from the Autonomous University of Chapingo with his squad in Tabasco. The heavy rains that punished the state for more than a week occurred during the cocoa harvest, which lasts from September to December, Carrasco said. All this year's harvest is under water and was lost, he added. The floods caused profound devastation to agriculture, which is a Principal source of Income in the state. The loss will have its greatest impact for the more than 30,000 families who earn their living in the production of cocoa, Carrasco said, adding that before the flood, farmers were grappling with a plague of fungus. "The situation is extraordinarily serious: This is one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the country" said President Felipe Calderón in a televised address on the night of 1 November 2007. The Tabasco flood caused the loss of thousands of books from the Villahermosa central library and 78 other libraries from five different municipalities. The Grijalva River affected the infrastructure and works of the José María Pino Suárez State Library where the entire vault has much water. The water also flooded the auditorium causing widespread damage to furniture and equipment, rising to the second floor and damaging 15,000 books from the general collection. Chronology 23 October 2007: An accident that occurred amid storm conditions in the Bay of Campeche necessitates the evacuation of a Pemex oil exploration platform. In the rescue operation, 23 workers' lives are lost and, days later, a major oil slick arrives on the coast of Campeche and Tabasco. Heavy rain continues to fall over the southern Gulf Coast for the remainder of the week. 30 October 2007: In the afternoon of 30 October, the Río Grijalva and some of its affluents begin to break their banks. Flooding alerts are broadcast over local TV and radio for the municipalities of Centro, Cunduacán, Jalapa, Jalpa de Méndez, Nacajuca and Tacotalpa. Evacuations of towns at greatest risk begins. The federal Secretariat of the Interior issues a declaration of emergency for the entire state. 31 October 2007: Tabasco Governor Andrés Granier announces that 70% of the state is under water and 300,000 people affected. Damage is also reported to the south in Chiapas, along with the first reports of missing people. 1 November 2007: Granier states that "80% of the state is probably flooded" and gave a figure of 400,000 people affected. President Felipe Calderón tours the affected area and, that evening, addresses the nation on television to report on the gravity of the situation. 2 November 2007: In the early morning hours, the Grijalva breaks the dykes in Villahermosa and the city's central district is ordered evacuated. A million people's homes are under water. 3 November 2007: With the authorities fearing looting in Villahermosa, the army is deployed at supermarkets to ensure order. 4 November 2007: Some shops and lorries are looted in spite of the army presence. Residents relocated to shelters complain about inadequacies in the distribution of aid. 5 November 2007: Food shortages are reported at the shelters. Calderón visits the area for a third time and announces a "fiscal amnesty" plan for the state including the cancellation of tax payments and electricity bills. In the evening, a landslide washes away 50 houses in the village of Juan del Grijalva on the Tabasco-Chiapas border; 70 people are reported missing. 6 November 2007: The water levels in both the Grijalva and the Carrizal fall significantly overnight. Pumping begins to drain the city of Villahermosa. 17 November 2007: Panic spreads as rumors of a river blockage at Juan del Grijalva in the Upper Grijalva river will destroy the Penitas dam and re-flood Villahermosa with greater devastation. Causes and Prevention Tabasco is one of the richest states in Mexico in terms of petroleum, however it is one of the poorest states in terms of social services and health. It has been widely claimed that the disaster could have been prevented or at least limited, but the money that was assigned to infrastructure has vanished. The National Water Commission () was responsible for the construction of hydraulic repairs in the "Peñitas' ditch", which would have reduced the impact of the water in Tabasco. Authorities are making plans to avoid the repetition of this tragedy, elaborating on the existing flood management systems constructed after the floods of 1999. This hydraulic infrastructure will include the construction of borders, breakwaters and sea walls to fight the sea, as well as dredging the rivers to increase peak capacity. Response National The flood tragedy resulted in great national unity among people living throughout Mexico as well as an outpouring of support from abroad. Hundreds of people from all parts of Mexico made donations including those from states that were in previously similar crisis such as Hurricane Dean victims. Entertainers such as Alejandro Fernández, Thalía, members of Los Tigres del Norte, Jaguares, Hombres G, Lorena Ochoa, Místico and Miguel Bosé have also shown their support. Many Mexico football clubs, and their players, also collected significant donations. Special Mention: Two players from the Mexico national team, Guillermo Ochoa from Club América and Gerardo Torrado from Cruz Azul on 11 November 2007 gathered provisions in exchange for autographs at the Martí Pedregal mall. Spanish club Real Madrid will give a certain percentage of the money gathered at their game against Mallorca and will provide a number in which people in Spain can make their donations. The total amount donated was off US$100,000 Televisa donated US$5,000 for every goal scored in the Jornada 16 of the Mexico Apertura 2007 tournament. 26 goals were scored, thus the donation was of US$130,000. Omar Bravo from the Mexico national team and from Chivas de Guadalajara gathered provisions through a campaign titled Corazón Compartido (Shared Heart), where he personally handed out a special jersey to the first 500 fans who attended the event with 5 kilograms of provisions or more. International International aid donated or pledged as of 13 November 2007 3:32 PM CDT Economic consequences One week after the severe flooding, the capital of the state was in bankruptcy in part because flooding has affected various settlements. According to the local Chamber of Commerce, almost 15,000 establishments in downtown Villahermosa suffered losses of 100% in their infrastructure and inventories. This situation might cause a severe recession in the local economy, because many of these business beside having lost all their invested capital, have obligations with their suppliers, payments delayed with the government and workers' wages. Looting The disappearance of persons, acts of looting, lack of supplies and skin diseases are some of the effects suffered by thousands of victims in Tabasco. Drinking water and food shortages brought on by flooded roads in Tabasco prompted several looting incidents at abandoned homes and businesses. The worst incident took place Saturday morning when around 1,000 people overran a downtown shopping center in Tabasco, overwhelming law enforcement officials posted in the area, and making off with everything in sight, including televisions and home appliances. Since the beginning of the disaster, many civilians denounced the existence of many vandalism groups. These groups started entering abandoned houses and also stole everything, Many special security operations have taken place along the damaged areas of Tabasco. One of the most important actions taken was proposed by Felipe Calderón that consisted to bring military troops together with federal police to the state of Tabasco. This operation was taken in order to prevent looting and vandalism. "People are going hungry, we're aware of that," Governor Andrés Granier said on television after the looting incident, "but being hungry doesn't justify such behaviour and outright attacks." Floods in Tabasco observed from Space The floods that had affected Tabasco were observable from the space, as seen in images from NASA. A system of low pressure was the phenomenon that unleashed strong and constant rains in southern Mexico from 28 October and for several days. The Spectrum-radiometer of Image of Moderate Resolution of the satellite Aqua of NASA took the image of the floods on 3 November 2007. References External links Homepage of the Government of the State of Tabasco Homepage of the Government of the State of Chiapas Tabasco Hoy newspaper (local) Diario de la Tarde newspaper (local) Photo gallery en El Universal – a major national daily Photo gallery in El Mundo – a major Spanish newspaper Flickr images of the flooding Awareness page 2000s floods in North America 2007 floods History of Tabasco Natural disasters in Mexico History of Chiapas October 2007 events in Mexico November 2007 events in Mexico Tabasco flood

14124142

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down%20in%20the%20Flood

Down in the Flood

"Down in the Flood" is a song by Bob Dylan, originally recorded by Dylan in 1967 with the Band, and copyrighted that autumn. On some albums, it is listed as "Crash on the Levee", an alternate title. One of the 1967 recordings was released on the 1975 album The Basement Tapes and re-released in 2014 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete, along with a preceding take. Dylan re-recorded the song with Happy Traum in September 1971 using slightly different chords for inclusion on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II. A live version performed with the Band in the early hours of January 1, 1972 was released on the 2001 reissue of the Band's Rock Of Ages. Dylan's July 2002 re-recording of the song featured on the album, Masked & Anonymous: Music from the Motion Picture, the soundtrack to the 2003 film Masked & Anonymous. Cover versions Sandy Denny covered the song on her 1971 album The North Star Grassman and the Ravens, as did The Derek Trucks Band for their 2009 Grammy Award-winning album Already Free. Blood, Sweat & Tears also covered the song on their fifth album, New Blood released in 1972 with Jerry Fisher singing lead. Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs also covered the song on their 1968 album, Changin' Times. Chris Smither covered this song on his 1972 release Don't It Drag On, and again on his 1991 release, Another Way to Find You. Mike Finnigan (keyboards, harmonica and vocals) and Jerry Wood (guitar) covered the tune on their 1972 Blue Thumb album, Crazed Hipsters. References 1967 songs Songs written by Bob Dylan Bob Dylan songs

14144706

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North%20Sea%20flood%20of%202007

North Sea flood of 2007

Cyclone Tilo (also known as Cyclone Andrea in Norway) was a European windstorm which affected northern and western Europe in early November 2007. Combining with the remnants of Hurricane Noel, Tilo's storm surge led to the North Sea flood of 2007, affecting the coastlines of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Belgium, starting on the night of 8–9 November 2007. Meteorological history Cyclone Tilo absorbed the extratropical remnants of ex-Hurricane Noel on 7 November, before rapidly intensifying, which paved the way for the stronger upstream storm Tilo. The jet stream was diverted to the north by a strong ridge of high pressure to the west of Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean, forcing the jet stream over the north of Greenland and back towards Europe. The unusually long fetch was considered important in the potential destructiveness of the storm, stretching down from the Norwegian Sea into the North Sea before reaching the east coast of England and the Dutch and German coasts. In combination with a high tide, the tidal level was expected to exceed above normal sea levels. Impact The flood and waves were expected to overwhelm sea defences and cause extensive flooding; in particular, the coasts of Norfolk and Kent. However, in the event, the storm surge was less than forecast, and damage was relatively minor. The water level came to just 10 cm below the top of the sea wall surrounding Great Yarmouth. Flood warnings were issued for the east coast of Britain and the entire Dutch coast. The Maeslantkering in the port city of Rotterdam was closed for the first time since its construction in 1997. Denmark and Germany issued severe gale warnings for winds gusts up to , and the Scottish islands of Orkney and Shetland expected winds gusts up to . Oil platforms off the coast of Norway were also closed for the duration of the storm. Felixstowe docks were closed and trains services were suspended between Lowestoft and Norwich due to flooding of the line. In Scotland all schools in Orkney were closed with some closures also in Caithness and Sutherland. Wind gusts as high as were reported, along with early snow for the Scottish highlands. The Northlink ferry company cancelled sailings between the Northern Isles. Caledonian MacBrayne also cancelled a dozen routes to the Western Isles. 4000 homes lost power in Grampian; there were also reports of trees and roofs being blown down. A rescue tug was called on to stand by a 240-foot cargo ship struggling in the sea off Shetland. The A90 road was closed between Aberdeen and Peterhead after a lorry was blown over. A double-decker bus was blown off the road near Mintlaw in Aberdeenshire. There were also reports of a roof blown off in Fraserburgh. Aftermath One other consequence of the storm was a record influx of little auks (a small Arctic seabird) into the North Sea, with a count of 18,371 from the Farne Islands on 9 November as they returned north, nearly double the previous record count, then further counts there of 7,143 on 10 November and 28,803 on 11 November. North Norfolk District Council were left seeking to apply for compensation from the government's Bellwin scheme for natural disasters. Replacing damaged promenade handrails was estimated to cost £20,000, while council-owned beach chalets were estimated to cost more than £40,000 to mend. Inspections were also undertaken of the steel under Cromer pier, where waves had damaged the floor of the Pavilion Theatre. Gallery References External links National Oceanography Centre movie model of surge Parker and Foden (2009) High-resolution Measurement of a North Sea Storm Surge. "Storm Surge, Seaham, County Durham": YouTube. Floods in the Netherlands Floods in Germany History of the North Sea 2000s floods in Europe 2007 floods 2000s floods in the United Kingdom 2007 disasters in the United Kingdom North Sea flood North Sea flood European windstorms Storm tides of the North Sea November 2007 events in Europe

14148859

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997%20Red%20River%20flood%20in%20the%20United%20States

1997 Red River flood in the United States

The Red River flood of 1997 in the United States was a major flood that occurred in April 1997, along the Red River of the North in North Dakota and Minnesota. The flood reached throughout the Red River Valley, affecting the cities of Fargo, Moorhead, and Winnipeg, while Grand Forks and East Grand Forks received the most damage, where floodwaters reached over 3 miles (5 km) inland, inundating virtually everything in the twin communities. Total damages for the Red River region were US$3.5 billion. The flood was the result of abundant snowfall and extreme temperatures. Although river levels in Fargo reached record heights, the city was protected by several dikes and received minimal damage. In Grand Forks, however, the river crested at , surpassing the estimate of flooding set by the National Weather Service. Within East Grand Forks, all but eight homes were damaged by floodwaters. Grand Forks mayor Pat Owens had to order the evacuation of over 50,000 people as a large portion of the city would eventually be flooded. A large fire started in Grand Forks, engulfing eleven buildings and sixty apartment units before being extinguished. Those affected by the flood received donations from across the nation, along with billions in federal aid. City officials and flood-forecasters were criticized for the difference in estimates and actual flood levels. Fargo, Grand Forks, and East Grand Forks built new dikes to prevent damage from future floods and the Greater Grand Forks area began to rebuild around the river, developing a campground recreation area, park, and shopping districts where homes once stood. Red River and prior floods The Red River forms the border between North Dakota and Minnesota. A few sets of "sister cities" sit directly on this border, including Grand Forks, North Dakota and its counterpart East Grand Forks, Minnesota, Fargo, North Dakota/Moorhead, Minnesota (Fargo-Moorhead), and Wahpeton, North Dakota/Breckenridge, Minnesota. The Red River in Manitoba and the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota has flooded repeatedly through the centuries, endangering lives and property. The river is highly prone to flooding because of its northward flow. As spring approaches, the snow is melted from south to north alongside the river flow. There is also the possibility that the surplus water can hit unmelted ice on the river and back up. The flatness of the terrain and small slope of the river is a significant factor. The first known recorded accounts of floods along the Red River appeared in the 1770s. Severe floods occurred throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, with one of the most recent major floods occurring in 1979. Homes not damaged in that flood were incorrectly assumed to be safe from a future flood. Origins There were five main factors that contributed to the flood's severity: Rainstorms in autumn of 1996 had saturated the ground so that it could not absorb much water. There was abundant snowfall during the 1996–1997 winter. A total of 98.6 inches (250 cm) of seasonal snow accumulations in Fargo and 117 inches (297 cm) downstream in Grand Forks along with other record snowfall events covered the Red River of the North's watershed. Abnormally cold temperatures plagued the Upper Midwest during this particular winter. Between November 7, 1996, and March 18, 1997 (a span of 131 days) the air temperature only reached 40 degrees Fahrenheit 3 times in Grand Forks. Because there were only a few days above freezing, there was very little gradual melting of the snow that fell throughout the winter. Starting on March 19, 1997, the temperature then rose above freezing for 27 consecutive days, and only eight days after that would the temperature remain below freezing. However, due to the sudden warmth in April, it melted the deep snowpack too quickly for the river to handle. A freak blizzard (unofficially named "Hannah" by the Grand Forks Herald) had dumped a large amount of freezing rain and snow on the Red River Valley on the weekend of April 5, 1997. Tributary peak flows tended to coincide with those on the Red River itself. Preparations The 1997 Red River flood caused over $815,036,000 in damages. The first flood outlook was issued on February 13, 1997, by the National Weather Service, declaring that there was "...a high spring snowmelt flood potential for the tributaries to the Red River, and a severe spring snowmelt potential for the Red River from Wahpeton, North Dakota, to the Canadian border." On February 27, a flood planning meeting in Fargo revealed that Fargo, Wahpeton, and Grand Forks would see the Red River rise to 38, 17.9, and , respectively. The Corps of Engineers recommended on March 24 that Grand Forks' engineers build dikes to a height of , which would provide three feet of leeway for the estimate. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) publicly encouraged Grand Forks residents to purchase flood insurance, but only a thousand of the 52,000 residents did so. Later, researchers at the University of North Dakota determined that although more than 90% of residents knew about the option of purchasing flood insurance, only a small percentage purchased it since they believed the National Weather Service had projected that the river would not crest high enough to warrant a flood. On March 31, the North Dakota National Guard used helicopters to dump sand on ice covering the Red River in an attempt to use the sun's thermal energy to thaw the ice and prevent ice jams. The "dusting" was the most extensive attempt in North Dakota's history. Starting on April 3 and continuing every day up to the flood, sandbagging and dike-building began. Residents, local university students, and Grand Forks Air Force base personnel placed about 3.5 million sandbags at various points around the river. On April 16, at a public meeting, Grand Forks mayor Pat Owens recommended that residents voluntarily evacuate the city. The next day, about 500 airmen and women from Grand Forks Air Force Base were assigned to assisting with monitoring the dikes around the river. The flood hits The flood in Fargo The Red River crested in Fargo at on April 17, but dike-building efforts were able to prevent the water from flooding into a majority of the city. An emergency dike was built and volunteers had to add sandbags to increase the height of a dike that had settled. The mayor of Fargo at the time, Bruce Furness, later stated: "We came very, very close to losing parts of Fargo...it took a lot of effort by a lot of people—a great many of them high school and college students—to save the city. I was very proud of them. I think it was one of Fargo's finest moments." The flood in Greater Grand Forks There was some sense of imminent threat in Grand Forks, but the cities could not prepare for such an enormous flood. The National Weather Service (NWS) had a long-standing forecast for the river to crest at 49 feet (14.9 m), which was the river's highest level during the 1979 flood. The cities had been able to get their dikes to this level, but the river continued to rise past it, to the astonishment of the NWS (which did not upgrade its forecast until April 16, the day the river actually reached 49 feet). The dikes in the low-lying Lincoln Drive neighborhood of Grand Forks were the first to break, doing so early on April 18. Other dikes over the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks area would fail that day and the next, flooding thousands of homes. Water would end up reaching areas over two miles (3 km) away from the Red River, necessitating the evacuation of all of East Grand Forks and 75% of Grand Forks. School was canceled in both cities for the remainder of the term, as were classes at the University of North Dakota. The river crested at 54.35 feet (16.6 m) on April 21 and the river level would not fall below 49 feet (14.9 m) until April 26. The flood reached higher levels than the prior most severe flood in 1826. Because water drained so slowly out of the most low-lying areas, some homeowners could not visit their damaged property until May. By May 30, the Red River had receded below flood stages everywhere in North Dakota. Evacuations When the dikes in Grand Forks could not keep out the flooding river, Pat Owens ordered the evacuation of over 50,000 people on April 18, which up to that time, had been the largest civilian evacuation in the United States since the evacuation of residents in Atlanta, Georgia, during the Civil War. She later reflected on the decision saying, "...if I evacuate this city and nothing happens they're gonna impeach me. But if I don't, we're going to lose lives." Because all transportation was cut off between the two cities (and for many miles, the two states), East Grand Forks residents were evacuated to nearby Crookston, namely to the University of Minnesota Crookston, while residents of Grand Forks, who were given mandatory evacuation orders on April 18, went to Grand Forks Air Force Base (residents stayed in airplane hangars containing more than 3,000 cots). With the assistance of the National Guard and Air Force personnel, several hundred patients were evacuated from local hospitals with no injuries or loss of life during the evacuation process. Many residents also evacuated to motels and homes in neighboring communities. Some residents of Grand Forks criticized the National Weather Service for its incorrect prediction of the river level, as it had prevented them from securing their possessions from their homes. One resident said: "If they'd said earlier the river would hit , I would have moved my stuff out of my house. At 49, it was safe." Downtown Grand Forks fire The flood made national news. The most familiar footage is possibly of the fire that started on April 19 in downtown Grand Forks, surrounded by floodwaters, where eleven buildings and sixty apartments were destroyed. The Grand Forks Herald building was totally destroyed in the fire, along with 120 years of archives. Firefighters were not able to begin extinguishing the fire immediately as they had to evacuate nearly forty people in one of the nearby apartment complexes who had defied the evacuation order. Additionally, their tankers were unable to reach the buildings due to the height of the floodwater and the water pressure from the hoses and fire hydrants was too weak to extinguish the flames. The National Guard placed the fire trucks on several tractor-trailers to prevent them from flooding, which allowed the firefighters to assist in extinguishing the fire. Also, two aircraft rescue and firefighting trucks from the Grand Forks International Airport were brought in to fight the fire because their engines were higher up off the ground, and thus did not get clogged by the flood waters. The firefighters received assistance several hours after the fire started by a fire-bombing plane that dropped retardant and helicopters who made sixty drops totaling 120,000 gallons of water. Three of the firefighters were treated for hypothermia after treading through the cold temperatures of the flood water. The fire was later determined to have been caused by an electrical problem that had resulted from the large amounts of floodwater. Donations and damages The national attention of both flood and fire reached Joan Kroc, the McDonald's heiress, who anonymously (her anonymity was later revealed to the public by the Grand Forks Herald) donated $15,000,000 to be divided into $2,000 portions for each damaged household (though the amount some homeowners received was less due to the huge number of devastated homes; in all 7,500 households received funds). Additionally, another single anonymous donor gave $5 million which was distributed in $1,000 allotments. In November 1997, North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer reported that victims had been assisted by 50,000 relief agency volunteers who had served more than 2 million meals. Additionally, the communities received clothing and supplies that were donated from every U.S. state. During a concert in Fargo, the rock group KISS donated the money from sales of a special T-shirt to the Fargo and Grand Forks areas to assist in flood relief. All told, there was $3.5 billion USD in damages to Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, making it the eighth most expensive natural disaster in the U.S. since 1903. Across North Dakota and Minnesota, there were of land covered in water. Thousands of people were relocated after the disaster. In May 1997, the Red Cross conducted a damage assessment of 8,000 North Dakota homes. The report indicated that 519 homes, 53 mobile homes, and 73 apartments had been destroyed by flood waters while 701 homes, 69 mobile homes, and 175 apartments sustained major damage. Inspectors reported that 5,959 homes, 166 mobile homes, and 497 apartments received minor damage. Over 5,200 businesses had been destroyed, damaged, or somehow affected by the winter and spring blizzards and the flood. In Grand Forks alone, 75% of the homes, 315 businesses, and 16 of 22 local schools had been flooded. East Grand Forks had over 500 condemned homes, with only eight homes not damaged by the flood. Grand Forks, losing only 3% of its population from 1997 to 2000, did not fare as badly as its sister city, which lost nearly 17% of its residents. Not a single person was killed in the flood itself. Federal and state response and assistance On April 22, President Bill Clinton flew over Grand Forks surveying the flooded cities. He then visited the thousands of refugees at the nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base and commented on the community's spirit, stating "Water cannot wash that away. Fire cannot burn that away. And blizzards cannot freeze that away." President Clinton also declared that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would compensate 100 percent of the cost of emergency work, instead of the normal 75 percent. He also requested that Congress approve $488 million for various counties within North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota for short and long-term reconstruction efforts. In June, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and President Clinton appointed the International Red River Basin Task Force containing members of both countries. The task force's purpose was to find ways to improve flood forecasting. North Dakota and Minnesota leaders initially asked the federal government for $100 million in disaster relief, but increased their projections to $500 million for Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. Pat Owens went to Washington D.C. to persuade Congress to provide the funds contained in a $5.5 billion relief bill. Although the bill was initially vetoed by President Clinton since he disagreed with additional unrelated legislation being added to the bill, he signed it on June 11. East Grand Forks Mayor Lynn Stauss, reflected on the government assistance to the city, saying: "This community could not have survived without the help of the state and federal government." Grand Forks received $171 million from the federal program, Community Development Block Grants, which was used for 198 projects within the city. One city worker estimated that 10–15% of the funds went to developing downtown Grand Forks, while the remainder of the grants were distributed to the other projects throughout the city. Criticism and blame After the flood reached unexpected levels, Senator Kent Conrad wrote in a letter on April 30 that he was "very concerned about the capability of the National Weather Service to accurately and in a timely manner predict river levels on the Red River in North Dakota." Earl Pomeroy told the Grand Forks Herald that "the inability to get realistic flood numbers certainly hindered the communities' ability to prepare." Although the Grand Forks Corps of Engineers was also criticized for their efforts, they revealed that for the last ten years before the flood, the engineers had tried to convince citizens to approve the construction of a more extensive flood protection system. Additionally, the head of the river-forecasting for the weather service of North Dakota and Minnesota attributed the rise of the Red River moving faster and higher than previously expected due to the sandbag levees that residents built to protect their homes, as it narrowed the channel of the river. The 5-foot (1.5 m) discrepancy between the actual crest and that which the NWS had predicted led to widespread anger among locals, especially since the citizens of both cities reached and even slightly surpassed the NWS's level of protection through weeks of hard work. Lynn Staus, the mayor of East Grand Forks initially complained on the NWS's predictions, "They missed it, and they not only missed it, they blew it big." He later commented again, saying "I am not trying to blame the weather bureau. [But] we live day by day by those predictions, and many of our people did not go out and buy flood insurance." Anger over the predictions was most famously expressed by a local resident's devastated home having the words "49 feet my ass" smeared on the exterior. Recovery Over 20,000 volunteers went to Grand Forks to assist in recovery efforts. The Red Cross dispersed over 25,000 clean-up kits (containing bleach, cleaning materials, goggles, and other equipment) funded by the State Department of Health that owners used to clean their flood-damaged property and possessions. Since many possessions and appliances were contaminated by flood water, sewage, mold, and mildew, residents were told by city officials to paint the word "Flood" or make some other mark to prevent looting. Over 60,000 tons of flood debris was hauled to local landfills. Grand Forks' daily newspaper, the Grand Forks Herald, continued to publish papers throughout the flood despite having its printing facilities destroyed. Newspapers were printed in St. Paul, Minnesota and flown on a charter plane to Grand Forks for deliveries. For their efforts, the staff of the Herald was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Several local schools were destroyed, prompting the construction of replacements. Because construction was not finished on most of these schools until the end of 1998, hundreds of students spent a year and a half of school in temporary locations ranging from churches to FEMA-constructed temporary metal buildings, known by locals as "tin bins." Numerous city buildings were also damaged, especially in East Grand Forks, where the flood-ravaged downtown area had been home to the city hall and the public library. Both have since been replaced by new buildings, though not before spending a few years housed in a former elementary school and an ice rink's warming house, respectively. Both Grand Forks and East Grand Forks had to decide whether to develop the land along the river. The president of the East Grand Forks planning-and-zoning commission commented on the idea of development, "The river had been our friend for all these years. It had been like an old dog, sleeping comfortably at our feet, and then one day it jumped up and bit us. We had to decide: Do we put it to sleep or try to make amends?" What were once entire neighborhoods, including Lincoln Drive, are now covered by grass and trees, part of an extensive area of parkland called the Greater Grand Forks Greenway. In East Grand Forks, this transformation is especially visible. One former neighborhood is now a large campground, the center of what is now known as the Red River State Recreation Area. The cities of today are significantly different from their pre-flood state, but many residents are pleased with this, seeing it as fulfillment of President Bill Clinton's promise that the cities would "rebuild stronger and better than ever." Population estimates by the Census Bureau and by the city of Grand Forks itself now show a growing community. The City of EGF hired Ernst & Young to lead the development efforts soon after the flood and David Bentley led a team to refurbish damaged facilities as quickly as possible. The first business was reopened in 21 days. Future flood prevention The National Weather Service has since revised their method of forecasting spring floods. Increased technology and funding has allowed for the mapping of the entire Red River bottom, more flood monitoring gauges, and up-to-date satellite images of the river at various flood stages. The area continues to experience flooding as another major flood occurred April 2006. However, the Red River did not go near the level of the 1997 flood and only caused minor damage, primarily in rural areas, including water over roads and bridges. The lack of damage done to Grand Forks and East Grand Forks in particular can largely be attributed to the aforementioned improved dikes and Greenway zone. New dikes have been constructed in Fargo, Grand Forks, and East Grand Forks. Fargo initially had three different plans to choose for developing a dike, and construction of the dike was funded with $10.5 million it received from FEMA and $5.5 million from state funds. For Greater Grand Forks, the system of levees and new "invisible floodwalls" was completed in 2007, having cost several hundred million USD. The areas bordering both sides of the rivers has been converted into a giant park called the Greater Grand Forks Greenway. Since the flood, Grand Forks' recovery has been used as a model by other communities which have suffered from natural disasters. After Hurricane Katrina hit several U.S. states in 2005, Grand Forks adopted the city of Biloxi, Mississippi. Current Grand Forks mayor Michael Brown stated that it was important "to utilize the experience from those people who went through those disasters, like our fire chief, police chief and public works directors. So we went to Biloxi and said, 'This is what we have learned.'" Grand Forks leaders met with Biloxi city officials, and sent a list of contacts and a 24-page booklet that detailed how to coordinate volunteer agencies and how to interact with FEMA. One Biloxi city official stated that Grand Forks had "just helped us to understand what we were looking at, and gave us some direction to go in, which was really needed, with the rebuilding and the recovering." By 2007, the population of Grand Forks had resumed the same levels as before the flood. East Grand Forks mayor Lynn Stauss stated "We like to call ourselves the poster child of flood recovery because we think we showed how different governments working together could make it happen." Cultural references Grand Forks native Tom Brosseau's 2007 album entitled Grand Forks is a concept album about the flood of 1997. His 2005 album, What I Mean To Say Is Goodbye, references the flood during its opening track, "West of Town". Two months after the flood, alternative rock band Soul Asylum played at the joint prom held for Grand Forks high school students. The event took place in a hangar at nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base. In 2004, the band released a live album of the concert, entitled After the Flood: Live from the Grand Forks Prom, June 28, 1997. After the flood, the Summer Performing Arts Company produced Keep The Faith, a musical written by Summer Performing Arts staff and area composers and musicians about the flood and the recovery. In 2007 a 10-year anniversary performance of Keep The Faith was held and prompted James Lee Witt to suggest SPA bring the musical to the Super Bowl in New Orleans. See also 1950 Red River flood 1997 Red River flood 2009 Red River flood References Further reading External links 1990s floods in the United States 1997 natural disasters in the United States Red River Flood In The United States, 1997 Red River Greater Grand Forks Natural disasters in Minnesota Natural disasters in North Dakota Red River flood in the United States Red River flood in the United States +United States

14164815

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953%20flood

1953 flood

1953 flood may refer to: North Sea flood of 1953, affecting England, Netherlands and other countries 1953 Northern Kyushu flood, Japan

14260371

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20%28Doyle%20novel%29

Flood (Doyle novel)

Flood is a 2002 disaster thriller novel by Richard Doyle. Set in present-day London, the novel depicts a disastrous flood and fire of London, caused by a storm, and the consequential accident at an oil refinery, and failure of the Thames Barrier. The plot is similar to his 1976 novel Deluge, updated to include the construction of the Thames Flood Barrier. The book was adapted into a 2007 disaster film, Flood, directed by Tony Mitchell. Plot summary In 1953, the East coast of England was struck by one of the worst storms of the century. In response to this, the Thames Flood Barrier was opened in 1984, to protect London from the danger. However, global warming has resulted in rising sea levels, higher waves and more frequent extreme weather. Londoners have become complacent, thinking that the flood barrier will protect them. The events will prove them wrong. The Prime Minister is out of the country, leaving the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Secretary Venetia Maitland in charge. As the danger signs mount up, officials at all levels of the government are reluctant to take the necessary precautions, relying on margins of error, earlier missed predictions and fearing the consequences of an unnecessary evacuation. A storm rages over the north of Britain, a troop carrier founders in the Irish Sea, flood indicators go off the scale, the seas are mountainous and a spring tide is about to strike the East Coast. Air-sea rescue and military personnel struggle to save lives all down the coast. The worse is yet to come. When the storm reaches the south the two forces of wind and tide will combine and send a huge one-in-a-thousand tidal surge up the Thames. But surely London is safe: the Thames Barrier will save the capital from disaster as it was intended to do? The river is a titanic presence by now, higher than anyone has known it, and the surge thunders towards the Barrier. Scientists begin to talk of the possibility of overtopping. Can fifty feet high gates be overwhelmed by a wave? Then there is an explosion the size of a small Hiroshima: a supertanker is ablaze in the estuary and most of the Essex petrochemical works are going up with it. The Thames catches fire and the wall of fire and water thunders towards Britain's capital. This is the story of what happens next, and the desperate attempts to save the capital from destruction. Firefighters and other first responders from all around the country, supplanted by German, French and American military bravely fight against the disaster, but they can only save a fraction of those threatened. Eventually, the saviour of London proves to be the same thing that threatened it, with rain from the storm extinguishing the fire. Characters Due to the vignette style, many characters are unnamed, and only appear in single vignettes. However, many characters are recurring throughout the book. Venetia Maitland: Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister - With the prime minister on a visit to Australia, Maitland is the most senior politician available. Roland Raikes: Secretary to the Civil Contingencies Committee. The civil servant charged with organizing the response to any emergency. Angus Walsh: Engineer in charge of operating the Thames Flood Barrier. Lauren Khan: Journalist for the Daily Telegraph. Claire Panton: A teacher supervising her school's trip to the Dome. Paul Suter: A repair gang leader on the London Underground. Melanie Sykes: Junior doctor at St Thomas's Hospital. Ted Turner: Captain of the Jen-0 Tug & Fireboat, escorting a VLCC to dock at the Coryton Refinery. Sophie de Salis: A banker with an office in Canary Wharf. Chrissie de Salis: 12-year-old daughter of Sophie de Salis. Jo Binney: Friend of Chrissie de Salis. Harriet Binney: Mother of Jo Binney. References 2002 British novels British novels adapted into films British thriller novels Novels set in London Random House books Novels about floods

14281555

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20Control%20Act%20of%201938

Flood Control Act of 1938

The Flood Control Act of 1938 was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that authorized civil engineering projects such as dams, levees, dikes, and other flood control measures through the United States Army Corps of Engineers and other Federal agencies. It is one of a number of Flood Control Acts passed nearly annually by the United States Congress. Projects covered by the Act (partial list) Dams Green River Lake Dam, Kentucky (begun April 1964, completed June 1969) Bull Shoals Dam (begun June 1947; completed July 1951) Coralville, Iowa, dam forming Coralville Lake (begun 1949; completed 1958) Delaware (Ohio) Dam (begun 1947; completed 1951) Kinzua Dam (begun 1960; completed 1965) Wappapello Dam and Lake Wappapello on the St. Francis River. Wappapello Dam was dedicated in June, 1941;Langdon R. Jones of Kennett, Missouri, delivered the dedication address at the request of Missouri Governor Lloyd C. Stark. Shenango River Dam (begun 1963; completed 1965) Denison Dam Raccoon Creek dam in Parke County, Indiana, forming Mansfield Lake (begun October 1956; completed July 1960). Mansfield Lake was renamed Cecil M. Harden Lake in 1974. Dale Hollow Lake Dam, Tennessee (begun 1938, completed 1943) See also Water Resources Development Act Rivers and Harbors Act for related legislation which sometime also implement flood control provisions. Notes 1938 in the environment 1938 in American law 1938

14281570

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20Control%20Act%20of%201936

Flood Control Act of 1936

The Flood Control Act of 1936, , (FCA 1936) was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on 22 June 1936. It authorized civil engineering projects such as dams, levees, dikes, and other flood control measures through the United States Army Corps of Engineers and other Federal agencies. It is one of a number of Flood Control Acts passed on a regular basis by the United States Congress. FCA 1936 was introduced in Congress by Riley J. Wilson (D, LA). FCA 1936 dictated that Federal investigations and improvements of rivers and other waterways for flood control and allied purposes shall be under the jurisdiction of the War Department (precursor of the Department of Defense) under the supervision of the Chief of Engineers. It further put watersheds, waterflow retardation, and soil erosion prevention under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Further, those authorities were not to interfere with reclamation projects by the Bureau of Reclamation of the Interior Department. FCA 1936 was part of the profusion of important Depression Era legislation enacted by the 74th Congress in 1935–1936, including the Social Security Act, the National Labor Relations Act, the Banking Act of 1935, the Wealth Tax Act, the Public Utility Holding Company Act, the Rural Electrification Act, the Soil Conservation Service Act, and the $4.8 billion Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935. Significance According to Joseph Arnold, author of The Evolution of the Flood Control Act of 1936, FCA 1936 declared that flood control was a national priority since floods constituted a menace to the national welfare. Authorization FCA 1936 authorized the expenditure of $310 million for flood control projects with no more than $50 million being expended in fiscal year 1937. Expenditure was conditioned on local interests participating by providing all lands, easements, and rights-of-way necessary for the construction of the projects, local interests holding and saving the Federal Government free from damages due to the construction works, and that local interests maintain and operate the projects after completion. Projects covered by the Act Dams Kinzua Dam (begun in 1960, completed in 1965) Optima Lake Dam (begun in 1966, completed in 1978) others Levees Mississippi River Levee near between Baton Rouge, LA and New Orleans, LA. See also For related legislation which sometime also implement flood control provisions, see the following: Flood Control Act Flood Control Act of 1937 - follow-on legislation Water Resources Development Act Rivers and Harbors Act References 1936 in the environment 1936 in American law 1936

14284675

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James%20C.%20Flood%20Mansion

James C. Flood Mansion

The James C. Flood Mansion is a historic mansion at 1000 California Street, atop Nob Hill in San Francisco, California, USA. Now home of the Pacific-Union Club, it was built in 1886 as the townhouse for James C. Flood, a 19th-century silver baron. It was the first brownstone building west of the Mississippi River, and the only mansion on Nob Hill to structurally survive the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966. Description and history The Flood Mansion occupies an entire city block on Nob Hill, bounded by California, Taylor, Mason, and Sacramento Streets. The block is fenced on three sides by bronze fencing installed at the time of the mansion's construction. It is a large masonry structure, three stories in height, its exterior finished in brownstone quarried in Portland, Connecticut and shipped around Cape Horn. It is an elaborate expression of Classical Revival architecture, with corner quoining, a balustraded roof edge, and windows framed by pilasters and elaborate pediments. The main entrance, facing California Street, is sheltered by a broad and deep three-bay portico supported by clustered square columns. The mansion was built by James C. Flood, who made his fortune in the silver mines of Nevada. His inspiration for the building were the Gilded Age mansions he saw on the East Coast of the United States, so he commissioned one from architect Augustus Laver. Completed in 1888, it was one of his homes until his death in 1889, and was occupied by his daughter when it was gutted during the 1906 earthquake and fire. She sold the shell of the building to the Pacific-Union Club, which originally contemplated tearing it down. It ended up commissioning Willis Polk to design alterations including a third floor and a new interior. These alterations included the use of additional brownstone, furnished from the same quarries as the original material. The mansion was the only one on Nob Hill to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire; the other mansions on the hill were built of wood, with finishes that gave them the appearance of stone, and were destroyed. See also List of San Francisco Designated Landmarks List of National Historic Landmarks in California National Register of Historic Places listings in San Francisco References External links Houses in San Francisco Nob Hill, San Francisco Houses completed in 1886 National Register of Historic Places in San Francisco National Historic Landmarks in the San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco Designated Landmarks Historic American Buildings Survey in California Gilded Age mansions Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in San Francisco

14301584

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002%20Glasgow%20floods

2002 Glasgow floods

The 2002 Glasgow Floods were a series of flash floods that occurred after thunderstorms in the Scottish Lowlands in the end of July and beginning of August 2002. The heaviest rainfall fell on the night of Tuesday, 30 July 2002. The East End of Glasgow was the worst affected district of the city, and two hundred people were evacuated from their homes in Greenfield and Shettleston on the Tuesday night. The antiquated 19th century storm drain and sewer system in that area, having received minimal investment from Scottish Water, was blamed due to its inability to deal with the high capacity of surface runoff. Many of the homes affected were in working class areas, and as a result, did not have contents insurance. The West Coast Main Line, Glasgow to Edinburgh via Carstairs Line and Queen Street Station were closed as a result of flooding and landslides. A number of roads were also badly affected by flooding in Sighthill, Springburn as well as the main A82 and A8 Roads. Buchanan Street Subway Station on the Glasgow Subway was closed, although trains continued to run through the station without stopping. Parts of the Argyle Line were also flooded, with low level stations from Dalmarnock through to Exhibition Centre closed for a number of weeks. The water parasite cryptosporidium was discovered in Mugdock Reservoir at Milngavie Water Treatment Works on 4 August 2002, as a result of the flooding. Cryptosporidium can cause severe diarrhoea. About 140,000 people in Glasgow were affected, and were told not to drink tap water without boiling it first. This later led to a major redevelopment of the water treatment works. See also 2002 European floods References Disasters in Glasgow Flood Glasgow floods, 2002 Floods 2002 Glasgow floods Glasgow floods 2000s floods in the United Kingdom 2002 disasters in the United Kingdom 2002 floods

14312506

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barotse%20Floodplain

Barotse Floodplain

The Barotse Floodplain, also known as the Bulozi Plain, Lyondo or the Zambezi Floodplain, is one of Africa's great wetlands, on the Zambezi River in the Western Province of Zambia. It is a designated Ramsar site, regarded as being of high conservation value. The name recognises the floodplain as spawning the culture and way of life of the Lozi people, "Rotse" being a variant of Lozi, and "Ba" meaning "people". They became a powerful kingdom in Central/Southern Africa under their king or litunga Lewanika, whose realm extended up to 300 km from the plain and was called Barotseland. Topography and area The region is a flat plateau at an elevation of about 1000 m tilting very slightly to the south. The Zambezi and its headwaters rise on the higher ground to the north, which enjoys good rainfall (1400 mm annually) in a rainy season from October to May. A flood moves down the river reaching a flat region, formed from Kalahari sands, about five hundred kilometres across. To the south around the Ngonye Falls harder rock is found at the surface and has resisted the river's tendency to cut a channel down into it, and so acts a bit like a dam. Behind it the floodplain has formed. Below the falls the river falls nearly twice as fast as it does on the plain, and flows more swiftly in a narrower valley less prone to flooding. The floodplain stretches from the Zambezi's confluence with the Kabompo and Lungwebungu Rivers in the north, to a point about 230 km south, above the Ngonye falls and south of Senanga. Along most of its length its width is over 30 km, reaching 50 km at the widest, just north of Mongu, principal town of the plain, situated at its edge. The main body of the plain covers about 5500 km², but the maximum flooded area is 10 750 km² when the floodplains of several tributaries are taken into account, such as the Luena Flats. The Barotse Floodplain is the second largest wetland in Zambia after the Lake Bangweulu system, which differs in having a large permanent lake and swamps, and a much smaller area which dries out annually. The satellite photo was taken in April 2004 at the peak of the flood, Note that the northern part of the plain, near Lukulu, is less flooded, the land there varies a bit more in height and the water tends to keep to the many river channels. Flood levels and timing See also Climate of Zambia The peak of the flood occurs on the floodplain about 3 months after the peak of the rainy season in January–February. The flood usually peaks in April, and recedes in May to July, when grasses quickly grow on the exposed plain. At the river's lowest water in November the floodplain still contains about 537 km² of lagoons, swamps and channels. The flood leaves behind a fertile grey to black soil overlaying the Kalahari sands, enriched by silt deposited by the flood as well as humus from vegetation killed by the initial flood, and from decaying aquatic plants left to dry out in the mud. It provides a good soil, but in the late dry season it bakes hard in the heat of the sun. As the floods recede, water is left behind in lagoons, swamps, and oxbow lakes. Natural environment The floodplain is in the Zambezian flooded grasslands ecoregion, and is bordered by slightly higher sandy ground on which grow dry grasslands (Western Zambezian grasslands) with woodland savanna (Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands) to the east and south, and patches of evergreen forest (Cryptosepalum dry forests) in the north and east. The flood provides aquatic habitats for fish such as tigerfish and bream, crocodiles, hippopotamus, waterbirds, fish-eating birds, and lechwe, the wading antelope. After the flood, the plain is a habitat for grazing animals such as wildebeest, zebra, tsessebe and small antelope such oribi and steenbok, and their predators. These herbivores have been displaced in most areas by the cattle grazed by the Lozi, but they have provided a large game reserve on the dry grassland to the west, the Liuwa Plain National Park, once the Litunga's hunting grounds, established as a game reserve by Lewanika in the 19th century. In addition the entire western of the Zambezi within the country is a Game Management Area. Human ecology of the plain About 250,000 people live on the plain with a similar number of cattle, migrating to grasslands at the edge of the floodplain when the flood arrives. The floodplain is one of the most productive areas for raising cattle in the country. The Lozi also catch fish, eating about five times as much as the national average. At the height of the flood they use fish traps and spears for fishing, and they use gill nets in the lagoons left behind by the falling flood. Fish spawn just before the flood, the first floodwaters are naturally hypoxic (low in oxygen) which kills most fish, while eggs survive. The Lozi cultivate crops on the floodplain such as maize, rice, sweet potato, and sugar cane. November to January are lean months. Stored produce from the previous growing season is almost used up and in any case would need to be transported during the migration, while the new season's crops and grasses are not yet productive, and at the same time fishing stops for the spawning season. Hunting and trapping animals, which might have filled the gap, is no longer available to most people, and trapping waterbirds is one of the few alternatives to buying flour. The floodplain determines and dominates the way of life, economy, society and culture of the Lozi, who are skilled boat-builders, paddlers and swimmers. The annual migration with the flood is celebrated in the Kuomboka ceremony held at Mongu, capital of Barotseland and its successor, the Western Province. In the occasional very wet year such as 2005, lives and property are lost in floods on the Barotse Plain. More often, however, it is a very good example of the principle that natural annual flooding by rivers is valuable and productive for wildlife and human populations, while damming rivers to control floods, as has happened with the Kafue Flats, is potentially damaging to the environment. Development Development on the plain has been restricted until now to— the canal dug in colonial times to connect a small harbour at Mongu to the Zambezi's channel in the dry season small villages and compounds constructed on mounds, such as Lealui a few dry season tracks pontoon ferries at Sandaula, Libonda and Lukulu some intensive rice and sugarcane plantations. Tight control over access to the floodplain by the Litunga and the homogeneity of the indigenous people have slowed commercial development by outsiders. Barotse Floodplain causeway A new project, the Mongu-Kalabo road, will have more far-reaching consequences. Around 2002 construction started of a 46-kilometre causeway across the centre of the floodplain to take a paved highway from Mongu to Kalabo, via the ferry across the main river channel at Sandaula, which would then be replaced by a 500-metre bridge. It is treated as an extension of the Lusaka-Mongu Road from Lusaka. Originally intended to be completed in 2006, it has been delayed by the difficulty of building on the floodplain. There is no rock in the region, and the causeway has been built from sand and gravel scooped out from shallow depressions next to it. Higher than usual floods washed away large sections. The contractor was a Kuwait-based company which acknowledged that conditions were difficult. The Times of Zambia reported that the company underestimated the floodplain environment, and abandoned the contract. Subsequent modifications have been made to raise the road height and to increase the number and size of culverts, and this in turn led to funding problems. The road has been completed in 2016. A Chinese contractor, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC International), finished the 286.9 million US dollars project. The road stretches 34 Kilometres in the Baroste plains with 26 bridges across it.Chris McIntyre (2004). Zambia: The Bradt Travel Guide online at www.zambia-travel-guide.com. Retrieved 21 November 2007. See also List of crossings of the Zambezi River References Map references "Zambia 1:1,500,000 2nd Edition", Terracarta/International Travel Maps'', Vancouver, 2000. MSN Encarta World Atlas online retrieved 19 November 2007. Flooded grasslands and savannas Ecoregions of Africa Barotseland Geography of Western Province, Zambia Wetlands of Zambia Geography of Zambia Ramsar sites in Zambia Zambezi River Zambezian flooded grasslands Floodplains of Africa

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah%20and%20the%20Flood%20%28ballet%29

Noah and the Flood (ballet)

Noah and the Flood is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine, co-founder and balletmaster of the New York City Ballet, and Jacques d'Amboise to Stravinsky's The Flood (1962). The premiere took place June 11, 1982, at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center. The text was chosen and arranged by Robert Craft from Genesis, the Te Deum and Sanctus hymns, and the 15th century York and Chester miracle plays. Original cast Adam Luders Nina Fedorova Bruce Padgett Francisco Moncion Delia Peters Articles Time magazine, article, Friday, June 22, 1962 Ballets by George Balanchine New York City Ballet repertory Ballets by Jacques d'Amboise Ballets to the music of Igor Stravinsky 1982 ballet premieres

14489405

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic%20Christmas%20book%20flood

Icelandic Christmas book flood

The Christmas book flood or Yule book flood () is a term used in Iceland for the annual release of new books occurring in the months before Christmas. These books are then purchased as presents to be gifted on Christmas Eve. This tradition makes books the most popular Christmas gift in the country. The tradition extends into the night, when Icelanders will often read their new books and drink hot chocolate. Newly published books are listed in an annual catalogue called the Journal of Books () that is distributed to all households for free. The release of the Journal is the beginning of the book flood, signifying the start of the holiday season. The tradition comes from both Iceland's centuries-long literary history and the state of the economy during WWII, when strict currency restrictions limited the amount of imported giftware. Given that restrictions on imported paper were more lenient than on other products, books became and stayed the Christmas gift of choice. History Iceland has a long history of literary culture, with references to writing from as far back as the settlement of the nation. Runes were the first samples of writing in the nation, coming from the Nordic cultures that were the first to move to Iceland. Runes have been found within the nation dating back to the 10th century; however, they have been referenced in other texts, suggesting their existence as early as settlement in the 800s. These runes were also thought to be passed down from the gods, making literature a fundamental piece of the beginning of Icelandic culture. Most famously, a collection of works known as the Icelandic Sagas began the true Icelandic fascination with literature in a way that was independent of any other nation. These works were written between the 12th and 15th centuries, though it is believed that they existed first as oral tales before they were written down. Their subject was that of historical records that became more narrative over time. For the Icelanders, this meant written tales of certain families and individuals that allowed for the record keeping of Icelandic society. With a foundation of writing and reading established at the base of the nation's culture, the trend of literature was established and continued. The tradition officially began in 1944, when the Journal of Books was first published, as a result of the post-World War II economy. Many nations isolated themselves as they rebuilt their economies, most notably in western Europe. This diminished the number of imports Iceland received from other nations, which included most forms of giftware. Limitations on paper goods were not as restrictive, making them a more common import during the post-war era. Due to their neutrality in the war, Iceland had not faced the same economic crash that most of Europe had, which left them with an above-average spending capacity and fewer items to spend on. When the holiday season came, books were the most available gift. See also Christmas in Iceland Hangikjöt Icelandic Christmas folklore St. George's Day in Catalonia, another holiday celebrated by the giving of books World Book Day References External links Bókatíðindi Culture of Iceland Book publishing Christmas in Iceland

14921636

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen%20v%20Flood

Allen v Flood

Allen v Flood [1898] AC 1 is a leading case in English tort law and UK labour law on intentionally inflicted economic loss. Facts A trade union official told an employer his members would not work alongside the claimants. The employer was pressured to get rid of the claimants. For the loss of work, the claimants sued the trade union official. An important fact is that all the workers in the case were only hired day by day. Therefore, the trade union official had never threatened a breach of contract because the contracts began afresh with a new day's work.. Judgment High Court Kennedy J presided over the trial where the jury found that the plaintiffs had suffered damage to the extent of £20 each, and assessed the damage accordingly. Court of Appeal Lord Esher MR, Lopes LJ and Rigby LJ held that the action was maintainable against the district delegate. House of Lords The House of Lords held by a majority (Lord Watson, Lord Herschell, Lord Macnaghten, Lord Shand, Lord Davey, and Lord James) that even though there was a malicious motive, this could not render the conduct unlawful, because the effect actually complained of (not rehiring) was in itself entirely lawful. As one of those invited to give an opinion, Cave J said the following. Giving the last judgment, Lord Davey said the following. Lord Halsbury LC, Lord Ashbourne and Lord Morris dissented. Significance Allen v Flood has come under criticism in some quarters. In another leading tort case in the context of union strike action, Rookes v Barnard, Lord Devlin expressed disapproval. However Allen v. Flood was approved by the House of Lords in the recent case of OBG v Allan. Allen v Flood also held that the earlier economic tort case of Keeble v Hickeringill was just a nuisance case, and not an economic torts case. See also Labour law Contract law Notes English tort case law House of Lords cases 1898 in case law 1898 in British law United Kingdom trade union case law

15175996

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20%28Herbie%20Hancock%20album%29

Flood (Herbie Hancock album)

Flood is the second live album, and sixteenth album overall, by American jazz pianist and keyboardist Herbie Hancock. Recorded live in Tokyo, the album was originally released exclusively in Japan in 1975 as a double LP , reads kōzui meaning flood. It features The Headhunters (saxophonist Bennie Maupin, bass guitarist Paul Jackson, percussionist Bill Summers and drummer Mike Clark, along with guitarist DeWayne McKnight) performing selections from the albums Maiden Voyage (track 1), Head Hunters (tracks 4 and 6), Thrust (tracks 2, 3, and 5), and Man-Child (track 7)–– with the latter album still two months away from release at the time of these concerts. Flood remained a Japanese-only release in all formats until a 2014 CD reissue in the U.S. by the Wounded Bird label. The cover artwork was designed by Nobuyuki Nakanishi. Track listing All compositions by Herbie Hancock except where noted. Personnel Herbie Hancock – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, ARP Odyssey, ARP Soloist, ARP String Ensemble Bennie Maupin – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, saxello, bass clarinet, flute, percussion DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight – guitar Paul Jackson – Fender bass Mike Clark – drum set Bill Summers – congas, percussion References Herbie Hancock live albums 1975 live albums Albums produced by Dave Rubinson Live jazz-funk albums Albums recorded at Nakano Sun Plaza Jazz fusion albums by American artists

15306830

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972%20Black%20Hills%20flood

1972 Black Hills flood

The Black Hills Flood of 1972, also known as the Rapid City Flood, was the most detrimental flood in South Dakota history, and one of the deadliest floods in U.S. history. The flood took place on June 9–10, 1972 in the Black Hills of Western South Dakota. of rain in a small area over the Black Hills caused Rapid Creek and other waterways to overflow. Severe flooding of residential and commercial properties in Rapid City occurred when Canyon Lake Dam became clogged with debris and failed in the late evening hours of June 9 resulting in 238 deaths and 3,057 injuries. Over 1,335 homes and 5,000 automobiles were destroyed. The value of property damage was estimated to be over US$160 million in 1972 dollars ($ in dollars). Flooding also occurred in Battle, Spring, Bear Butte, and Boxelder creeks. Causes A few days before the Rapid City Flood, "earlier rains had left the soil saturated, increasing the amount of runoff of the flood to come." On the afternoon of June 9, substantial rains fell on the area, caused by "an almost stationary group of thunderstorms." Additionally, "a strong low-level easterly flow which forced the moist unstable air up-slope on the hills. This sustained orographic effect helped the air to rise, cool, and release its moisture in repeating thunderstorms. Another contributing factor was the unusually light winds at a higher atmospheric levels which did not disperse the moist air nor move the thunderstorms along to prevent an extreme concentration of rainfall." According to Herbert Thompson the air pattern causing this storm was noticed in big measure over the Great Plains, with a minor scale to the east of the Rockies. There were only what appeared to be light winds, so nothing indicated that there was a huge storm underway. Thompson further indicates that a cold high pressure region was pushed from Canada into the Great Lakes region leading into the western part of South Dakota. A "mesoscale cloud mass" from Colorado also moved towards Rapid City. One of the cloud masses amplified the "mid-level moisture over Rapid City," while the other mass caused the pressure to stay, as the high pressure pushed downward, thus creating the right conditions to produce rainfall. The rainfall from the upper "cloud mass" above the Black Hills formed into new smaller masses downwind which reprocessed the rain allowing for the constant rainfall. The storm was described by Nair, Hjelmfelt, and Pielke as "convective cells of high precipitation efficiency a characteristic of tropical precipitation systems. Cloud seeding experiments being conducted by the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences on clouds west of Rapid City were speculated to have contributed to the unusual amount of rain. However, there is no evidence that the two phenomena were related. The immense precipitation was based over the "Rapid, Boxelder, Spring, and Battle Creeks," creating run-off, along these creeks which led to flooding throughout the surrounding areas. The intense rain began on the afternoon of June 9 and continued until after midnight on June 10. The immense amount of rain the Black Hills received during the thunderstorms ranged from 4 to 15 inches, causing Rapid Creek and surrounding creeks to overflow and creating massive amounts of runoff that resulted in flood waters. The run-off carried rubble to the Canyon Lake Dam creating a barrier in front of its spillway. This resulted in the "increase in depth of water behind the dam of 11 to 12 feet," which caused the release of more water adding to the already moving floodwaters. The flash flood hit Rapid City the hardest around midnight on June 9; the flood waters also hit the small town of Keystone nearby. Damage The flood caused a tremendous amount of damage. Flood waters displaced large rocks, trees, trailers, and vehicles, and carried homes away. In Rapid City the flood resulted in the deaths of "238 including 5 missing," 14 of the deaths were trained professionals. The flood resulted in over 3,000 people being injured. A total of 1,335 homes were ruined, and 2,820 homes were damaged. More than 200 businesses were ruined, and around 5,000 cars were demolished. The damage in Rapid City totaled $66 million in 1972 dollar value. As for Keystone, "eight people were killed and much of the town was washed away." The damage in Keystone totaled around $1.5 million. The total cost of the 1972 Black Hills flood totaled $165 million, including infrastructure and utilities. The total amount of rain the Black Hills received was "800,000 acre feet" equal to "1 billion metric tons of water." The National Weather Service Office (NWS) in Rapid City in 1972 was taking hourly surface observations, issuing local storm warnings and providing local forecasts to the media. The personnel in Rapid City were not properly trained to make forecasts or use the technologies available to them. They lacked access to vital weather information to warn the area citizens. Then and now The Rapid City National Weather Service is now a forecast office with a full-time staff of meteorologists who issue both forecasts and warnings for northeastern Wyoming and the western third of South Dakota. In 1972, the National Weather Service office in Rapid City did not have a teletype system to broadcast warnings. They instead used a one-way telephone hotline to the media to broadcast the warnings. Today warnings are sent to a regional site where they are sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Wire System satellite. NWS forecasters use the state radio system to notify 9-1-1 dispatchers and emergency personnel. This warning is also passed on to the Emergency Alert System (EAS). In the aftermath of the 1972 flood, short-term and long-term programs were put into effect. Many businesses were permitted to stay in the flood plain, but houses and motels were either raised or moved due to the likelihood that a flood would occur while a person may be sleeping. The majority of the flood plain was made into large parks, which have increased in number and have been improved and updated on a continuing basis. Canyon Lake Dam and most bridges were redesigned to prevent debris clogs during flooding. Victims Victims lost precious memories as stated in the Rapid City newspaper. An excerpt from the newspaper reads, "Operation Family Treasure' may provide hope for people.' For those who have given up all hope about finding a priceless photo album or sheet of important personal papers there may be a happy ending with "Operation Family Treasure," a clearing house for irreplaceable items run by the Rapid City Jaycees in conjunction with the Office of Civil defense. Flood disaster victims advised on tax breaks." 2012 saw the 40 year anniversary of the fateful flood. Survivors remarked on the horrific events. Rita, who was 20 at the time, described the scene, "There was so many [people] in trees and screaming and crying and the sparks were flying from electric wires, houses were on fire, it was just — it was hell," she says. Rita was seven months pregnant at the time of the tragedy. She describes her fears as, "I wouldn't wish that upon nobody," she says. "That's a nightmare and a half to think that you're going to die in water and your mom is gonna go with you and you're trying to do your best to keep your mom alive." Rita and her mother were swept against a building and thankfully rescued. There were others with the same experience while others were worse. Good Samaritans like Alex were left to clean up the mess and search for the less fortunate. He describes a gruesome scene, "I found a boy about 5 years old," Alex says. "He was dead, laying on some debris. I didn't touch him or nothing, I just went back and told the authorities where he was at. Then I quit." Reactions One unidentified resident of Rapid City, which was flooded, spoke to a reporter after the flood. "...the only thing above water is the hilltops. I guess it just ... I guess we gotta couple troubles." Another survivor said: "My house is no more. You can see it over there, there's the, well, there just isn't anything." And another unidentified survivor added: "A man knocked at our door and said, 'Get out as fast as you can.' We grabbed the children and my dad's crippled and we picked him up and put him in the car, and just as we drove out the driveway, a big trailer started floating right across the pathway, and we just made it up the hill and that was all it was. Everything was gone." One source, Sean Potter, Certified Consulting Meteorologist and Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, wrote, "I called my best advisor, Mr. Leonard Swanson, the City Public Works Director, and we met at City Hall. Heavy rains were falling, and Mr. Swanson and I drove to Canyon Lake Park where a city worker and his family lived in the park caretaker's home, immediately below the dam. Swanny ordered the caretaker, a Parks Department employee, to immediately take his family, leave their evening meal on the table and get out of the park. The entire family survived the flood. Not a trace of the home (it was city property) or the contents was ever found. Notes References Carter, Janet M., Joyce E. Williamson, and Ralph W. Teller. “The 1972 Black Hills-Rapid City Flood Revisited.” USGS Science for a Changing World. U.S. Geological Survey, April 2002. Web October 11, 2012. Dennis, Arnett. "A Memoir of the Rapid City Flood of 1972" 2010. Print. Nair, U.S., Hjelmfelt R. Mark, and Pielke A. Robert, Sr. “Numerical Simulation of the 9–10 June 1972 Black Hills Storm Using CSU RAMS.” Monthly Weather Review 125. (1997): 1753–1766. Print Taylor, Danielle. "Agency Spotlight: Rapid City Parks and Recreation, South Dakota."Parks and Recreation, 50.2(2015):18–19. Academic Search Complete.Web. December 12, 2016. Thompson, Herbert J. "The Black Hills Flood" Weatherwise 8 July 2010:162–173. Print. External links The Rapid City Public Library offers an online digital archive which collects audio and video recordings of survivors, written accounts and photos from survivors, as well as news broadcasts from the 1972 flood. 1970s floods in the United States 1972 natural disasters in the United States 1972 in South Dakota Black Hills Dam failures in the United States Natural disasters in South Dakota

15482195

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim%20Flood%20%28baseball%29

Tim Flood (baseball)

Thomas Timothy Flood (March 13, 1877 – June 15, 1929), was a professional baseball player who played second base for the St. Louis Perfectos in 1899 and the Brooklyn Superbas from 1902 to 1903. While playing minor league baseball in Canada in 1907, Flood was arrested for assaulting an umpire during a game and served one week in jail. He was subsequently suspended from the league. Notes External links Baseball Almanac 1877 births 1929 deaths Major League Baseball second basemen Brooklyn Superbas players St. Louis Perfectos players Baseball players from Missouri New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players Chattanooga Warriors players Mobile Bluebirds players Cedar Rapids Rabbits players Fort Wayne Indians players Ottumwa Giants players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Cleveland Lake Shores players Sacramento Senators players St. Paul Saints (AA) managers St. Joseph Saints players Los Angeles Angels (minor league) managers Los Angeles Angels (minor league) players Altoona Mountaineers players St. Paul Saints (AA) players Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players Little Rock Travelers players Nashville Vols players Cairo Egyptians players Winnipeg Maroons (baseball) players 19th-century baseball players People from Montgomery City, Missouri American people convicted of assault Burials at Calvary Cemetery (St. Louis)

15500814

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John%20Joe%20Flood

John Joe Flood

John Joe Flood (2 August 1899 – 3 July 1982), also referred to as Jonjo Flood or John Flood, was an Irish footballer who played as a forward for Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers, Leeds United and Crystal Palace. As an international, he also played for and captained the Irish Free State yielding a return of 4 goals in 5 games. Flood was also part of the League of Ireland XI setup (1925–1933) which was viewed by fans of the day as an international team when playing against the likes of the Scottish/Welsh/IFA League XI sides. He played eight times and scored 3 goals. Club career Flood play for Shelbourne before joining Shamrock Rovers. After helping Rovers win their first ever League of Ireland title in 1923 he joined Leeds United, together with Bob Fullam. However neither of them managed to establish themselves at United and they both rejoined Rovers for the following season. Back with Rovers, together with Fullam, John Fagan and Billy Farrell he was an integral part of a legendary forward-line known as the Four F's. During the 1924–25 season they helped Rovers win a League of Ireland / League of Ireland Shield / FAI Cup treble. They won the FAI Cup after beating Shelbourne 2–1 at Dalymount Park before an attendance of 25,000. Flood and Fullam scored the two goals against their former club. During his career Flood also had a spell with Crystal Palace. In April 1932 he was awarded a benefit game which broke all previous attendance records and signified the impact that the popular Flood had on the game in the country at the time. International career Between 1926 and 1931 Flood made five appearances and scored four goals for the Irish Free State. He made his international debut in a 3–0 away defeat against Italy on 21 March 1926. He won his second cap on 20 April 1929 against Belgium at Dalymount Park. He marked the occasion by scoring Irelands' first international hat-trick and the Irish won 4–0. He scored his fourth international goal in a return game against Belgium on 11 May 1930. Jimmy Dunne scored the other two goals as the Irish won 3–1. On 26 April 1931, he captained the Irish Free State against Spain. Together with Tom Farquharson, Peter Kavanagh and Paddy Moore he was part of a team that gained a respectable 1–1 draw at the Montjuic Stadium in Barcelona. Flood laid on the pass for Moore to score on his debut. He made his last international appearance on 13 December 1931 in the return game against Spain which the Irish Free State lost 5–0. Flood captained the Irish team on that day. Honours Shamrock Rovers League of Ireland: 1922–23, 1924–25, 1926–27, 1930–31 FAI Cup (6): 1925, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 League of Ireland Shield: 1924–25, 1926–27, 1931–32 Leinster Senior Cup: 1923, 1927, 1929, 1930 Leinster Senior League: 1921–22 References Sources The Hoops by Paul Doolan and Robert Goggins () External links Remembering John Joe Flood Republic of Ireland men's association footballers Irish Free State men's international footballers League of Ireland players Shamrock Rovers F.C. players Shelbourne F.C. players Leeds United F.C. players Crystal Palace F.C. players League of Ireland XI players Irish Free State men's association footballers Leinster Senior League (association football) players Men's association football forwards 1899 births 1982 deaths Association footballers from Dublin (city)

15613668

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floodlit%20Cup%20%28Northern%20Ireland%29

Floodlit Cup (Northern Ireland)

The Floodlit Cup (more commonly known as the Budweiser Floodlit Cup, Budweiser Cup or Coca-Cola Cup for sponsorship reasons) was an annual football competition organised by the Irish Football League in the late-1980s and 1990s. History By the mid-1980s all Irish League clubs had installed floodlighting at their grounds, largely through grants awarded by the Football Trust. This presented the opportunity for the founding of a new competition with the prospect of much needed sponsorship revenue. Budweiser was announced as the sponsor of this new competition, presenting a total prize fund of £12,000 for competing teams and administration. A distinctive trophy was produced, featuring the sponsor's name, and this was awarded for the first time on December 15, 1987 to Glentoran. Budweiser remained sponsor of the Floodlit Cup until 1994/95 with Portadown winning the trophy for a record third time. With Budweiser's withdrawal as sponsors the competition was immediately replaced by the Coca-Cola Floodlit Cup (the Budweiser branded trophy ended at this point). The Coca-Cola Floodlit Cup was a new trophy, and in the years that followed the term "Floodlit" became less prevalent. The Coca-Cola Floodlit Cup itself lapsed in 1998/99 with the remainder of the company's six-year sponsorship deal transferring to the Irish League Cup as the number of competitions open to Irish League clubs was reduced. Format 1987/88 Open to all 14 Irish League clubs. Played on a single match, straight knock-out basis with extra-time and a penalty shoot-out if required. Semi-finals and final played on a neutral ground. Top two teams from the previous season’s Irish League given a bye to the second round. 1988/89 to 1989/90 Entrants increased to 16 with the inclusion of B Division teams, Omagh Town and Ballyclare Comrades (who were due to join an expanded Irish League in 1990/91). First round played on a two legged, home and away basis using the away goal rule, followed by extra-time and penalties if the aggregate score was level. Quarter-final and semi-final matches played as a single match with extra-time and penalties, with semis and final again at a neutral venue. Final match open to a replay if scores remained level after extra-time. 1990/91 to 1994/95 Reverted to original straight knock-out format but with sixteen teams. 1995/96 to 1996/97 The Irish League split into two divisions for the 1995/96 season and Coca-Cola took over the sponsorship of the Floodlit Cup. The competition remained open to the 16 Irish League clubs (8 Premier Division and 8 First Division) and reverted to a two legged first round format, with the draw seeded so Premier League teams met First Division teams. From the quarter-finals on the format remained the same as in previous years. 1997/98 (final year) The Irish League had expanded again, to 18 teams (10 Premier and 8 First Division), for the final season of the Coca-Cola Floodlit Cup. A preliminary round was introduced, played on a single match basis, to bring the field down to 16 teams with the remainder of the competition played out as it had been in 1987/88 and from 1990/91 to 1994/95. List of finals Key: Performance by club External links Floodlit Cup Results at Irish Football Club Project Irish League Forums Irish League Archive - Floodlit Cup Defunct association football cup competitions in Northern Ireland

15657581

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20warning

Flood warning

A flood warning is closely linked to the task of flood forecasting. The distinction between the two is that the outcome of flood forecasting is a set of forecast time-profiles of channel flows or river levels at various locations, while "flood warning" is the task of making use of these forecasts to make decisions about whether warnings of floods should be issued to the general public or whether previous warnings should be rescinded or retracted. The task of providing warning for floods is divided into two parts: decisions to escalate or change the state of alertness internal to the flood warning service provider, where this may sometimes include partner organisations involved in emergency response; decisions to issue flood warnings to the general public. The decisions made by someone responsible for initiating flood warnings must be influenced by a number of factors, which include: The reliability of the available forecasts and how this changes with lead-time. The amount of time that the public would need to respond effectively to a warning. The delay between a warning being initiated and it being received by the public. The need to avoid issuing warnings unnecessarily, because of the wasted efforts of those who respond and because a record of false alarms means that fewer would respond to future warnings. The need to avoid situations where a warning condition is rescinded only for the warning to be re-issued within a short time, again because of the wasted efforts of the general public and because such occurrences would bring the flood warning service into disrepute. A computer system for flood warning will usually contain sub-systems for: flood forecasting; automatic alerting of internal staff; tracking of alert messages and acknowledgements received; diversion of messages to alternates where no acknowledgement received. National Flood Warning Services The type of flood warning service available varies greatly from country to country, and a location may receive warnings from more than one service. Philippines In the Philippines, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) branch of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) issues general flood advisory (for non-telemetered river basins whenever there is a significant amount of rainfall recorded). United Kingdom Arrangements for flood warnings vary across the United Kingdom with several agencies leading on warnings for emergency responders and the public. The Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and Scottish Environment Protection Agency all undertake location specific flood warning activities for communities at risk depending upon the scale of flood risk, technical challenges and investment needed to deliver a reliable service. Prior to issuing a flood warning consideration is given to: the needs of communities to activate emergency response plans the nature of the catchment or coastline and the lead time that may be provided meteorological observations and forecast information on rainfall and coastal water levels hydrological observations and flood forecasts reference to thresholds of historic or forecast flood levels Dissemination of flood warnings has moved towards a service whereby those at risk can pre-register to receive warnings by phone, email or text message from an automatic system, Floodline. Both warnings and updates about current conditions are also carried by local radio stations. In addition, live updates are carried by the Environment Agency's website, showing which locations have flood warnings in place and the severity of these warnings. There is currently no flood warning system in Northern Ireland, but the Met Office does issue weather warnings. Flood risk management is the responsibility of Rivers Agency in Northern Ireland. Consideration will be given to the introduction of a warning system as part of the implementation of the EU Floods directive. United States In the United States, the National Weather Service issues flood watches and warnings for large-scale, gradual river flooding. Watches are issued when flooding is possible or expected within 12–48 hours, and warnings are issued when flooding over a large area or river flooding is imminent or occurring. Both can be issued on a county-by-county basis or for specific rivers or points along a river. When rapid flooding from heavy rain or a dam failure is expected, flash flood watches and warnings are issued. In the U.S. and Canada, dissemination of flood warnings is covered by Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) code FLW, which is used by the U.S. Emergency Alert System and NOAA Weather Radio network and in Canada's Weatheradio Canada network. "Flood statements" are issued by the National Weather Service to inform the public of flooding along major streams in which there is not a serious threat to life or property. They may also follow a flood warning to give later information. Example of a flood warning The following is an example of a "Flood Warning." The Sabine River is used as an example: 394 WGUS44 KSHV 070219 RRA FLWSHV BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Flood Warning National Weather Service Shreveport LA 819 PM CST Wed Jan 6 2021 ...The National Weather Service in Shreveport LA has issued a Flood Warning for the following rivers in Texas... Sabine River Near Hawkins affecting Wood, Smith and Upshur Counties. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Do not drive cars through flooded areas. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. A Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring. All interested parties should take necessary precautions immediately. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. For more hydrologic information, copy and paste the following website address into your favorite web browser URL bar: water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=shv TXC423-459-499-080230- /O.NEW.KSHV.FL.W.0009.210109T0430Z-210111T0224Z/ /HAKT2.1.ER.210109T0430Z.210110T0000Z.210110T2024Z.NO/ 819 PM CST Wed Jan 6 2021 The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a * Flood Warning for the Sabine River Near Hawkins. * From Friday evening to Sunday evening. * At 7:45 PM CST Wednesday the stage was 19.1 feet. * Flood stage is 23.0 feet. * Minor flooding is forecast. * Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage late Friday evening to a crest of 23.7 feet Saturday evening. It will then fall below flood stage early Sunday afternoon. * Impact...At 23.0 feet, minor lowland flooding. Move livestock and equipment to higher ground. && LAT...LON 3263 9535 3257 9509 3253 9508 3254 9521 3257 9535 $$ 19 Source: Example of a flood statement 000 WGUS84 KMRX 221008 FLSMRX FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN, TN 608 AM EDT TUE SEP 22 2009 ...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN GEORGIA... TENNESSEE... SOUTH CHICKAMAUGA CREEK @ CHICKAMAUGA TN AFFECTING CATOOSA AND HAMILTON COUNTIES IN HAMILTON COUNTY...THERE ARE TOO MANY STREETS CLOSED TO MENTION. IN SHORT...BE PREPARED FOR LONG DELAYS. ALSO...FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOOD WATERS. THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO DIE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... MOST DEATHS IN FLOODS OCCUR IN CARS! IF YOU COME TO A CLOSED OR FLOODED ROAD, TURN AROUND! DON'T DROWN! DRIVING INTO FLOODED ROADS IS A GOOD WAY TO DIE. BETTER TO BE LATE THAN END UP ON THE NEWS. && GAC047-TNC065-221608- /O.CON.KMRX.FL.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090923T1942Z/ /CHKT1.2.ER.090921T0923Z.090922T1800Z.090923T1342Z.NO/ 608 AM EDT TUE SEP 22 2009 THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE SOUTH CHICKAMAUGA CREEK @ CHICKAMAUGA TN * UNTIL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. * AT 5:15 AM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 25.8 FEET. * MODERATE FLOODING IS OCCURRING. THE FORECAST IS FOR MODERATE FLOODING TO CONTINUE. * FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE TO RISE AND CREST NEAR 26.5 FEET TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING. * AT 27.0 FEET...HOMES ON ARLENA CIRCLE (OFF SHALLOWFORD ROAD) ARE EVACUATED. EVACUATIONS ALSO TAKE PLACE AT THE FOUNTAINBLEAU APARTMENTS ON SPRING CREEK ROAD IN EAST RIDGE. $$ $$ BOYD Source: Iowa Flood Center The Iowa Flood Center at the University of Iowa operates the largest real-time flood monitoring system of its kind in the world. It includes more than 200 real-time stream stage sensors that feed data into the Iowa Flood Information System where data can be viewed, online, by disaster management staff and the general public. The stream stage sensors, mounted on bridges and culverts, use ultrasonic sensors to monitor stream and river levels. References External links Flood Risk Management in Northern Ireland at riversagencyni.gov.uk Flood control Hydrology Warning systems

15743911

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%20Wasn%27t%20A%20Dream%2C%20It%20Was%20A%20Flood

It Wasn't A Dream, It Was A Flood

It Wasn't A Dream, It Was A Flood is a 1974 autobiographical, 16mm short film about poet Frank Stanford, made by Stanford and his publisher, Irv Broughton. Stanford appears charismatic and passionate in the 25-minute film, which interviews friends on whom Stanford's literary characters were sometimes based. The film won one of the Judge's Awards at the 1975 Northwest Film & Video Festival. It has never been released in theaters or on home video. The film was screened on July 26, 1997 at Vox Anima Artspace and October 18, 2008 at the Frank Stanford Literary Festival, both in Fayetteville, Arkansas. References 1974 short films 1970s short documentary films Autobiographical documentary films 1974 documentary films 1974 films Documentary films about poets American short documentary films 1970s American films

15864654

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October%201998%20Central%20Texas%20floods

October 1998 Central Texas floods

The October 1998 Texas Flooding was a flood event that occurred across parts of South Texas and Southeast Texas on the weekend of October 17 and October 18, 1998. The storm that caused it was one of the costliest in the recorded meteorological history of the United States, bringing rainfall of over to some parts of Southeast Texas and causing over $ 1.19 billion in damages (2020 USD). 31 people were killed as a result of the storm, mostly from drowning. Meteorological synopsis The storm was created when a very strong upper-level trough approached from the Western United States and collided with very warm, moist air which had been sitting over Southern Texas for the past few days. This caused dew points in the area to be in the mid 70s that weekend. Also, an area of very warm and moist air was present nearby due to Hurricane Madeline, which was sitting off the west coast of Mexico. On October 16, the storm was being forecast by the National Weather Service to produce a significant amount of rain, and was only missing one ingredient for it to be a disastrous storm. The missing ingredient was a cold front, and one was moving steadily across the Western United States. Forecasters predicted that if this were to arrive at the same time as the rain, there would be heavy rain and possibly flooding. At 3:30 AM Central Standard Time, the National Weather Service in New Braunfels, Texas issued a flash flood watch for all counties in South, South-Central, and Southeast Texas. Between the hours of midnight and 4 A.M. on October 17, 1998, small clusters of rain showers and thunderstorms began to form over Southern Texas very far ahead of the approaching cold front. For the next few hours, storms did not organize much into powerful clusters until the convection formed over the northern part of Bexar County, Texas, which included the city of San Antonio. After this formation, the storms rapidly increased in formation and power until the cold front arrived. The convection spread very quickly into other counties after this intensification. These counties included Travis, which included the city of Austin, Texas. The cold front would soon arrive to the area, bringing torrential rains. The cold front arrived in Southern and Southeastern Texas on the evening of Saturday, October 17, 1998. This caused the storm to rapidly intensify until the torrential downpours began over the entire area. This started to flood many rivers and other bodies of water in the area, including the San Marcos River, the Guadalupe River, Canyon Lake, and the Medina River. The rainfall caused widespread flash flooding across the urban area of San Antonio and the city of Austin. Heavy rains continued for the entire day of October 18, 1998, and eventually tapered off and moved away to the coast and soon offshore. It caused major flooding in seven different river basins, and drained nearly . The rain caused record rain totals in fifteen bodies of water, as recorded by the United States Geological Survey. Impact The flood event impacted many areas, mostly in Southern Texas. Also affected were Southeast Texas and South Central Texas, and there was minor flooding along the coast of the state. Central Texas The greatest impact was in Southern Texas, which included the urban areas of San Antonio and Austin, and all of their surrounding suburbs. The counties with the most significant rainfall, damage, and fatalities were Travis County, Bexar County, Guadalupe County, and Caldwell County. This area included both the cities of San Antonio and Austin. In a small area in Caldwell County, there was of rain estimated by the United States Geological Survey. This included the area of Lockhart, Texas, which was badly flooded by the storm due to its close proximity to the San Marcos River. Most of the county picked up an estimated 20–30 inches of rain, including San Marcos, Texas, New Braunfels, Texas, and Kyle, Texas. Flooding data Source: Fatalities 31 people were killed as a result of the flooding across nine different counties and 24 separate incidents in South, Southeast, and South-Central Texas. 29 of these deaths were caused directly from the storm, and two were caused indirectly. Of the 31 deaths, 24 (or 77%) were caused by drowning. Of the deaths caused by drowning, 22 of them were caused by a driver driving their vehicle into high water on a road flooded by the torrential downpours. There were 16 different incidents when these types of deaths occurred, four of them involving in multiple deaths. 63% of these incidents involved a truck, van, or sport utility vehicle. Other deaths included three cardiac arrests, three incidents of multiple trauma, and one death caused by hypothermia after being submerged in the water. See also 1997 Red River flood Floods in the United States: 1901-2000 Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 Hurricane Madeline (1998) References Bibliography Guadalupe River (Texas) 1998 meteorology Floods in Texas 1998 in Texas 1990s floods in the United States 1998 floods 1998 natural disasters in the United States

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October%201999%20Mexico%20floods

October 1999 Mexico floods

In October 1999, severe flooding affected portions of eastern Mexico and Central America. Rainfall in September preceded the primary event in Mexico, which moistened soils. On October 4, Tropical Depression Eleven developed in the Gulf of Mexico, which drew humidity from the gulf and the Pacific Ocean to produce torrential rainfall in mountainous regions of eastern Mexico, reaching in Jalacingo, Veracruz. This was the third-highest tropical cyclone-related rainfall total in Mexico from 1980–2006, and the event caused the highest rainfall related to tropical cyclones in Veracruz, Hidalgo, and Puebla. In some locations, the daily rainfall represented over 10% of the annual precipitation total. The heaviest rainfall occurred in mountainous regions that were the mouths of several rivers. A broad trough absorbed the depression on October 6, and rainfall continued for the next few days. Additional rainfall occurred in Tabasco state on October 18. The floods were estimated as a 1 in 67 year event in one location, although such floods are expected to affect eastern Mexico twice per century, the last time being 1944. Throughout Mexico, the floods killed at least 379 people, according to the federal government, and as many as 600 according to relief agencies; the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters later estimated there were 636 deaths, and damage in Mexico was estimated at $451.3 million (4.3 billion pesos). Nationwide, the floods damaged or destroyed 90,000 houses, which left about 500,000 people homeless. Flooding caused thousands of landslides, many in more populated areas than the flooding in 1944. The floods also caused 39 rivers to overflow, and the combination of floods and landslides destroyed bridges, houses, widespread crop fields, schools, and electrical networks. Impact was worst in Puebla, where damage totaled $240 million (2.1 billion pesos) and many roads were washed out. Landslides in the state killed 107 people in Teziutlán. Elsewhere in the country, the floods washed crocodiles into the streets of Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco, and in Oaxaca, the rainfall occurred after an earthquake left thousands homeless. Flooding also extended into Central America in late September through early October, causing $40 million (385 million pesos) in crop damage and 70 deaths. After the floods receded, Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo ordered the Department of National Defense to utilize all resources to assist the people affected by the floods. More than 94,000 people stayed at 896 shelters after being evacuated due to the floods. The federal government allocated $234 million (2.34 billion pesos) in relief, which was smaller than the damage total. Widespread medical teams assisted tens of thousands of homes, and due to prevention measures, there were no outbreaks of diseases. Roads and electrical systems were gradually restored, and students returned to school after repairs were made. Residents throughout Mexico sent supplies to the Mexican Red Cross, including 500 tons of food and water, and international agencies sent money and supplies to the flood victims. Meteorological history Beginning around September 10, heavy rainfall occurred sporadically in southern Mexico and into Central America, influenced by a broader storm system related to Hurricane Floyd. Toward the end of September, heavy rainfall occurred in the mountains of northeastern Mexico, which prompted officials to open flood gates. The rains occurred throughout Mexico for about two weeks before the worst of the precipitation began, and saturated soils before the heaviest rainfall in October. On October 4, Tropical Depression Eleven developed in the Bay of Campeche about northeast of Veracruz, having originated from a tropical wave. Due to weak steering currents, the depression moved erratically, initially to the south and later to the west-northwest. It failed to intensify due to a surface trough over the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico, connected to a cold front. While the depression was drifting, it produced large areas of convection over eastern Mexico, aided by high humidity from the gulf and from the Pacific Ocean. On October 6, the circulation was absorbed into the trough, although rainfall continued to occur through October 9. A week later, Hurricane Irene affected southern Mexico with strong rains. Additional rainfall occurred on October 18 in Tabasco, causing further flooding; the waters in the state began receding on October 28. The wet conditions in eastern Mexico, occurring at the same time as hot, dry conditions elsewhere in the country, were possibly related to La Niña conditions. Due to easterly wind shear and the convection along the storm's western periphery, the tropical depression dropped heavy rainfall in the states of Puebla, Tabasco, Hidalgo, and Veracruz, peaking at in Jalacingo, Veracruz. This was the highest rainfall total in Veracruz from 1981 to 2010; statewide record peaks were also reported in Puebla and Hidalgo. The depression was the third wettest tropical cyclone in Mexico from 1983 to 2006, after Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Tropical Storm Frances in 1998. The heaviest of the rainfall occurred along the Sierra Madre Oriental, which is a mountain range in eastern Mexico and the source for several regionally important rivers. Tuxpan, Veracruz recorded 6.2 in (157.7 mm) in a 24‑hour period on October 4, which was greater than the average October rainfall there and was about one-ninth of the annual total. A station in Hidalgo reported 4.02 in (102 mm) on October 4, which was also greater than the average October rainfall and was about one-eighth of the annual total. The return period was estimated as high as a 1 in 67 year event at Xicotepec, Puebla, and it was estimated that such floods in Mexico occur only twice per century; similar floods occurred in September 1944 in the same region, although the area was less populated then. Impact Mexico Across eastern Mexico, the heavy rainfall caused mudslides and floods, which damaged or destroyed 90,000 houses, and damaged or destroyed about 3,088,000 acres (1,250,000 hectares) of crop fields; thousands of livestock were also killed. The floods affected 819 Municipalities of Mexico in 17 states and the federal district, leaving about 500,000 people homeless, of whom half were in Tabasco and Veracruz states. Several ports were closed due to the floods. Although power lines were downed, most electrical systems were not damaged, and power was quickly restored within a week in most areas. A total of 39 rivers overflowed, which washed away bridges, roads, dams, and some entire houses, and there were thousands of landslides, mostly in unpopulated areas. Collectively, 28 federal highways and 300 rural roads were closed or damaged. The federal highway network sustained damage in 1,237 locations as a result of 1,164 landslides or mudslides and 28 damaged bridges. Damage was estimated at $451.3 million (4.3 billion pesos). The death toll was 61 as of October 6, and a day later it reached about 250. The Mexican government reported 341 deaths on October 13, excluding victims in a landslide in Acalama, Puebla, and the total reached 379 by October 28. However, non-government agencies reported 500 deaths in Mexico by October 9, and as many as 600 as of mid-November. The International Disaster Database, published by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, reported 636 deaths from the floods. The high death toll, in comparison to similar floods in 1944, was due to more landslides and flooding in more populated areas. About 500,000 people were injured. In Tulancingo, Hidalgo, a nearby river flooded 6,750 houses and buildings, reaching 3 ft (1 m) in some places and affecting about half of the town. Elsewhere in Hidalgo, the rains collapsed a mine in San Salvador, burying seven people. A total of 8,342 people had to evacuate to 75 shelters. The combination of washouts and landslides damaged 168 rural roads and 36 state highways, causing $3.85 million (38 million pesos) in damage. Fourteen people died statewide. In the state of Tabasco, rivers reached their highest stage in about 40 years, affecting about 75% of the state by October 8. About of flooding was reported in some places, which washed crocodiles into streets in the capital city, Villahermosa. Statewide, over 58,000 people had to evacuate due to flooding, including portions of Villahermosa, where 90,955 people were injured. In the city, 1,600 prisoners had to be transported after a jail was flooded. Nine people died in the state. Additional floods caused further flooding later in October. Flooding was considered worst in Puebla, and were the worst floods in about 400 years, according to newspaper reports. A total of 21,342 people evacuated their houses to 116 shelters, mostly in the state's northern portion. The floods affected 16,511 houses and 199 schools. In Teziutlán, with a population of about 50,000, it is estimated the city received nearly half of its annual rainfall in about three days. Nine entire communities became isolated due to the floods, and the small village of Patla sustained heavy damage after the Necaxa River changed its course closer to the town. Widespread landslides occurred, including over 80 in Teziutlán alone; one mudslide there destroyed 80 houses. Some of the landslides occurred along rivers and produced new lakes, but 85% of these broke within the first year. Population growth, primarily in Teziutlán and Zaragoza, occurred in landslide-prone areas along mountains. Along Sierra Norte de Puebla, deforestation contributed to additional landslides. A landslide covered the Zacatepec River near Zempoala, creating a natural dam and a small lake. Mudslides buried at least 16 people at a school in Pantepec, and a deforested hill caused a landslide in the Indigenous village of Acalama, which covered up to 170 people. Most had fled to a church that was also covered, and it is estimated that only 30 people survived in the village. Statewide, 263 people were killed, including 107 in Teziutlán who were buried by mudslides, becoming the worst disaster in the history of the town. In the village of Tetela de Ocampo, 31 people died. In Puebla, 30,000 people were injured, and 81 municipalities sustained damage, with statewide damage estimated at about $240 million (2.1 billion pesos). In Veracruz, 124 people were killed in the event, including three in a rescue helicopter crash. About 23,500 people statewide had to evacuate to emergency shelters in 452 communities. The governor declared the state as a disaster zone after 13 rivers exceeded their banks, and two entire villages were washed away. A total of 75,135 people were injured in Veracruz, about one third of whom became homeless due to the floods. In rural areas, 77,123 people lost power. Statewide, 11 bridges were damaged, and 22 portions along the Poza Rica-Veracruz highway was damaged. In Zaragoza, the floods destroyed 91% of the year's crops. There were six deaths in Chiapas during the flood event. In the state, four dams reached near record water levels. In Oaxaca, the rains left thousands homeless and disrupted work to clean up after an earthquake a week prior. The floods displaced 800 families, and six people died in the state. The floods spread as far west as Jalisco, where 3 roads were destroyed and 12 municipalities were affected. In nearby Michoacán, 5,000 people were injured. Central America Portions of Central America also experienced flooding related to the rains, causing landslides and washing away bridges and roads. Over 100,000 people in the region had to leave their homes, and there were 70 deaths in Central America. In Guatemala, 12 people died related to the flooding, including two due to cholera from stagnant waters. Officials declared a red alert in Honduras, which mobilized the army for potential relief work and caused Red Cross shelters to open; the alert was dropped after rainfall eased on October 8. About 6,500 people evacuated in Honduras after four rivers flooded, which damaged or destroyed several houses. About 6,000 people had to evacuate in Sula Valley in the northern portion of the country, after the government released water from the El Cajón Dam. Damage was estimated at $1.5 million (14 million pesos), and there were 34 deaths. Due to people having to evacuate, several schools were closed. The country was severely affected by Hurricane Mitch only a year prior, and bridges that were rebuilt after the hurricane were again destroyed. A red alert was also issued in El Salvador, and 3,000 people were evacuated; eight people drowned in the country. The Río Negro in Nicaragua washed away a bridge, and two bridges were destroyed along the Pan-American Highway. A state of emergency was issued in the country. Damage was estimated at $10 million (96 million pesos), and there were 11 deaths. Further south in Costa Rica, the floods damaged 31 bridges and caused 1,600 people to evacuate. Across Central America, the rainfall caused about $40 million (385 million pesos) in crop damage. Aftermath Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo ordered the Department of National Defense to utilize all resources to assist the people affected by the floods, including federal workers being deployed to disaster areas. Zedillo noted that despite efforts to mitigate against natural disasters, "we cannot expect to control river water levels produced by rains that have surpassed all historical precedents." He personally visited flooded areas of Veracruz, Puebla, Tabasco, and Oaxaca, having canceled a trip to Europe to focus on the disaster. The president ordered nearly all agencies of government to work together to quickly return conditions back to normal, utilizing 12,000 soldiers. Ahead of a presidential election in 2000, Zedillo also requested for politicians to avoid seeking gain in politicizing the tragedy. By October 22, over 72,000 people were housed in 560 shelters nationwide. Additional evacuations occurred after further floods impacted Tabasco weeks after the initial deluge, and by October 25, 94,203 people were staying in 896 shelters. The Mexican Department of Health declared a sanitary alert in six states, and 354 medical teams operated in 894 communities to assist 50,000 homes. The Secretaría de Gobernación declared Tabasco, Veracruz, Hidalgo and Puebla as disaster areas, which allocated federal funding for relief. The National Fund for Natural Disasters allocated $234 million (2.34 billion pesos) in emergency relief, including $41.5 million (400 million pesos) in Oaxaca where the earthquake previously struck; this was smaller than the flood's damage total. The repair cost in Puebla alone was estimated at $200 million (1.83 billion pesos), which was largely completed within two years and dealt with repairing roads and protecting cities from landslide and flood mitigation. Search and rescue teams operated across eastern Mexico, and initially they worked amid rainfall. The continuing rains and cut off communications disrupted relief efforts, as did the topography of the affected areas. In Puebla, the federal government donated 219 mules and 81 horses to assist in traveling to isolated areas. People used shovels and bare hands to remove mud and concrete in areas where they could not utilize machines. In Tulancingo, Hidalgo, people used rowboats to rescue stranded residents trapped by the flooding. Search and rescue missions ended on October 15, after 7,112 people were rescued from what the government described as "high-risk situations." To control the flooding, workers released water from dams and reservoirs. In Hidalgo, released water from a dam flooded two rivers and forced thousands of additional evacuations. In Tenango in Puebla, a dam developed a foot-long crack, which sparked evacuations and prompted workers to fill it with dirt and rocks. Stagnant waters raised fears for an outbreak of dengue fever; however, no flood-related epidemics occurred, and the waters were disinfected to prevent disease spread. By October 22, there were only 21 cases of dengue and 4 cases of malaria, both fewer than normal. On October 23, the Peñitas Dam was opened to maintain its integrity, causing downstream flooding. It was closed after water flow rates decreased. After the floods, some areas in Mexico faced water shortages. As a result, the National Water Commission initially distributed about 300,000 litres of drinking water each day, and later increased it to 487,000 litres per day, reaching 4 million litres of distributed water by October 19. Water service was gradually repaired, and by October 19, 70 of the 90 damaged water systems in Veracruz were restored. Equipment used for flood efforts were removed from duty after the floods receded. Workers distributed about 4,100 tons of food and 200,000 litres of milk to the affected victims, by both land and air. In Veracruz, only 9 helicopters were utilized to distribute food and water to isolated areas. About 948 tons of medicine was also distributed. Helicopters assisted in transporting people to shelters. In Veracruz alone, 34 people were rescued by boat and 1,131 by aircraft. In Puebla and Veracruz, 9,551 troops were stationed to assist in relief work, utilizing 48 helicopters, 4 Hercules planes, and 10 boats. Between Veracruz and Hidalgo, the Department of Social Development distributed about 18,500 mattresses and other relief items. Workers quickly made repairs to highways, and by October 19, all of the 28 damaged federal highways were provisionally reopened; some of the reopened highways had to undergo additional construction work. The military worked to reopen other roads. In Veracruz, the Director of the Federal Electricity Commission noted that repairs to electrical systems were difficult in the immediate aftermath of the floods. Planes flew generators into Gutiérrez Zamora, Veracruz, mainly for hospitals, and by October 20, 90% of the affected areas had their power restored. President Zedillo announced on October 11 that the government would begin building new houses, part of the Emergency Housing Program initiative. In Puebla, the initial stages of the program would involve rebuilding 1,200 houses and moving 500 houses to safer lands. The Mexican government estimated that the housing program would help 37,000 families. Mexico's agricultural ministry provided assistance for farmers to replant lost crops. Through the Temporary Employment Program, the federal government temporarily hired about 1 million people who lost their homes or farms. Students gradually returned to school after repairs were made, and by October 28, over 800,000 students who were affected were able to return to school, including all of Oaxaca and Hidalgo. The area in Teziutlán, Puebla affected by the mudslide was never rebuilt, due to being labeled a high-risk area. Residents in some portions of the country became angry due to lack of assistance. In the town of Lazaro Cardenas in Tabasco, residents opened ditches to alleviate flooding on their streets, which flooding thousands of vehicles along a section of highway near the state's capital, Villahermosa. In the capital city, which remained submerged by floodwaters for a week, residents protested the sandbagging efforts after waters were redirected to some neighborhoods. Due to the protests, police officers beat and arrested 100 people. The Federal Consumer Protection Agency issued warnings to businesses accused of price gouging for water and other basic products. Isolated villages experienced food shortages due to cut off roads. Despite growing protests and the increasing death toll, President Zedillo did not initially request for international aid, believing that the country had the necessary resources, although by October 15 he changed his position. The office of Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan issued a statement of condolences to those affected by the tragedy. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) donated $100,000 on October 13. The European Commission approved €1 million (1999 euros) in aid to be distributed through the German and Spanish Red Cross agencies. The Church World Service launched an appeal on October 8 to raise funds, and provided $47,000 worth of blankets and bedding. The Catholic Relief Services pledged $100,000 for flood victims in Mexico. Thousands of residents in Mexico donated 500 tons of food, along with water, clothes, and medicine to the Mexican Red Cross. After additional flooding in Tabasco, the Mexican Red Cross sent 254 metric tonnes of food, water, medicine, and clothing to the state. The American Red Cross donated about $100,000 to its Mexican counterpart. Direct Relief sent two loads of medicine and blankets to Oaxaca. Adventist Development and Relief Agency provided food for about 25,000 people. Outside of Mexico, Honduras's government provided food and shelter for its citizens, but was unable to properly address health-related needs. As a result, the Save the Children Fund provided $83,000 worth of medicine and latrines to 40 municipalities in Honduras. See also List of floods timeline of the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season Further reading Notes References 1999 Mexico 1990s floods in North America 1999 floods 1999 natural disasters 1999 Atlantic hurricane season 1999 Mexico floods 1999 in Mexico 1999 in Central America

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20v.%20Kuhn

Flood v. Kuhn

Flood v. Kuhn, 407 U.S. 258 (1972), was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that preserved the reserve clause in Major League Baseball (MLB) players' contracts. By a 5–3 margin, the Court reaffirmed the antitrust exemption that had been granted to professional baseball in 1922 under Federal Baseball Club v. National League, and previously affirmed by Toolson v. New York Yankees, Inc. in 1953. While the majority believed that baseball's antitrust exemption was anomalous compared to other professional sports, it held that any changes to the exemption should be made through Congress and not the courts. The National League had instituted the reserve clause in 1879 as a means of limiting salaries by keeping players under team control. Under that system, a baseball team reserved players under contract for a year after the contract expired, preventing them from being taken by other teams in bidding wars. MLB team owners argued that the clause was necessary to ensure a competitive balance among teams, as otherwise wealthier clubs would outbid teams in smaller markets for star players. The reserve clause was not addressed in Federal Baseball, where Ned Hanlon, owner of the rival Federal League's (FL) Baltimore Terrapins, had argued that MLB had violated the Sherman Antitrust Act through anticompetitive practices meant to force the FL out of business. The Supreme Court ruled that baseball did not qualify as interstate commerce for the purposes of the Sherman Act, a ruling that remained even after it denied boxing and American football the same exemption. In 1969, Curt Flood, a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. Flood was unhappy with the trade, as the Phillies were not known to treat players well, but the reserve clause required him to play for Philadelphia. He retained attorney Arthur Goldberg, a former Supreme Court justice, through Marvin Miller and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and took the case to court, arguing that the reserve clause was a collusive measure that reduced competition and thus an antitrust violation. The reserve system was upheld by all three courts under the principle of stare decisis and the precedents set by Federal Baseball and Toolson. Legal scholars have criticized the Court's decision in Flood both for its rigid application of stare decisis as well as Section I of Harry Blackmun's majority opinion, an "ode to baseball" that contains little legal matter. The reserve clause was settled outside the Supreme Court three years later through the arbitration system created by the collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLBPA. Peter Seitz ruled in favor of Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally that their contracts could only be renewed without their permission for one season, after which they became free agents. Free agency in MLB was codified the following year after the 1976 Major League Baseball lockout, while the Curt Flood Act of 1998, signed by Bill Clinton, ended baseball's antitrust exemption as it related to interactions between players and owners, but preserved it in other areas such as franchise relocation. Courts have continued to differ over the extent of the exemption; a 2021 suit filed over that year's minor league reorganization asks that it be rescinded entirely. Background Reserve clause William Hulbert, then the president of the National League (NL), instituted the first reserve clause in professional baseball in 1879. Under Hulbert's system, each NL team could "reserve" five players for its roster, and owners from opposing clubs could not offer contracts to reserved players. This provision extended to 11 players per team in 1883, 12 per team in 1885, 14 per team in 1887, and by 1890, all players under active contract with an NL team were subject to the reserve clause. Any player who signed with an NL team was placed under that team's control until they retired, were traded to another club, or were released outright. This latter qualification also made it easier for teams to discipline players by voiding their contracts, and it was sometimes referred to as the "reserve and release" clause. In 1883, the American Association entered into the first national agreement with the NL, extending the reserve system to the Association as well. In 1903, the American League (AL) signed its own national agreement, forming the two-league system known as Major League Baseball (MLB). The reserve clause extended cross-league, with reserved NL players prevented from joining AL teams and vice versa. The primary rationale for instituting the reserve clause was to limit player salaries for the struggling NL by keeping players under team control. Many of the players that the owners reserved for the 1880 season had been, at the time, the best-paid in the league, such as Cap Anson, Paul Hines, and Tommy Bond, and these players saw their salaries drop once they remained bound to their respective teams. Once the reserve system was extended to all players, those players were categorized into five categories under the Brush Classification System, with each group receiving a salary that ranged between $1,500 and $2,500 annually. While the league owners supported the reserve system as a cost-cutting measure, they also defended its use as a way to ensure a competitive balance in baseball. Without a reserve clause, the wealthiest teams could stockpile star players simply by outbidding smaller teams. This sentiment was echoed by federal district court judge William P. Wallace in 1890, who quoted Albert Spalding in arguing that the rule "takes a manager by the throat and compels him to keep his hands off his neighbor's enterprise". The owners also argued that the reserve clause justified a team's investment in its players, who were drafted with little experience and required years of development to reach the major leagues. One of the first players to challenge the reserve clause was Sam Wise, who in 1882 left the Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association for the NL's Boston Red Caps. The Massachusetts General Court denied Cincinnati's request for an injunction, and Wise spent the remainder of the season with Boston. The reserve clause's most vocal opponent, however, was John Montgomery Ward, known as Monte Ward, who compared the system to slavery in 1885. In 1890, he helped to found the Players' League (PL), which promised a three-year contract to all players and no pay cuts after the first year. Players' salaries were the same as what the NL had paid them in either 1888 or 1889, whichever was higher. Players who had joined the PL, like Jim O'Rourke, were able to convince their colleagues that the reserve clause only prevented players from joining teams in those leagues that had it, and that they were legally free to join teams in new leagues. When Ward left the New York Giants to join the PL, the team took him to New York Supreme Court to prevent him from playing with his new club. While Justice Morgan J. O'Brien disagreed with Ward and O'Rourke's assessment that the reserve clause did not apply to the Players' League, the court was most concerned about the vague phrasing of the clause: Ward was technically under contract with the Giants for the 1890 season, but the perpetual reserve clause meant that major aspects of his contract, including his salary, were not addressed, and the court decided that the reserve clause was "too indefinite" to be properly enforced. The decision in Metropolitan Exhibition Co. v. Ward also criticized the uneven system by which a team could hold a player theoretically indefinitely but terminate them with only 10 days' notice. This legal victory was not enough to sustain the Players' League, as many of its financial backers pulled out after suffering considerable losses during that premiere season. Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie was taken to court in 1901 by the Philadelphia Phillies, an NL team, after he joined their crosstown AL rival, the Philadelphia Athletics, who were not yet bound by the reserve clause. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled the next year in Philadelphia Ball Club, Ltd. v. Lajoie that he possessed a unique skill set, much like Johanna Wagner, the defendant in the seminal 1852 English contract law decision Lumley v Wagner. This skill set meant that, while the Phillies could not require Lajoie to play for them, they could prevent him from playing for other teams. Baseball's antitrust exemption The United States Congress had enacted the Sherman Antitrust Act which prohibited the type of anticompetitive collusion under which the reserve clause has been argued to fall, in 1890. This policy was extended even further by the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, which allowed private parties to sue for damages caused by anticompetitive conduct. The same year that the Clayton Act became law, the Federal League (FL) was created as a challenger to MLB. Despite the new league prohibiting players from signing if they were under contract with a major league team and MLB threatening to blacklist players who defected, players such as Joe Tinker nonetheless left MLB to join the FL, and many of these defections led to litigation. While the lower courts typically ruled in favor of players who joined the Federal League during the offseason, when they were under reserve but not an active contract, the owners did win some cases where players had abandoned their MLB team midseason. Dave Fultz, the president of the FL, was primarily focused on improving the working conditions of minor league players and improving player safety. He was not radically against the reserve system, and he feared that eliminating it from his league would incur retribution from MLB. Instead, he proposed that FL players remained under reserve for five years, after which owners and players could mutually agree to extend the reserve option. Federal Baseball Club of Baltimore v. National League In January 1915, the Federal League owners sued the major leagues and three members of the National Commission for antitrust violations, hoping that noted trustbuster Kenesaw Mountain Landis would rule in their favor. Landis, however, announced that "any blows at the thing called baseball would be regarded by this court as a blow to a national institution", and he took the case under advisement for a year to stall any action. Meanwhile, the FL incurred great financial losses that season, and came to a settlement with MLB at the end of the year. Most FL owners were bought out by MLB teams or allowed to buy interests in existing major league clubs. The one exception was Ned Hanlon of the Baltimore Terrapins. Hanlon and his partners brought an antitrust lawsuit in D.C. District Court, alleging that MLB had colluded to "wreck and destroy" the FL by purchasing and dissolving its teams. Judge Wendell Phillips Stafford ruled in Hanlon's favor, agreeing that baseball games constituted interstate trade and commerce under the Sherman Act and that MLB had engaged in impermissibly monopolistic behavior. Hanlon was awarded $80,000 in damages, which was increased to $240,000 ($ in modern dollars) under the treble-damages provision of the Clayton Act. On appeal, Judge George W. Pepper of the D.C. Circuit held that sports like baseball, "a spontaneous product of human activity", were "not in [their] nature commerce", and thus not subject to antitrust legislation. The circuit's chief judge, Constantine Joseph Smyth, wrote in his opinion that "sport" such as professional baseball fell outside the realm of business and thus monopoly. Hanlon then brought his claim to the Supreme Court, where former US president and baseball fan William Howard Taft was Chief Justice. In May 1922, the Court unanimously affirmed the appellate decision in Federal Baseball Club v. National League. The Sherman Act required that businesses be engaged in interstate commerce to incur government intervention, and Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. interpreted commerce to include only physical goods. Because baseball exhibitions did not fall under this definition, the sport consisted of "purely state affairs". The next term the Court considered Hart v. B.F. Keith Vaudeville Exchange, a Clayton Act suit brought by a talent agent alleging the defendants had conspired to exclude the plaintiffs' clients from the many theaters they controlled in order to extract large payments to them, arguing that since their productions depended on the interstate transport of sets and costumes, the vaudeville circuit was interestate commerce. It had been filed before Federal Baseball; afterwards, the defendants had argued that their industry, too, was similarly not interstate commerce since its main business activity was selling admission to performances it had arranged rather than transport of goods for sale, with the shipments of materials required for those productions merely an incident to their business, just as with baseball teams' travel. The Southern District of New York agreed and dismissed the case. Justice Holmes wrote for a unanimous Court that reversed the trial court on jurisdictional grounds, holding that a federal question existed over whether the vaudeville circuit was interstate commerce, and that until that question was resolved the case was not to be disposed even if the arguments for federal jurisdiction themselves seemed weak. "[I]t may be that what in general is incidental, in some instances may rise to a magnitude that requires it to be considered independently", Holmes wrote. Gardella v. Chandler The case that came closest to overturning the reserve system and antitrust exemption was brought by Danny Gardella, who left the New York Giants in 1946 to play for the Azules de Veracruz of the Mexican League. He returned to New York in 1947 to play in MLB again but found himself blacklisted. Gardella's attorney Frederic Johnson tried to distinguish his client from Nap Lajoie by arguing his client was not an exceptional player or "unique performer", but a standard-quality professional athlete being denied an opportunity to make a living. Judge Henry W. Goddard of the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of the owners, dismissing Gardella's lawsuit under the precedent set by Federal Baseball, The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned this decision, however, with Jerome Frank ruling that baseball's television and radio presence made it a matter of interstate commerce that thus fell under the Sherman Act. The case never reached the Supreme Court, as Happy Chandler, then the Commissioner of Baseball, soon reinstated the blacklisted Mexican League players. Gardella settled out of court for $60,000 in damages and a trade to the St. Louis Cardinals. With Gardella's case settled, there was little pressure on the league to alter the reserve system or any other anticompetitive measures. Some members of Congress, however, were worried about the potential challenge to baseball's antitrust exemption, as well as the instability to the sport caused when Chandler was replaced by Ford Frick. In 1951, four bills were introduced to Congress that would have further codified the antitrust laws concerning baseball. Toolson v. New York Yankees, Inc. Congress ultimately took no action on the antitrust exemption, as the House Subcommittee on the Study of Monopoly Power decided that enacting official legislation would affect the Supreme Court's decision on another case that had come its way, Toolson v. New York Yankees, Inc. George Toolson, a minor league player in the Yankees' farm system, had been reassigned from the Newark Bears, their Triple-A affiliate, to the Low-A Binghamton Triplets in 1949. He refused to report to the new club and brought the reserve clause to court as an antitrust violation. In a 7–2 ruling, the Court upheld the Federal Baseball precedent that the "business of giving exhibitions" was "purely state affairs" and thus exempt from the antitrust protections built into the Sherman Act. The one-paragraph per curiam majority opinion in Toolson held that any changes to the Federal Baseball precedent would have to go through Congress and not the courts. Justice Harold Hitz Burton dissented, arguing that organized baseball was obviously engaged in interstate trade and commerce and thus should be subject to federal antitrust enforcement. Shuster and International Boxing The Court did not revisit baseball's antitrust exemption, although other lower courts would. In the years after Toolson, three other antitrust cases involving other industries, including other professional sports, made baseball's exemption problematic when the Court declined to extend the logic of Federal Baseball to them. Early in 1955, two cases decided the same day involved federal Sherman Act cases against companies alleged to have nearly monopolized theatrical performances and professional boxing. Both defendants had argued that the Federal Baseball precedent applied to them as well since the interstate travel required to stage performances and fights was equally incidental to those events, and judges in the Southern District of New York hearing the cases granted defense motions to dismiss. The government appealed directly to the Supreme Court under the Expediting Act. In both cases, the Court allowed the cases to proceed. The theater case, United States v. Shuster, was decided unanimously. After citing many precedents which had held industries which did not ship goods for sale across state lines to be interstate commerce, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote that Federal Baseball and Toolson applied only to baseball and thus Hart controlled in the instant case: "[It] established, contrary to the defendants' argument here, that Federal Baseball did not automatically immunize the theatrical business from the antitrust laws." Any holding that it did required a trial on that question. Justices Burton and Reed referred to their Toolson dissents in statements indicating their concurrence with Warren's opinion. The two would also join Warren's majority opinion in United States v. International Boxing Club of New York, Inc., where he conceded that "if it were not for Federal Baseball and Toolson, we think that it would be too clear for dispute that the Government's allegations bring the defendants within the scope of the Act." Again he deferred to Congress to resolve the issue if it desired. Justices Felix Frankfurter and Sherman Minton dissented this time, with Minton also joining Frankfurter's dissent. "It would baffle the subtlest ingenuity to find a single differentiating factor between other sporting exhibitions, whether boxing or football or tennis, and baseball insofar as the conduct of the sport is relevant to the criteria or considerations by which the Sherman Law becomes applicable to a 'trade or commerce'", Frankfurter wrote. "It can hardly be that this Court gave a preferred position to baseball because it is the great American sport. I do not suppose that the Court would treat the national anthem differently from other songs if the nature of a song became relevant to adjudication." Minton, conversely, believed that the Court should have held boxing equally beyond the reach of antitrust law. Accusing the majority of having misread Toolson, he wrote: Radovich v. National Football League Two years later, the Court heard Radovich v. National Football League (NFL), in which another player, like Gardella, who believed himself to have been blacklisted from the major league in his sport due to his decision to play in a team in the competing All-America Football Conference (AAFC), had brought suit. The NFL asserted at trial that baseball's antitrust exemption applied equally to it, and the district judge dismissed the case on those grounds. At appeal, Radovich argued that International Boxing had held otherwise, but the Ninth Circuit distinguished boxing by noting that football, like baseball, was a team sport where "very good arguments do exist for the indulgence of restraints on individual players." The Court reversed. After reiterating Shusters holding that Toolson was limited to baseball and did not automatically extend to any other business despite any apparent similarities, Justice Tom C. Clark wrote for a majority of six that "the volume of interstate business involved in organized professional football places it within the provisions of the Act". He admitted that "were we considering the question of baseball for the first time upon a clean slate, we would have no doubts." Frankfurter again dissented. "[T]he most conscientious probing of the text and the interstices of the Sherman Law fails to disclose that Congress, whose will we are enforcing, excluded baseball—the conditions under which that sport is carried on—from the scope of the Sherman Law, but included football", he wrote. Newer justices John Marshall Harlan II and William J. Brennan Jr., who had replaced Minton, also dissented. "What was foreshadowed by International Boxing has now come to pass", Harlan lamented. "The Court, in holding that professional football is subject to the antitrust laws, now says in effect that professional baseball is sui generis so far as those laws are concerned." State v. Milwaukee Braves Within a decade, a case would be brought alleging MLB came under state antitrust laws when Wisconsin sought to block the Braves' move from Milwaukee to Atlanta. The state alleged that baseball had exercised its monopoly power in an unreasonable way that had a substantially negative effect on business within the state, and sought to either have the move prevented or an expansion team be located in Milwaukee. A lower court agreed, and granted an injunction that delayed the Braves' move until their appeal, arguing that federal preemption and the Dormant Commerce Clause put baseball out of reach of Wisconsin's antitrust laws, could be heard by the state's Supreme Court. A narrowly divided court lifted the injunction. After reviewing the Supreme Court's precedents at length, Justice Thomas E. Fairchild wrote for the four-justice majority that while baseball's antitrust exemption might not cover all the businesses a baseball team could and did engage in, "it does seem clear that the exemption at least covers the agreements and rules which provide for the structure of the organization and the decisions which are necessary steps in maintaining it." Since Congress had not explicitly barred the states from regulating baseball, "the ultimate question is whether the state action conflicts with national policy", Fairchild concluded, noting that either preventing the Braves' move or requiring MLB to locate an expansion team in Wisconsin would have nationwide implications, particularly if other states similarly brought their laws to bear. The majority, Fairchild said, either found it "unrealistic to interpret these decisions of the supreme court of the United States plus the silence of Congress as creating a mere vacuum in national policy, leaving the states free to regulate the membership of the baseball leagues" or followed Toolson in deferring to the reliance interests the federal antitrust exemption had established and Congress's sole power to change that. It did, however, note in its conclusion that "[t]he record strongly suggests that the defendants gave little heed to the interests of the Milwaukee community, and to the injury which the move would cause", expressing a wish for Congress to deal with the issue. Justice Nathan Heffernan, writing for the three dissenters, castigated the majority for ignoring well-established Supreme Court precedent that Congressional inaction is never to be taken as proscribing state action without an express provision to that effect. "Can we conclude that congressional silence amounts to a manifestation that it is the national policy and the congressional will that baseball be free of all regulation? We think not", he wrote. "The most that possibly can be concluded from the failure of Congress to enact some regulation of baseball is that it reveals a congressional complacency with its own policy of nonaction and inertia." The majority had similarly disregarded a recent reiteration of an older admonition from the Supreme Court not to infer federal intent to pre-empt the states merely from congressional inaction, Heffernan added. To the dissenters, the other majority theory, that the reliance interests nationally precluded any exercise of state authority, was at odds with another Supreme Court precedent, California v. Thompson. Recalling "the cavalier disregard of either law or reasonableness in the exercise of the baseball monopoly" that the majority had itself taken note of, "[w]e cannot conclude that the state is less able to resist this treatment of its legitimate interests by organized baseball than it is to prevent the entrance into its boundaries of contagious disease, although such disease is carried in interstate commerce", Heffernan wrote. "It is difficult to see what national interest is preserved by immunizing this organization from the consequences of its violation of state law." Salerno v. American League In 1970, the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Salerno v. American League, a case brought by two umpires who contended that their terminations for incompetence actually resulted from their attempts to organize their colleagues, held that their antitrust claims were largely irrelevant to a case they had failed to make even if baseball were not exempt. But on that matter, Judge Henry Friendly wrote for the court, "[t]he ground upon which Toolson rested was that Congress had no intention to bring baseball within the antitrust laws, not that baseball's activities did not sufficiently affect interstate commerce. We freely acknowledge our belief that Federal Baseball was not one of Mr. Justice Holmes' happiest days, that the rationale of Toolson is extremely dubious and that, to use the Supreme Court's own adjectives, the distinction between baseball and other professional sports is 'unrealistic,' 'inconsistent' and 'illogical'". But it remained the Supreme Court's prerogative to overrule those cases, and "[w]hile we should not fall out of our chairs with surprise at the news that [they have] been overruled, we are not at all certain the Court is ready to give them a happy despatch." Spencer Haywood cases After leading the U.S. team to a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics, 19-year-old Spencer Haywood sought to play professionally but was stymied by a National Basketball Association (NBA) rule that players were not eligible to be drafted until four years after their high school class had graduated. He chose to instead play for the rival American Basketball Association's (ABA) Denver Rockets for two seasons, then attempted to switch to the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics for the 1970–71 season when he was dissatisfied with the Rockets' latest salary offer. The league fined Sonics owner Sam Schulman; individual teams formally protested the result of every game Haywood played in regardless of the outcome. Haywood filed suit, seeking an injunction against the NBA on the grounds that its actions were a group boycott illegal under antitrust law. The case came before Justice Douglas for an expedited appeal after the Ninth Circuit stayed the injunction pendente lite Haywood had won in the Central District of California, in order to allow him to take the floor for the Sonics in the impending playoffs. "The college player draft binds the player to the team selected", Douglas conceded. "Basketball, however, does not enjoy exemption from the antitrust laws. Thus, the decision in this suit would be similar to the one on baseball's reserve clause which our decisions exempting baseball from the antitrust laws have foreclosed." He said the group boycott issue was "significant" in professional sports. The full Court, en banc, declined to reverse Douglas. On remand, District Judge Warren J. Ferguson took note and held the NBA subject to the Sherman Act. "[B]y pooling their economic power, the individual members of the NBA have, in effect, established their own private government", he wrote, permanently enjoining the league from enforcing the four-year rule and sanctions against Haywood, Schulman and the Sonics. Curt Flood Charles Curtis Flood was born on January 18, 1938, in Houston, Texas, the youngest of Laura and Herman Flood's six children. The family moved to Oakland, California, two years later in search of the naval jobs that had been created by the United States's pending entry into World War II. Flood began playing baseball around the age of seven or eight, and he joined his first organized team in 1947, catching for Junior's Sweet Shop. In addition to playing American Legion Baseball, Flood attended McClymonds High School with future MLB player Frank Robinson, who was two years his senior. Throughout his adolescence, Flood transitioned from catcher to shortstop and finally center fielder. Outside of baseball, his primary passion was in the visual arts, inspired by his high school art teacher Jim Chambers. Flood knew that he wanted a career in either art or baseball, but he had been warned by coach George Powles that his diminutive size and his race would impede his progression in professional baseball. On January 30, 1956, three days after graduating from high school, Bobby Mattick, a scout for the Cincinnati Reds, offered Flood a $4,000 contract to join the team. Flood was assigned to the minor league High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms, where he encountered segregation and racist chants from the fans. He was successful on the field, however, batting .340 with 29 home runs and 128 runs scored, and he was promoted to the Reds as a September call-up. Flood made his major league debut on September 9, pinch running for Smoky Burgess in a 6–5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Once the season ended, Flood met with Reds general manager Gabe Paul, who explained that while the team had been impressed by Flood's performance, they were not in a financial position to increase his salary, which would stay at $4,000 ($ in modern dollars) again for the 1957 season. Flood realized after this meeting the gravity of the reserve system, later saying, "I could only play where they elected to send me. This was baseball law. It was beyond question or dispute. It was taken entirely for granted." The Reds assigned Flood to the Dominican Winter League to teach him third base, which they hoped he would play in the future. When he returned, he was assigned to the Savannah Reds of the South Atlantic League. Flood's batting average fell significantly in Savannah, which Paul used as a reason not to raise his salary for the 1958 season. Paul also informed Flood that he would have to report to the Venezuelan Winter League and learn how to play second base. On December 5, 1957, the Reds traded Flood and Joe Taylor to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Marty Kutyna, Ted Wieand, and Willard Schmidt, a trade which came with a 25 percent raise. The Cardinals' owner, Gussie Busch, was motivated to acquire more black baseball players to increase the team's local popularity, and he had failed to acquire Willie Mays and Ernie Banks. Flood spent three weeks in the Cardinals' farm system before debuting with his new team on May 2, 1958, where he faced the team that traded him. He did not become an everyday player in St. Louis until midway through the 1961 season, when manager Solly Hemus was fired and replaced by Johnny Keane. From 1965 to 1967, Flood had a reputation as an all-star defensive center fielder, setting an MLB record for playing 226 consecutive games without making an error in 555 chances. Flood's salary increased throughout this period as well: he made $45,000 in 1966, significantly more than the average MLB player's $13,000 salary. After making $50,000 in 1967, Flood came to offseason negotiations demanding that his salary be doubled for 1968. When general manager Bing Devine refused, Flood threatened to retire from baseball entirely, and the two parties settled on a $72,000 salary. That season, Flood appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, where he was deemed the best center fielder in baseball. The Cardinals faced the Detroit Tigers in the 1968 World Series. The matchup was fairly even, and both teams remained scoreless through the first six innings of Game 7. Both Norm Cash and Willie Horton singled for the Tigers in the seventh inning, leaving Cash in scoring position. Next up to bat, Jim Northrup hit a long fly ball to center field. Flood slipped on the wet outfield turf, his stumble causing the ball to miss his glove and roll towards the outfield wall. That error allowed both Cash and Horton to score, putting the Tigers up 2–0. Flood apologized to pitcher Bob Gibson after the inning, but Gibson insisted, "It was nobody's fault." The Tigers won the game 4–1, defeating the Cardinals and becoming World Series champions. During offseason contract negotiations, Flood rejected the Cardinals' proposed salary of $77,500 ($ in modern dollars) for the 1969 season. He insisted on $90,000, telling Busch that number "is not $77,500 and is not $89,999". Although he acquiesced, Busch was upset that the negotiations had turned sour at all, as he believed he had a good relationship with Flood. Busch was the first to ask Keane to give Flood a regular playing opportunity in the outfield, he had provided Flood's family with financial assistance, and Flood had once painted Busch's portrait. Overall, the team's relationships with each other and with management suffered in 1969. The on-field camaraderie that Flood had previously praised seemed to have diminished, while the players were unhappy with Busch after he accused them of being greedy for boycotting spring training in the name of higher wages. Also during spring training, Flood had suffered an injury during an exhibition game against the New York Mets, and the sedatives he was provided by a team doctor caused him to sleep through the Cardinals' annual season ticketholder banquet. Flood was fined $250 for missing the banquet, at which point he began to publicly criticize the Cardinals' front office to local news media. On the field, MLB had made several changes that were meant to increase hitting, including lowering the pitcher's mound and expanding the strike zone. While Flood batted .285 for the year, he was no longer one of the top 50 hitters in the league. Early one morning in October 1969, a sportswriter notified Flood that he, Tim McCarver, Joe Hoerner, and Byron Browne had been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Dick Allen, Cookie Rojas, and Jerry Johnson. Shortly afterwards, he received the official phone call from Jim Toomey, an executive for the Cardinals that he later referred to as "a middle-echelon coffee drinker in the front office". After hanging up the phone, Flood began to cry, and he spent the remainder of the day waiting for another call with more information. The next day, Flood, who had been preparing for a vacation in Copenhagen, received a one-sentence letter from Devine saying that he had been traded outright to the Phillies. Flood responded by announcing his retirement from baseball and embarking on his previously scheduled vacation. Devine did not immediately believe Flood, who had previously threatened to retire in order to improve his own salary. After returning from Copenhagen, Flood scheduled a meeting with Phillies general manager John Quinn, who attempted to convince him that the team was better than its reputation. At the time, the Phillies were known for their lackluster treatment of their players, sending them on red-eye commercial propeller flights where other teams would charter private jets for away games. Flood was particularly concerned about Philadelphia's reputation for mistreating its black players, as Allen had been vocal about the racism he experienced from management, fans, and the press during his time with the Phillies. Flood was not active in the Black Power movement, but he was sympathetic to the cause, and he remained sensitive to the racism and segregation that he had experienced earlier in his baseball career. Path to the Supreme Court Initial meetings After his meeting with Quinn, Flood contacted Allan H. Zerman, the attorney who had helped him set up his photography business in St. Louis, to ask for advice. Zerman suggested that Flood sue, and so he contacted Marvin Miller, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). In their first meeting, Miller explained to Flood and Zerman that Federal Baseball and Toolson had created a precedent that would make it difficult to eliminate the reserve clause, but that Gardella's case had given them an opening. While Miller warned Flood that he would inevitably lose the court decision and his baseball career, he also provided Flood with attorney Arthur Goldberg, a former U.S. Supreme Court justice. Miller and Goldberg had known each other from their time in the United Steelworkers labor union, and Goldberg had written the majority opinion on several Supreme Court cases relating to antitrust, which Miller believed would help Flood's case. In December 1969, the MLBPA questioned Flood for two hours at its annual meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Some team representatives, including Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Tom Haller, asked if Flood's case was primarily a race issue, to which Flood responded that his concerns about race were secondary to his belief that there should be a free market of players. Other players worried that Flood was only threatening legal action as a ploy to increase his salary with the Phillies. He assured the union that he was singularly opposed to the reserve clause, promised that he would not drop the case no matter what pressure he received from the owners, and offered to donate any damages he might be awarded to the union. All 25 representatives voted to provide Flood with the funds needed to mount his lawsuit. Despite the unanimous vote, Carl Yastrzemski sent a letter to Miller complaining that his voice had not been heard and fearing legal action would irreparably harm the relationship between owners and players. The day afterwards, baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn met with the players, an opportunity he had asked Miller for. He recalled years later that he was surprised none of them brought up the reserve issue, and only later when he learned of the lawsuit did he surmise (correctly) that Miller had told the players not to bring it up with him as it was "too sensitive". This course of action led Kuhn to believe that Miller had already committed to litigating the issue. Kuhn believed the MLBPA had had its chance at contract negotiations two years earlier and should wait until the next contract to try again rather than get free agency through the courts, which he believed alienated the owners. During this time, Paul A. Porter, one of MLB's top lawyers, met with the Players Association and denied any amendments to the reserve clause. When Jim Bouton asked the league's attorneys if they would consider terminating a player's reservation upon their 65th birthday, long after the player would have retired, Louis Carroll replied, "No, next thing you'll be asking for is a fifty-five limit." Meanwhile, in a final effort to avoid legal action, Flood sent a letter to Kuhn on December 24 petitioning the commissioner to let him become a free agent. Kuhn responded that his contract remained under Philadelphia's control and could not be changed. Shortly after the New Year, Flood appeared on Wide World of Sports for an interview with newscaster Howard Cosell. Cosell asked Flood, "What's wrong with a guy making $90,000 being traded from one team to another? Those aren't exactly slave wages", to which Flood replied, "A well-paid slave is nonetheless a slave." District Court Flood filed a complaint in federal district court for the Southern District of New York in January 1970. He named Kuhn, the presidents of the NL and AL, and all 24 MLB team presidents as defendants. While Flood did not seriously believe he would be awarded the $1 million in damages that he requested, he was more concerned with having the reserve clause struck down. The following day, Joe Cronin and Chub Feeney, the presidents of the AL and NL, respectively, issued a statement reiterating that the clause was "absolutely necessary", and that without it, "professional baseball would simply cease to exist". Three of the five causes of action in Flood's suit related directly to the reserve system as an antitrust violation. The fourth suggested that the system was a violation of the Thirteenth Amendment, as it "subjects plaintiff to peonage and involuntary servitude". The final cause of action suggested that the Cardinals and Yankees were engaged in additional antitrust violations unrelated to the reserve clause. The Cardinals, owned by Anheuser-Busch, sold only that brewery's products at Busch Stadium, while the Yankees, owned by CBS, only broadcast their games on that network. At the first hearing, held before Judge Dudley Baldwin Bonsal, the owners were granted an additional two weeks to prepare their reply. Flood sought a preliminary injunction at a February hearing, which Judge Irving Ben Cooper rejected a month later. The injunction was the only recourse Flood's attorneys had to block his trade to Philadelphia, making him either a free agent or reverting his rights back to the Cardinals, and so in April, the Phillies placed Flood on the restricted list for failure to report. Flood's attorneys chose not to appeal Cooper's ruling on the injunction, not wanting to delay the trial further. Flood's federal bench trial began in May. Shortly beforehand, he received a call from Monte Irvin telling him that Kuhn was willing to give Flood a limited free agency where he would be allowed to negotiate a contract with any NL team. Flood rejected the offer, realizing that to accept it would damage his legal argument. Goldberg, meanwhile, had announced his candidacy for Governor of New York earlier that year, and his campaign afforded him little time to prepare for the trial. Flood was the first to testify. He was nervous on the witness stand and struggled to recall his salaries and playing statistics from previous years, often using his own baseball card, provided by attorney Jay Tompkins, as a reference. Flood said that he wanted to continue playing in St. Louis, where his photography and portrait businesses were located, but fundamentally wanted the option to accept the best deal that any team offered him. When defense attorney Mark Hughes directly asked Flood if he wanted to abolish the reserve clause, as had been his position throughout, Flood misspoke and said he simply wanted it modified. At the end of his testimony, Hughes asked Flood what he believed would happen if every MLB player became a free agent at the end of the season, to which Flood responded, "I think then every ballplayer would have a chance to really negotiate a contract just like in any other business." Cooper asked Goldberg if he would like his client's response struck from the record, to which Goldberg replied, "No, I like that answer." Miller was the next to testify, arguing to abolish the reserve clause. He referred to it exclusively as the "reserve clause system", as the specific clause was no longer included in contracts but was a fundamental aspect of MLB, and he critiqued the fairness of such a system. Flood and Miller were supported by former baseball players such as Jackie Robinson, who testified that without "some change in the reserve system, I can see nothing else but that the players go on strike". Hank Greenburg, a former Detroit Tiger, recalled that he had been notified of his trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates by telegram, and he testified that the "reserve clause should be eliminated entirely, thereby creating a new image for baseball". The one MLB owner to testify in Flood's favor was Bill Veeck, who declared that every player "at least once in his career should be able to determine his own future and not be held in perpetuity". Defense witnesses included Kuhn, Feeney, Pro Football Commissioner Pete Rozelle, and several MLB executives. One day of the trial consisted entirely of the testimony of Robert R. Nathan, an economic consultant who said that the reserve system did stifle competition, but that the alternative would lead to smaller-market teams like the Milwaukee Braves being choked out by teams in large markets like Philadelphia and New York. This sentiment was later echoed by team owners including Bob Reynolds of the Los Angeles Angels, Frank Dale of the Cincinnati Reds, John McHale of the Montreal Expos, and Ewing Kauffman of the Kansas City Royals, all of whom insisted that the reserve system was necessary to preserve the "economic health" of their respective franchises. On the sixth day of the trial, Kuhn argued in favor of the historical precedents set by the reserve clause and Supreme Court. He was careful not to criticize Flood personally, instead attacking the MLBPA as acting in bad faith and not committing to "realistic negotiations" with the owners. The trial ended in June, and both sides were given a month to submit post-trial briefs to Cooper. By this time, Flood appeared to have lost interest in the proceedings. He had been absent from Veeck's testimony, having gone to Shea Stadium to watch Gibson pitch against the New York Mets. Flood's team produced an 88-page document detailing the inconsistencies on baseball's position: while baseball may have been exempted from federal antitrust laws under Federal Baseball and Toolson, it was still subject to state antitrust laws. The 133-page brief from MLB's attorneys, meanwhile, suggested that Flood was acting as a pawn of the Players Association. In August, Cooper delivered a 47-page opinion in which he upheld the reserve clause under the precedent set by Toolson. He also rejected the Thirteenth Amendment cause of action, saying that Flood was under no obligation to actually play for Philadelphia: while retiring from baseball would bring him financial harm, that option was still open. Flood had also argued that if federal antitrust state law did not reach baseball, then equivalent state laws had to. Cooper disagreed, citing the Wisconsin Supreme Court's ruling for the Braves and the Second Circuit's in Salerno, the latter of which was binding precedent on the Southern District/ Noting that the reserve clause had not been at issue there, Cooper concluded that "[the] application of various and diverse state laws here would seriously interfere with league play and the operation of organized baseball. Court of Appeals Shortly after Cooper rendered his decision, Flood appealed it to the Second Circuit. In April 1971, a unanimous opinion by Judge Sterry R. Waterman upheld Cooper's decision under Federal Baseball and all subsequent rulings on the principle of stare decisis. It also cited Radvovich to suggest that while baseball's exemption from the antitrust laws under which other sports leagues fell was "unrealistic", "inconsistent", and "illogical", it was still the Supreme Court's prerogative to overrule it and Toolson. Judge Leonard P. Moore wrote a concurring opinion tracing in greater detail the history of baseball and its antitrust exemption, which he did not believe the Supreme Court would revoke. He concluded that, aside from the Chicago Black Sox scandal baseball had managed to grow and retain the public's interest remarkably well without judicial intervention. "[I] would limit the participation of the courts in the conduct of baseball's affairs to the throwing out by the Chief Justice (in the absence of the President) of the first ball of the baseball season." In July, Flood's attorneys filed a certiorari petition with the clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, the first step towards asking the Court to hear the case. MLB's attorneys submitted their response to the writ in August, and the Court agreed to hear the case two months later, a decision that troubled Kuhn since it indicated that at least four justices saw a potential issue with the case and might be inclined to reverse. In his absence from the Phillies as the case moved through the courts, Flood's rights returned to the Cardinals, who negotiated another trade with Philadelphia. The Phillies received two minor league prospects and placed Flood on their voluntary retirement list, which meant that he did not count against their 40-man roster, but if he chose to return to baseball, he could only play for Philadelphia. The Washington Senators acquired Flood's rights from Philadelphia partway through the 1971 season, and Flood accepted a one-year, $110,000 contract to recoup the financial losses that came with missing the 1970 season. Senators owner Bob Short promised Flood that accepting a deal with the team would not damage his court case, as he could argue that he had already accrued damages from missing the previous season. Flood played only 13 games with the Senators, quitting on April 28 after performing poorly, and moved to Madrid to distance himself from baseball and the stress of his court case, but still collecting $55,000 in salary. "I tried", he wrote in a telegram to Short. "Very serious problems mounting every day. A year and a half is too much." Before the Court Once the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, both sides submitted briefs. Flood's attorneys received a two-week extension from Justice Thurgood Marshall and submitted theirs in December 1971, while MLB responded at the end of January 1972. Goldberg's brief had eliminated the Thirteenth Amendment concerns entirely and focused on how the reserve system had become "drastically more restrictive" since its introduction and previous litigation. Paul Porter and Lou Hoynes responded to Goldberg's antitrust assertions by arguing that Flood's case was a labor dispute that should have been settled in a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between league and union, not in court. Oral arguments Oral arguments in Flood v. Kuhn were heard on March 20, with both sides allowed to speak for 30 minutes. Goldberg, appearing before the Court since he had left it in 1965, went first on Flood's behalf, speaking of the unfairness of the reserve clause and how it had in 1965 been made worse through its extension to rookie players signing their first contracts to play in the minor leagues. He told Justice William J. Brennan Jr. that Flood would oppose the reserve clause even if it had been the result of collective bargaining. Justice Byron White asked if playing baseball was not covered under the labor exemption to antitrust law; Goldberg noted that Kuhn himself had described baseball as entertainment, which the Court had previously ruled was interstate commerce. "Every commentator has said it's an anomaly in the law to adhere to Federal Baseball and Toolson as wrongly decided", Goldberg concluded, commenting that if the steelworkers union, a former client, had agreed to similar terms with any employers binding a member or members to them for his entire working life, that contractual provision would clearly be seen as a per se violation of the law. Paul A. Porter came next, arguing for Kuhn and MLB in rebuttal that baseball was unique, even compared to other sports, in the antitrust context because of the portion of its revenues invested in player development through their extensive farm systems. Louis Hoynes, counsel for the NL, argued MLB's case. He placed great emphasis on the MLBPA, which he said "has in fact controlled this litigation from beginning to end", to suggest that the real goal of the lawsuit was to make far more sweeping changes to the business aspect of baseball, and that these matters were far better addressed at the bargaining table. Deliberations Following oral arguments, the Court took an unofficial voice vote in order of seniority. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger began by admitting that "Toolson is probably wrong", but he did not say whether he believed the lower courts' rulings should be reversed. William O. Douglas voted to reverse the previous decisions and wanted to remand the case to district court for a new trial. Brennan agreed that Toolson should be overturned, but he also believed that Flood was primarily a labor dispute that should remanded for a new trial that did not focus on antitrust concerns. Justice Potter Stewart voted to uphold the lower courts' rulings under Congress's explicit decision to exempt baseball from antitrust laws, and his position was joined by Marshall and Justice Byron White. Justice Harry Blackmun also saw the case as a labor dispute and tentatively voted to affirm. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. recused himself, as he owned stock in Anheuser-Busch. While waiting for confirmation that the Cardinals were a subsidiary of the company, he stated in a voice vote that he believed the lower courts' rulings should be reversed, as it made "no sense" that baseball received different treatment in antitrust cases than other sports such as football. Justice William Rehnquist, the last to vote, affirmed the decision of the lower courts. Without Powell, the court remained at a 4–4 deadlock until Burger changed his vote in favor of MLB. On June 19, 1972, the Court delivered its decision, with both parties notified by telegram that the lower courts' rulings had been upheld by a 5–3 margin. Blackmun, Stewart, Rehnquist, Burger, and White formed the majority, with Douglas, Marshall, and Brennan dissenting. Had the 4–4 tie remained, the decision of the lower courts would have been affirmed, but the Court would not have published any opinions. None of the opinions specifically addressed the reserve clause; all instead focused on baseball's antitrust exemption. Decision Blackmun's opinion Stewart had been asked to select the writer for the majority, a duty which he imparted on Blackmun, a noted baseball fan and the only member of the majority whose opinions seemed to have wavered on the case. Stewart told Blackmun to "do it very briefly ... Write a per curiam and we'll get rid of it". Blackmun's draft was over 20 pages long and divided into five sections. Rather than rewriting the majority opinion after seeing a draft of the dissenting opinions, as is custom, Blackmun's only major alteration between his first and second drafts was in expanding his list of notable baseball players from 74 to 88. Section I of Blackmun's opinion has been described as an "ode to baseball". The first three paragraphs detail the history of the sport, beginning with the first organized game in 1846 and continuing through the formation of the MLBPA in 1966. This is followed by a list of 88 players he considered great. Some of them were beyond an average fan's knowledge, including Heinie Groh, Dan Brouthers, and Chief Bender. While Blackmun never explicitly cited the origins of his list, he kept a copy of the Encyclopedia of Baseball on his chambers desk, and many of the players he lists are found in The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence Ritter. It is rumored that Marshall called Blackmun after seeing the original draft of the opinion to ask why no black players were included. Blackmun responded that there were no great black players in the golden age of baseball, but he ultimately included Jackie Robinson, Satchel Page, and Roy Campanella. Blackmun denied this rumor, saying that Campanella had been on his original list, and he later said that the one player he had forgotten was Mel Ott. Section I concludes with various baseball arcana, including Ring Lardner's reference to the "World Serious", a line from the poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon", and quotes from George Bernard Shaw, Franklin Pierce Adams, and "Casey at the Bat". The remainder of Blackmun's opinion proceeds as standard. Section II, titled "The Petitioner", outlines Flood's career, salary history, and the trade that had provided the impetus for the lawsuit. Section III, titled "The Present Litigation", summarized Flood's lawsuit. Section IV discusses the legal precedents set by Federal Baseball and Toolson. Finally, Section V presents the rationale of the court, with eight specific findings concluding that baseball, while a type of interstate commerce, is also a unique industry exempt from antitrust laws. Blackmun's opinion focuses primarily on stare decisis, conceding that while the decision in Federal Baseball to exempt the sport from antitrust status was an "anomaly", its precedent was sufficient that changes could only be made through Congress. Concurrences White indicated his concurrence in a note, and Burger with a short written opinion. Both explicitly said that they did not concur with Blackmun's Section I. White, a former football star at the University of Colorado, believed that Blackmun's rambling ode to baseball was demeaning to the Court. Burger, meanwhile, showed his sympathy for Douglas's dissent but argued that Toolson had been precedent for so long that he could not support Flood and the upheaval that would cause. "The error, if such it be, is one on which the affairs of a great many people have rested for a long time", he wrote. "Courts are not the forum in which this tangled web ought to be unsnarled." Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong's 1979 Supreme Court biography, The Brethren, claimed that many justices were embarrassed by Section I's overt sentimentality. Dissenting opinions The three remaining justices wrote two dissents. Justice Douglas, with Brennan concurring, called Federal Baseball "a derelict in the stream of the law that we, its creator, should remove. Only a romantic view of a rather dismal business account over the last 50 years would keep that derelict in midstream." Douglas directly critiqued the assertion that baseball had remained the same in the 50 years following the decision in Federal Baseball, and that the sport had become "big business that is packaged with beer, with broadcasting, and with other industries". He particularly rebuked Blackmun's assurance that Congress would handle any alterations to the antitrust exemption, writing that they had not done so to this point. Douglas was the only member of the Court who had also been on the bench for the Toolson decision, in which he had voted in favor of upholding Federal Baseball. He used his dissent in Flood to express his regret for that decision, writing that "the unbroken silence of Congress should not prevent us from correcting our own mistakes". Brennan also concurred in Marshall's dissent, a reversal of his voice vote, in which he had implied that he would affirm the appellate ruling on the basis of Congress's antitrust exemption for baseball. "This is a difficult case", he admitted, "because we are torn between the principle of stare decisis and the knowledge that Federal Baseball and Toolson are totally at odds with more recent and better reasoned cases." Marshall focused his dissent on the issue of Flood as an individual, whose rights he believed were impinged upon by a system that held players in perpetuity. He would have overruled both precedents and reversed. He explicitly invoked Radovich and International Boxing, as cause for the Court to reverse its rulings on baseball to consistently apply antitrust legislation across all professional athletics.: Marshall clarified that he believed the particulars of Flood's case belonged at the level of the district courts as a labor dispute, where that lower court could investigate whether the antitrust violations practiced by MLB circumvented the league's CBA with the Players Association. Aftermath The ruling in Flood v. Kuhn came as a surprise to many sportswriters and scholars who were following the case. Harold Spaeth, a political scientist at Michigan State University, had predicted that Flood would prevail either unanimously or with Rehnquist as the sole dissent. Sportswriter Tom Dowling, who had been present for the oral arguments, believed that the case would be remanded, Flood awarded damages, and Kuhn would have to work with the players to create a free agency system. Despite the owners' legal victory, popular opinion had turned against the league, with some polls showing baseball fans favoring Flood by an 8:1 margin. Kuhn called the decision "constructive" and said he looked forward to discussing free agency with the players in the next contract negotiation. "The last thing I wanted was for the clubs to view the Flood decision as an excuse for doing nothing," he wrote later. "Change was in the wind. Other sports were changing; we could not possibly sit still." Flood never returned to professional baseball. He lived in Spain for four years, owning a bar and laying carpet. Upon his return to the United States, he worked as a broadcast announcer for his hometown Oakland Athletics, as a Little League Baseball coach, and as commissioner of a senior baseball league. While working for the Athletics, he ran into Kuhn at a 1980 pregame party at Yankee Stadium. During an amicable conversation, Kuhn told Flood that while he had never doubted Flood's sincerity in pursuing the case and did not take it personally, Flood should still not have taken his Senators' salary. The Gold Glove Award Flood had won for the 1969 season but not formally received due to his legal dispute was presented to him in 1994. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1996 and died of pneumonia at a Los Angeles hospital in January 1997. The year after his death, he was posthumously elected to the Baseball Reliquary, which honors players both for their on-field statistics and for their off-field character. The breakdown of Busch's relationship with Flood was compounded by the Cardinals' decision to terminate Harry Caray's announcer contract. These upheavals left Busch emotionally disturbed, with his son Adolphus Busch IV later writing, "[s]omething had occurred that made him question whether he should stay on as CEO of the company or retire". In 1975, his other son, August Busch III, began a boardroom coup to oust his increasingly erratic father from Anheuser-Busch. While August took over the brewing industry, he allowed Gussie to remain president of the Cardinals as long as he accepted his son's usurpation and publicly announced that he was retiring of his own accord. Busch died of pneumonia and congestive heart failure in September 1989. Move toward free agency in baseball Seitz decision Their loss in Flood signalled to the MLBPA that any serious revisions to the league's operations could not go through the courts. The original CBA between the league and Players Association had created an arbitration system for labor disputes. Miller used it to the players' advantage, encouraging them not to sign contracts and arbitrate their salary disputes. MLB's first official free agent was Catfish Hunter, who in 1974 took the Oakland Athletics to arbitration over a breach of contract. Arbitrator Peter Seitz declared Hunter's contract with the Athletics void, allowing him to sign with whatever team he wished. The $5.5 million contract he eventually signed with the Yankees was at the time the largest of any major league player. Also in 1974, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Andy Messersmith, who had led the NL in wins that season, asked owner Walter O'Malley for both a raise and a no-trade clause added to his 1975 contract. O'Malley granted Messersmith the raise, but he could not offer a no-trade contract, arguing that it was against league rules. Messersmith refused to sign his contract until the clause was added, and the Dodgers renewed his previous contract without his consent. When O'Malley refused to include a no-trade clause again at the end of the 1975 season, Messersmith discussed his options with Miller. The union director connected him with Dave McNally, who had retired partway through the previous season after the Baltimore Orioles traded him to the Montreal Expos. If McNally ever chose to unretire from baseball, the reserve clause meant that he would have to play for the Expos. McNally, a strong union supporter, joined Messersmith to ensure the case went to arbitration rather than letting the Dodgers negotiate independently. In October 1975, the MLBPA filed grievances on behalf of Messersmith and McNally, arguing that their contracts with the Dodgers and Expos had expired after the 1975 season, leaving both players essentially free agents. The central argument around Messersmith's case regarded the Uniform Player's Contract of the Basic Agreement, which stated that "the Club shall have the right ... to renew his contract for the period of one year on the same terms". Messersmith understood the contract to mean that the Dodgers had the right to extend his contract unilaterally for the 1975 season, but now that the season had passed, he was no longer under contract with the team. The Dodgers front office argued that renewing Messersmith's contract also renewed the one-year option, and that they could continue to extend his contract in perpetuity. On December 23, 1975, Seitz ruled in favor of the two pitchers that the Basic Argument only allowed unilateral extensions for a period of one year. Moments after issuing his ruling, the owners fired him as an arbitrator. Seitz's decision was based on the question of whether the reserve clause extended to players whose contracts had expired. Rule 4-A(a) suggested that reservations only applied to players under active contract, while Major League Rule 3(g) prohibited opposing owners from approaching reserved players regardless of their contract status. Seitz rested his decision on the Cincinnati Peace Compact that had united the National and American Leagues in 1903, which applied the reserve clause only to players under active contract. Seitz never addressed the antitrust exemption in his ruling, focusing on the CBA, particularly this provision of the 1970 version: "Regardless of any provision herein, this Agreement does not deal with the reserve system." Because the CBA did not directly deal with the system, any challenges to it were allowed to pass through arbitration. After Seitz's ruling, the owners challenged his decision in federal court for the Western District of Missouri before Judge John Watkins Oliver. The case turned on the three 1960 Supreme Court cases known collectively as the "Steelworkers Trilogy", which define the role and scope of arbitration in resolving labor disputes. MLB, through the plaintiff Kansas City Royals, argued that a more recent Court decision modified the Steelworkers precedents such that the issue of the reserve clause was not arbitrable because the agreement demonstrated an intent to exclude it from arbitration. Oliver did not find the record to support that claim and reiterated the dictum from one of the trilogy cases that doubts as to arbitrability are to be resolved in its favor. Oliver's decision was upheld again by the Eighth Circuit, where Judge Gerald Heaney wrote for a unanimous panel that found no fault with his reasoning. The owners decided against taking their case to the Supreme Court. 1976 collective bargaining agreement Kuhn did not consider the Flood decision to be a victory for MLB's ownership, as it made the reserve clause a target for future contract negotiations. The MLB collective bargaining agreement made its first amendment to the reserve system after the 1973 Major League Baseball lockout. The "Curt Flood rule" provided that any player with 10 years of major league service, five of which had been with their current team, could veto a proposed trade. This CBA expired at the end of 1975, requiring the owners and players to negotiate a new one. After clashing with the players over many aspects of this agreement, the owners instituted another lockout in March 1976 and came to an agreement in July. Under the 1976 agreement, players who had signed a contract with their team before August 9 of that year would become free agents at the end of that season. The club was allowed to extend their contract for one year, at which point the player would enter free agency in 1977. All players who signed contracts after that date would automatically reach free agency after six years of major league service. Any player with five seasons of service, meanwhile, could demand a trade from the owner and provide a list of teams he did not wish to be traded to. If that player was not moved to an agreeable team by March 15, he would also become a free agent. Congressional response While Congress responded to Flood with two bills that would have repealed baseball's antitrust exemption, they were unpopular with legislators, and the only immediate legal effect was a 1973 bill expanding the broadcast of sold-out regular-season professional sporting events. Their next move was to create the Select Committee on Professional Sports in May 1976, which was presided over by California Democrat B. F. Sisk. The Sisk Committee explored several contemporary issues in professional sports, including baseball's antitrust exemption. The league argued that the exemption was necessary to maintain a competitive balance among teams, and the Committee was also tempted to uphold the exemption through veiled promises that new MLB franchises would expand into their districts. While the Sisk Committee ultimately found that there was no adequate justification for baseball's antitrust exemption and recommended that it be lifted accordingly, no bills to that effect were introduced. The committee also recommended a successor committee be established on sports antitrust law, but it was never established; a study was done in 1981. Representative Gillis Long attempted to pass a bill that would strip MLB of its "favorite son treatment", which he announced in a hearing with NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien, but it died in committee. In January 1995, a bill that would have eliminated baseball's antitrust exemption was introduced to the Senate, where it died in committee soon after the resolution of the 1995 strike. Senator Orrin Hatch reintroduced the bill the day after Flood's death as the "Curt Flood Act of 1997". The bill amended the Clayton Act to "clarify that major league baseball players and owners have the same legal rights, and the same restrictions, under the antitrust laws as the players and owners in other professional sports leagues". The bill was voted out of committee that October and was approved by Congress the following January. President Bill Clinton signed the Curt Flood Act of 1998 (CFA) into law on October 28, 1998. While the relationships between major league players and ownership now fell under federal antitrust protections, other aspects of professional baseball, including franchise expansion, relocation, ownership, and ownership transfers, as well as "the marketing and sales of the entertainment product", remained exempt. The Furthering Access and Networks for Sports Act, known as the FANS Act, initially proposed to further limit the exemption. Introduced in the Senate by Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, in 2013, with cosponsorship by Republican John McCain of Arizona, it was primarily motivated by fan anger over the control exerted over cable and Internet broadcasts of games by all four professional sports leagues and major cable providers. While its greatest changes were proposed for the SBA, primarily affecting the NFL's blackout policies, it also would have repealed the language of the CFA that keeps the reserve clause in force for minor league players and the language that applies to broadcasting. The Judiciary Committee held hearings on it over a year later, but it never came to any vote. In the next Congress the two senators reintroduced the bill, but without the provisions amending the CFA. It was again referred to the Judiciary Committee and died there. Seven years later, in the wake of the 2021–22 lockout, MLB's first work stoppage in a quarter-century, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said that "at this moment in time we should be revisiting this issue" of baseball's antitrust exemption. A Republican member of the committee, Mike Lee of Utah, had already introduced a bill to end the exemption the year before. "There's no reason that Major League Baseball should be treated any differently than any other professional sports leagues in America" he had said then. Other Republicans on the committee, such as Ted Cruz of Texas, supported the bill because they were upset about MLB's decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta following protests over the Georgia legislature's passage of a controversial electoral reform law. Subsequent jurisprudence Philadelphia Hockey case Later in 1972, Judge Leon Higginbotham of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania became the first to consider an extension of the baseball antitrust exemption in the wake of Flood. Philadelphia World Hockey Club, Inc. v. Philadelphia Hockey Club, Inc. was brought by the Philadelphia Blazers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) against the National Hockey League's (NHL) Philadelphia Flyers. The WHA, the first league to attempt to compete with the NHL in offering major league professional ice hockey, alleged that the older league had violated the Sherman Act with its attempts to deter its players from signing with WHA teams. Higginbotham easily found that the NHL was not exempt from antitrust law: In a footnote, Higginbotham acknowledged that the Supreme Court had never had to decide whether hockey shared baseball's exemption. He based his decision on the cases that had denied it to other sports and similar industries, such as Shuster, International Boxing and Radovich. From the text of Flood, he took further note of Blackmun's passing statement that hockey was "presumably" among the other major professional team sports subject to antitrust law. Piazza v. Major League Baseball Two decades later, another judge of the Eastern District, John R. Padova, heard a case claiming baseball's antitrust exemption sufficed to make it a private-party state actor. The plaintiffs, two Philadelphia-area members of a partnership that sought to acquire the San Francisco Giants and move the team to Florida, alleged that MLB had not only conspired with other defendants at the behest of the federal government, the city of San Francisco and other local governmental entities in the Bay Area to prevent the move but, in the process, defamed plaintiffs by insinuating that they had connections to organized crime. Padova cited Jackson v. Metropolitan Edison Co., in which the Supreme Court had held that the extensive regulation of a public utility does not make it a state actor, and San Francisco Arts & Athletics, Inc. v. United States Olympic Committee, which held the same regarding the respondent's trademark on the term "Olympic" regarding athletic contests, denying its use by the organizers of the Gay Games. "Simply uttering the word 'encouraged,' however, is not enough to equate Baseball's actions with those of the federal government", Padova wrote. "[T]he governmental involvement alleged here can, at best, be viewed as mere acquiescence, as opposed to the 'significant,' active encouragement required to adequately link defendants' actions to the federal government." Postema v. National League A 1992 suit by a female minor league umpire alleging gender discrimination revisited the question Salerno had brought but in the post-Flood era: does the antitrust exemption extend to baseball's relationships with its non-player employees? Finding that the baseball trilogy offered "little guidance" in that area, Judge Robert P. Patterson Jr. of the Southern District took note of Floods reference to the exemption being rooted in baseball's "unique characteristics and needs" and the Wisconsin Supreme Court's Braves dictum that the antitrust exemption probably did not cover all business activities related to baseball. "[T]he exemption does not provide baseball with blanket immunity for anti-competitive behavior in every context in which it operates", Patterson concluded. "Anti-competitive conduct toward umpires is not an essential part of baseball and in no way enhances its vitality or viability." Major League Baseball v. Crist Florida officials again attempted to investigate MLB in the wake of its 2001 contraction plan, which would have shut down two franchises that conducted spring training in the state. Again MLB responded that the antitrust exemption applied to quash the state's civil investigative demands (CIDs). On appeal, an Eleventh Circuit panel revisited the issue of Milwaukee Braves: what aspects of baseball can state antitrust law regulate? Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat wrote that the amount of teams that play was another decision "integral to the business of baseball" and thus beyond the reach of federal law. A paragraph in Flood that briefly addressed the state antitrust issue was, while "hardly a model of clarity", led him to accept MLB's theory that under the Supremacy Clause, "the Supreme Court's Commerce Clause jurisprudence, when applied to professional baseball, must be read to establish a unique per se rule that prohibits the application of state antitrust laws when the federal exemption is triggered ... [F]ederal law establishes a universal exemption in the name of uniformity." In his conclusion, Tjoflat conceded that while "[t]he exemption was founded upon a dubious premise, and it has been upheld in subsequent cases because of an equally dubious premise", and it was thus understandable that Florida should seek a more limited exemption, that was nevertheless the prerogative of the Supreme Court or Congress. Right Field Rooftops v. Chicago Cubs In 2013 the owners of two of the Wrigley Rooftops, the viewing areas erected atop privately owned buildings on the streets adjacent to Wrigley Field, from which Chicago Cubs games and other events at Wrigley Field can be seen, sued the team alleging its owners, the Ricketts family, had been indulging in anticompetitive practices to force the sale of some of the remaining rooftops to the team in violation of an earlier agreement. The plaintiffs anticipated the team's likely invocation of the baseball antitrust exemption by arguing that it applied only to MLB and not individual franchises. Judge Virginia M. Kendall of the Northern District of Illinois rejected that argument in denying them a preliminary injunction, noting that Toolson had affirmed Federal Baseball with a team as defendant, as well as the Cincinnati Reds in its companion case, Corbett v. Chandler. Scope of exemption Since Flood lower courts have divideed over whether baseball's antitrust exemption was limited in scope to the reserve clause (the minority position, taken by only two courts) or covered baseball generally. To resolve this question, some courts have generally turned the inquiry to the role the reserve clause played in the original Federal Baseball case, or looked to the text of the three Supreme Court decisions establishing and affirming the exemption. Broad "business of baseball" exemption The first court to consider this question after Flood was the Seventh Circuit, when it heard Charles O. Finley & Co. Inc. v. Kuhn on appeal in 1977. The plaintiff, the Oakland Athletics (A's), had sued over the commissioner's decision to block the sales of three players before the 1976 season as "not in the best interests of baseball", a power of the office rarely invoked; Kuhn believed that Finley was almost giving away star players in a "fire sale" in advance of free agency to other teams already rich in talent that did not have to part with any of their stars. The A's argued that Kuhn and Major League Baseball had engaged in restraint of trade and sought damages, in part under antitrust law, which they argued covered the commissioner's actions as Flood had only held the reserve clause covered by the antitrust exemption as outlined in Federal Baseball and affirmed in Toolson. After the district court had granted summary judgement for defendants on all counts, Judge Robert Arthur Sprecher wrote for a panel that unanimously affirmed. In considering the scope of the antitrust exemption, Sprecher looked to Radovich and the three baseball cases. In all of them, the Court had regular referred to "the business of baseball" as the subject of the exemption, leading Sprecher to conclude that "it appears clear ... that the Supreme Court intended to exempt the business of baseball, not any particular facet of that business, from the federal antitrust laws." In a short concurrence, Thomas E. Fairchild, now the circuit's chief judge, referred to his majority opinion from Milwaukee Braves during his time on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to support his belief that Federal Baseball had not been concerned with the reserve clause. In 1982 Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald of the Southern District of Texas heard a suit brought against the Houston Astros by KYST-AM after the team cancelled its radio broadcasting contract with the station in favor of KENR (now KNTH), also a defendant. The Astros moved to dismiss on the basis of the antitrust exemption, but McDonald noted that Gardella had left unresolved the question, alluded to in later cases, of whether the exemption reached broadcasts of baseball games. She observed that the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 (SBA), granting all professional team sports including baseball an exemption from the Sherman Act to allow leagues to negotiate television broadcast rights contracts on behalf of all member clubs. "The fact that interstate broadcasting has on the one hand subjected other professional sports to the antitrust laws, but has not on the other hand affected the baseball exemption, is perplexing." McDonald decided that there was nothing in the Supreme Court's jurisprudence on the baseball exemption to show that it was anything more than an "aberration" to be left undisturbed. As for Congress, reports prepared prior to Toolson and, later, during the passage of the SBA, showed that it read Federal Baseball as concerned primarily with protecting baseball's right to protect its own league structure, which was not an issue in the instant case. "Congress has not exempted radio broadcasting from the antitrust laws, and there is no reason to believe Congress intended to exempt radio broadcasting of baseball from those laws." While Finley had held the exemption broadly applicable to the business of baseball, McDonald pointed to where the Seventh Circuit had qualified it as "not apply[ing] wholesale to all cases which may have some attenuated relation with the business of baseball". Other lower court cases demonstrated this with two recent examples of lawsuits involving baseball and allegations of unfair trade practices in concession stand operations and baseball trading cards, in which she noted that neither defendant had raised the antitrust exemption. "The baseball exemption today is an anachronism" she concluded. "Defendants have not presented a reason to extend it." Three cases in the 21st century have dealt with the scope of the antitrust exemption following the CFA. In the early 2010s a group of fans brought suit against MLB, the NHL and several cable companies and regional sports networks (RSNs) over their out-of-market (OOM) sports packages. At the time those who wished to watch all their favorite teams' away games could only do so if they bought a costly OOM package which included virtually all games; many of them were only interested in a small fraction of them and thus found the expense of an OOM package undesirable. Cablecast agreements between the leagues, cable providers and RSNs blacked out OOM games in the team's home markets if they were cablecast on national cable networks. The fans alleged these arrangements were an antitrust violation meant to force them to buy the OOM packages. MLB had raised its antitrust exemption and the Federal Baseball–Toolson–Flood trilogy as a defense. Judge Shira Scheindlin of the Southern District rejected it in 2014. "The continued viability and scope of the baseball exemption are far from clear", she wrote. MLB had argued the language of Toolson applied to all aspects of its business, not just the reserve clause, which had been rendered moot by the CFA. But she responded that none of the cases consolidated with Toolson had mentioned broadcasting. "Indeed, because television broadcasting is an interstate industry by nature, it cannot fall within the exemption defined by Federal Baseball", she wrote. "It would be strange to read Toolson to expand Federal Baseballs holding to territorial broadcasting restrictions sub silentio." Case law had not resolved the issue. While most courts had found that after Flood the exemption still applied to all aspects of baseball, another had found in 1993 that it only applied to the reserve clause. The SBA indicated to Scheindlin that Congress at that time understood the broadcast of baseball games was not covered by the exemption. She was also unpersuaded by a Congressional Budget Office cost estimate of the CFA that included broadcast rights, since that could not be seen as sufficiently indicative of congressional intent, and language in the Act listing aspects of the baseball business that would not be affected by the law were also too vague to conclude that they were intended as specifically targeted at broadcast rights. "Exceptions to the antitrust laws are to be construed narrowly", Scheindlin wrote, citing Supreme Court precedent to that effect. Noting again that outside Flood the Supreme Court had indicated baseball's antitrust exemption to be so legally dubious that it could not extend it to other sports, "I therefore decline to apply the exemption to a subject that is not central to the business of baseball, and that Congress did not intend to exempt—namely baseball's contracts for television broadcasting rights. A year later, another case reached the appellate courts seeking to apply state antitrust law to baseball, when the Ninth Circuit heard City of San Jose v. Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. The case concerned an effort by the Athletics to move to a new stadium proposed to be built in San Jose in order to remain in the Bay Area. In order to do so, the Giants had to give their assent as Santa Clara County was within their exclusive territory, and they had not been willing to. The city claimed that MLB was conspiring with other defendants to prevent the move. The circuit's chief judge, Alex Kozinski, wrote for a panel that unanimously held for MLB. He rejected the city's argument that the antitrust exemption was limited to the reserve clause by pointing out that the circuit had held otherwise in deciding the Portland Beavers case shortly before Flood, which had turned on franchise relocation, the same issue at hand in the instant case. Further, the CFA had specifically exempted franchise relocation. " Floods clear implication" Kozinski wrote, "is that the scope of the baseball exemption is coextensive with the degree of congressional acquiescence, and the case for congressional acquiescence with respect to franchise relocation is in fact far stronger than it was for the reserve clause at issue in Flood itself." In 2017, hearing the appeal of Right Field Rooftops, the Seventh Circuit considered its Finley precedent and held that the sale of seats at locations outside the ballpark was within the antitrust exemption as well. "This exemption protects the general 'business of baseball' from antitrust laws, and the public display of baseball games is integral to that business", wrote Judge William J. Bauer. "By attempting to set a minimum ticket price, purchasing rooftops, threatening to block rooftops with signage that did not sell to the Cubs, and beginning construction at Wrigley Field, the Cubs' conduct is part and parcel of the 'business of providing public baseball games for profit' that Federal Baseball and its progeny exempted from antitrust law." Limited to reserve clause In Piazza, Judge Padova found Finleys reading of Flood and the cases leading to it incorrect. The more expansive reading sought by MLB to bar suit in the instant case, he allowed, might have been correct prior to Flood. But since that case had conceded that the factual basis for the exemption was no longer consistent with the Court's broadened reading of the Commerce Clause, Padova saw Federal Baseball and Toolsons continuing value as precedent to rest solely on those aspects covered by stare decisis in Flood. For Padova, the "gravamen" of Federal Baseball, as shown in the D.C. Circuit's decision affirmed in that case, was MLB's use of the reserve clause to hamper the FL's efforts to sign players. The Flood Court, he noted, had more than once referred to the clause as the specific issue in Toolson as well, and saw its instant case as similarly limited: "For the third time in 50 years the Court is asked specifically to rule that professional baseball's reserve system is within the reach of the antitrust laws."(emphasis Padova's). Padova identified two shortcomings with the Seventh Circuit's Finley opinion. First, it downplayed the role the Flood Court saw the reserve clause playing in the previous cases, wrongly suggesting it had only been mentioned twice, and peripherally, in the majority, omitting the quotations he had found significant. Second, "[a]pplication of the doctrine of stare decisis simply permits no other way to read Flood than as confining the precedential value of Federal Baseball and Toolson to the precise facts there involved." A year later, the Florida Supreme Court was considering another case related to the Giants' possible move to that state. The state's attorney general, Bob Butterworth, had issued civil investigative demands (CIDs) to the NL and other parties in an attempt to find out whether any of them broke Florida state antitrust law to keep the team from moving. The NL argued the antitrust exemption meant they would not have to comply. A trial court agreed, as did the state's Fifth District Court of Appeal, but it certified the question to the state's Supreme Court. Writing for the six majority justices, Major B. Harding found Piazza more convincing than Finley and other cases that had held similarly. "There is no question that Piazza is against the great weight of federal cases regarding the scope of the exemption. However, none of the other cases have engaged in such a comprehensive analysis of Flood and its implications", he wrote. "In fact, many of the cases simply state that baseball is exempt and cite to one or more of the baseball trilogy without any discussion at all." Concurring justice Ben Overton said that Piazza had changed his mind on the issue. He called on the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case and settle the question. The one dissenter, Parker Lee McDonald, mostly quoted at length from the trial judge's opinion holding that the question of franchise relocation was an essential part of the business of baseball and thus the antitrust exemption applied, barring the CIDs. The following year, in dismissing a suit against MLB brought by fans and businesses claiming to have been adversely affected by the recent strike, Judge Carolyn R. Dimmick of the Western District of Washington rejected the plaintiffs' reliance on Piazza and Butterworth as attacks on the validity of the antitrust exemption as a bar to their claims. She conceded that the Florida Supreme Court's complaint that Finley and the other precedents supporting a broad exemption were deficient in their reasoning, but noted that both they and Padova had omitted from their analysis the Flood Court's concluding statement quoting from Toolson: "Congress had no intention of including the business of baseball within the scope of the federal antitrust laws." Major League Baseball v. Butterworth But after Butterworth raised Piazza again in a 2001 suit over CIDs he issued again in response to MLB's plan to eliminate two teams the following season, federal judge Robert Lewis Hinkle of Florida's Northern District was unimpressed. Engaging in the same close reading of the baseball trilogy, he held that "[t]he assertion that [Federal Baseball] was solely a reserve clause case is simply not true", noting that the case discussed a wide range of allegedly unlawful trade practices. He criticized Piazza in a footnote: "Whatever the lower court might have thought, the Supreme Court thought Federal Baseball dealt with other issues, over and above the reserve clause. It is an odd approach to interpreting Supreme Court cases to disregard that Court's own description of a case in favor of a lower court's description." The brief per curiam opinion in Toolson had not mentioned the reserve clause. The later cases in the 1950s—Shuster, International Boxing and Radovich—also lent support to a broad scope for baseball's antitrust exemption. Hinkle observed that the first mentioned only "the business of baseball", and the latter two, as they had also concerned sports, would likely have mentioned the reserve clause in declining to extend baseball's exemption to those sports (The judge found International Boxing particularly on point as the reserve clause has no equivalent in that sport, and thus the Court would have said that if it saw baseball's exemption as so confined). In Flood, "[n]ot once did the Court intimate in any way that it was only the reserve clause that was exempt", Hinkle wrote. "To the contrary, the Court's articulation of the exemption was always phrased as the business of baseball, never as simply the reserve clause." He followed this with a detailed review of the Flood Court's view of all the predecessor cases. "Not once did the Court intimate in any way that it was only the reserve clause that was exempt. To the contrary, the Court's articulation of the exemption was always phrased as the business of baseball, never as simply the reserve clause." Hinkle read Flood as establishing that it was up to Congress to modify or repeal baseball's antitrust exemption, rather than defining the scope of that exemption: Alston and Nostalgic Partners In 2021 the Supreme Court ruled in National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Alston that the petitioner did not have the same antitrust exemption as baseball. Justice Neil Gorsuch disparaged that exemption in his opinion for a unanimous Court: That passage set off speculation that the next time the baseball exemption, almost a century old, came before the Court, it might be ready to finally overrule Federal Baseball. Baseball America noted that the opinion also took the unusual step of citing, inline, the amicus curiae brief filed by Advocates for Minor Leaguers, which has sought to have the antitrust exemption overturned. "I think that today's opinion signals that the current composition of the Supreme Court has a significant skepticism about baseball's antitrust exemption", said Harry Marino, director of that organization. "I read their segment of the opinion about the antitrust opinion as an invitation to litigants to raise the issue in front of the court". The case that has been seen as possibly giving the Court that opportunity was already in the courts. As a result of the Minor League Baseball consolidation plan, the Staten Island Yankees' ownership group, Nostalgic Partners, decided late in 2020 that they had no choice but to fold the team after the parent New York Yankees revoked their affiliation with the club. They were not the only minor league team so affected. Since they had bought the club's majority interest 10 years earlier under the promise that the major-league Yankees, who owned a 5 percent stake, would retain that affiliation in perpetuity, Nostalgic brought suit in state court for breach of contract, promissory estoppel and tortious interference. MLB and its commissioner's office were also named as defendants. A month later the Tri-City ValleyCats, based in the upstate city of Troy, who had moved to the independent Frontier League after their MLB parent, the Houston Astros, similarly ended their affiliation, filed a similar suit. Later in 2021 the court dismissed most, but not all, of both teams' claims. The ValleyCats lost on breach of contract, since their agreement with the Astros had ended in 2020, but prevailed on tortious interference. Conversely, the Staten Island Yankees lost their tortious interference claims while the court found the parent Yankees, from whom Nostalgic had bought the team, had represented at the time of sale that they would never de-affiliate regardless of the status of the contract. Both teams called the results a success and indicated they would proceed with discovery. The parent Yankees noted how many of the Staten Island Yankees' claims had been dismissed and anticipated that the remaining ones would fall on appeal. In December, both teams, joined by the similarly de-affiliated Norwich Sea Unicorns and Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, filed a federal antitrust suit in the Southern District against MLB. The plaintiffs pointed to the skeptical passage in Alston and said "[we] thus have objectively good reasons to believe that the Supreme Court would no longer apply the 'unrealistic' and 'inconsistent' and 'aberration[al]' baseball antitrust exemption if presented with a proper case for reconsidering it ... This is that case." One of the lawyers involved told a sports podcast that since it seemed that the Court had been inviting a challenge in Alston, "[w]e've decided we're going to accept that invitation." Sam Ehrlich, a Boise State legal studies professor whose writings about the baseball antitrust exemption include an amicus brief in Alston, told The Washington Post that claim was more than just talk. "Everything in the complaint is compelling. Everything they said is a clear antitrust violation. Baseball, the way it's been operating in the minor leagues, is a clear violation of antitrust law except that it has this exemption." In a University of Cincinnati Law Review article, Ehrlich was more equivocal. He called the case "arguably the most compelling threat to the baseball exemption in nearly two decades", and suggested two paths to victory once the case reached the Supreme Court, as it likely would have to. One was for the Court to accept Piazza and Butterworths reading of Flood that limited it to the reserve clause and that the CFA thus merely left the existing exemption intact without clarifying it or defining it in any way. The other way was to follow the "changing market realities" line of thinking that had led to Alston from its predecessor, NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, and hold similarly that the changes in baseball since Flood justified setting that decision aside. But he also pointed to reasons why the case might fail to overturn the exemption. Six of the current justices at that time had been part of a Court that had denied certiorari to recent cases challenging the exemption such as San Jose and Right Field. Also, Alston had targeted a "quasi-exemption" aimed at preserving amateurism in college athletics by one previous decision, whereas Flood reaffirmed an exemption established in two earlier decisions and addressed to some degree by legislation. Lastly, Gorsuch's language in Alston may also have been meant to affirm how unique and special the baseball exemption is: "To this end, Alston and other cases which declined to extend the baseball exemption to other sports only serve to strengthen the baseball exemption even more." Ehrlich described this as the "better read" rather than an invitation to bring a case bringing down the exemption. Analysis Blackmun's opinion was immediately unpopular among sportswriters such as Arthur Daley of The New York Times, who decried it as revealing "a total lack of logic". It has retrospectively been criticized by legal scholars as well, who are unhappy both with the rigid application of stare decisis and with the continued exemptions received by baseball for its reputation as the "national pastime". William Eskridge has referred to Flood v. Kuhn and the other cases in the "baseball trilogy" as "the most frequently criticized example of excessively strict stare decisis" among legal scholars. For Kevin D. McDonald, the case is both "indefensible as a matter of fact or policy" and "an embarrassment to the Court". Roger Ian Abrams, at Northeastern, wrote that the Court had "boxed itself in" by insisting on upholding Federal Baseball in Flood despite acknowledging the different circumstances regarding those two cases. David Snyder went so far as to say that in arguing Flood, "the Supreme Court had completely lost sight of the factual, legal and conceptual underpinnings of Federal Baseball". Morgen Sullivan notes that there is a contradiction in the Flood ruling, as the opinion explicitly states that baseball's antitrust exemption is limited to the reserve system, but ends by quoting a line in Toolson that expands the exemption to "the business of baseball". Mitchell Nathanson, meanwhile, states that the Supreme Court "finally acknowledged the absurdity of Holmes' contention ... but then inserted its own absurdity when it concluded that the fact that baseball is engaged in interstate commerce was nevertheless irrelevant". Some judges upholding Flood have said they do so reluctantly, only out of duty to precedent, and have criticized it themselves. In Crist, after calling Toolson "shaky" and questioning its divination of Congressional intent from its inaction, Judge Tjoflat called the Court's "beneath that consistency is a layer of inconsistency" defense of the baseball exemption in Flood "puzzling ... [T]he reasoning behind the present rule seems to be a rigid notion of stare decisis, coupled with a hesitancy to render a decision that would operate prospectively only." Of particular contention to scholars is the Court's assertion that Congress would undo baseball's antitrust exemption. Citing their previous inaction, Abrams argues that Congress had sufficiently demonstrated its refusal to act, leaving the matter to the Courts. William Basil Tsimpris has contrasted the application of stare decisis in Flood with the Court's ruling in Helvering v. Hallock, in which it was stated that Congress was unlikely to take action on a precedent, giving the Court the burden of self-correction. For McDonald, the decision to leave baseball's antitrust status to Congress was a poor interpretation of Federal Baseball, as Holmes never specified that legislation was the only pathway to undo his ruling. Section I In attempting to understand why MLB repeatedly enjoyed antitrust exemptions not afforded to other sports, scholars have largely targeted baseball's romantic reputation in American culture, as exemplified by Floods Section I. Abrams wrote that Blackmun "may have confused the business of baseball with the glorious game of baseball, thus explaining the sentimentality of Section I, which has been criticized as "rambling and syrupy", "juvenile", and even "bizarre". Savanna Nolan observed that even "the more serious elements of the opinion have a touch of ridiculousness" due to Blackmun's feelings towards the sport. Abrams also argued that Blackmun had likely used Lawrence Ritter's 1966 book The Glory of Their Times as his primary source, and showed how the careers of many of the players Blackmun listed had been impacted, often adversely, by the reserve system. Stephen Ross takes a slightly more positive view, justifying Section I as a means "to establish the unique role that baseball plays in American culture", but nevertheless rationalizes that romantic picture influenced the Court's decision to exempt baseball from other business rules. Another commentator, Paul Campos of the University of Colorado Law School, has defended it as a "trace of resistance to the hyperrationality of contemporary legal discourse". Blackmun, he wrote: "If Flood is seen ... as a decision grounded in a desire to adopt sound legal rules for sports leagues, Part I makes eminent sense", says Illinois law professor Stephen F. Ross. He reads it as doing exactly that, countering critics who charge it with being an overly strict application of stare decisis by showing how Blackmun and the other majority justices could reasonably, at that time, have been convinced that "contemporary antitrust doctrines would condemn many arrangements among owners that are arguably essential to baseball". Blackmun himself acknowledged in 1987, that his colleagues on the Court had, as Burger and Douglas's opinions suggest, seen it as "beneath [our] dignity". But he expressed no regrets, save the discovery by his clerks that, after the decision had issued, he had forgotten Mel Ott. In his personal copy of the decision he penciled Ott's name in. See also 1972 in baseball Baseball law List of United States Supreme Court cases by the Burger Court Bosman ruling – 1995 European Court of Justice decision that allowed unrestricted free agency in the European Union Notes References Works cited Further reading External links Major League Baseball litigation Major League Baseball labor relations United States antitrust case law United States Supreme Court cases United States Supreme Court cases of the Burger Court History of Major League Baseball 1972 in United States case law 1972 in baseball

16015827

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1909%20Western%20Victorian%20floods

1909 Western Victorian floods

The 1909 Western Victorian floods consisted of widespread flooding on rivers of the western half of the State of Victoria during the middle of August that year. Meteorological background Persistent above-average rainfall began to affect most of Victoria apart from eastern Gippsland in April 1909 as a result of strong southern low-pressure systems interacting with moisture in the Indian Ocean. Although April and May were moist, June was exceptionally wet, seeing in many places (e.g. Melbourne) a record number of rainy days for any month. The heavy June falls had already made the ground throughout Victoria very moist, and despite the fact that July rainfall was only above normal in the north of the State was of relatively little significance as evaporation was too low to dry the ground. The floods With these moist conditions, it was natural that heavy rain in August would cause major flooding on the State's rivers, and a series of very slow-moving depressions naturally caused August to be very wet. As early as 11 August major flooding on the Richardson River at Donald was anticipated. The third of four major depressions for the month arrived in western Victoria on the 17th and produced very heavy falls upon already-saturated catchments on flat land where water was not draining away quickly. As the slow-moving depression linked with warm air from the Tasman Sea, thunderstorms began to develop over the Wimmera region on the 18th. Rich Avon recorded 50mm (2 inches) from one of these whilst in the Great Divide there were reports that some areas had received as much as 100mm (4 inches) in as little as six hours. As a result of this heavy rain, many rivers rose to record or near-record levels. The Avoca River rose above the top of sheds of farmhouses near its banks, as the Hopkins and the Merri River near the coast. Further east, houses at Inglewood were swamped and many buildings were wrecked by the swollen Loddon River. In Donald itself, not only roads, but even footpaths were devastated as the Richardson River flooded the town to a level never seen before or since, eventually reaching normally-dry Lake Buloke. Near Geelong, four people were drowned trying to cross the flooded Barwon River at Winchelsea. The floods had a major impact upon agriculture in the region, with many crops in the Western District completely destroyed through being soaked - not only during the floods, but also before they reached their peak. Large numbers of sheep in the Western District were killed because of foot-rot due to the wet ground. Unusually for floods in Australia, not only did the rivers recede rapidly but the excessively wet conditions of the autumn and winter that produced them gave way to much drier weather from September onwards so that a repeat was never remotely possible. Flooding during August 1909 also happened in South Australia, the northeast of Victoria and more northerly parts of the Murray-Darling Basin; however, these were not as unusual as those in the Wimmera and Western District. References History of Victoria (state) Floods in Victoria (state) 1900s in Victoria (state) 1909 disasters in Australia

16065776

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas%20Flood%20Tour

Texas Flood Tour

The Texas Flood World Tour was a concert tour in North America and Western Europe, undertaken by American blues rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble in 1983 and 1984. The band had released their debut album, Texas Flood, a week before the tour began. The first leg of the tour took the band through the United States and Canada, and then on to Europe where they toured for two weeks. They then returned to North America where, during a leg that lasted more than three months, Vaughan and Double Trouble opened for Men at Work and The Moody Blues. The tour concluded in the Mid-Atlantic. The band returned to the studio in January 1984. The tour resumed the following month. The final leg incorporated return stops to several cities, and a visit to Hawaii, before the band returned home in late February. The tour provided the band with widespread exposure and was a commercial success. Vaughn continued to tour in the ensuing seven years before his death in a helicopter crash in August 1990. Background Vaughan was one of two children born to Jimmie Lee "Big Jim" and Martha Jean Vaughan. His brother Jimmie Lawrence Vaughan was born March 20, 1951; Stevie (Stephen Ray Vaughan) was born on October 3, 1954, in Dallas. His brother began to teach himself to play the guitar when he was twelve. Vaughan observed him intently, and his musical education was aided by exposure to his brother's constant practicing and playing. According to Vaughan, "he made up three songs the first day. He didn't have to try. It just came out". Steve Stevenson, a family friend, noticed that within a few days Jimmie was able to demonstrate what he had learned. Vaughan was playing the guitar by the time he was seventeen. In that year, 1972, he brought his band Blackbird to Austin to play at the Rolling Hills Country Club, and later at the Soap Creek Saloon. Vaughan then joined a band called Krackerjack for a three-month stint. He had accepted offers from several local bands, but within six years of arriving in Austin, Vaughan and his own group, Double Trouble, were playing at the Rome Inn. Among those present was Manor Downs accountant, and future business partner, Edi Johnson who remembered, "I'm not an authority on music—it's whatever turned me on—but this did". After an appearance before record producer Jerry Wexler, Vaughan and Double Trouble were invited to the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982. The audience disliked the band's music and booed their performance. Vaughan and Double Trouble met Jackson Browne the following night. He offered them free use of his personal studio in Los Angeles where they recorded a full-length album in November 1982. As the band gave several performances toward year's end, they began to be noticed by music industry representatives. At the end of a two-night stand in Austin, Vaughan and Double Trouble earned more than $7,000 for their efforts. The group signed with Epic Records. The label's approval encouraged Vaughan to pursue further opportunities. On a trip to New York, Vaughan and Double Trouble were the opening act at a Bryan Adams concert. Tour itinerary Preparations In a memorandum to executives at the southwest branch of Epic written before the tour, marketing Vice President Jack Chase agreed to break Vaughan and Double Trouble out of Texas. After a branch meeting he said: "The prize is having Stevie Ray Vaughn [sic] on our label and in your bags to promote and sell". Chase said it was his duty to break Vaughan nationally, otherwise "the pride in selling a 'Men at Work' is long gone". He went on to describe Vaughan as a "remarkable artist". Author Craig Hopkins has suggested that the success of Texas Flood was largely dependent on Chase's expertise in breaking a new artist: "John Hammond has received the most accolades [for the album's success], but without Jack Chase, the record might have been just another of those grapes withering on the vine", according to Hopkins. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Hammond was less involved in the making of the band's subsequent studio albums; it seems that he trusted Vaughan's abilities as an artist. Chase wanted Vaughan and the band to begin touring as soon as possible—the longer the album took to breakout, the more competition it would face. The itinerary he initially planned included the Eastern and Southwestern United States. The additional legs were only added after the growing international success of Texas Flood. The plan was for the band to begin the tour performing nationwide then tour Western Europe. They would headline theater dates in Texas playing for their immediate statewide fan base. Agents Rick Alter and Alex Hodges provided marketing assistance. Their philosophies and techniques in the major markets led to the band eventually performing arena tours, which enabled them to earn bonuses for reaching specific ticket sales plateaus. Vaughan and Double Trouble prepared for the tour by performing showcases in Dallas and Houston. These were attended by various musicians, radio station personalities, disc jockeys, record store owners, music critics, and record company executives. The band also made promotional appearances. On tour, even during the busiest traveling days, they would fit these into their daily schedule. The band would later find them exhausting. Before the tour could begin, Vaughan and Double Trouble needed the support of radio stations, Dallas' Q102-FM in particular. At first disc jockey Redbeard received only negative reactions from listeners when he played the album. Nevertheless, he persevered and played Texas Flood for an additional two weeks leading to more album sales in the Southwest. At least 15,000 units were shipped to record stores. Opening leg (June–August 1983) The tour began on June 22, 1983. On the second night Vaughan developed laryngitis, requiring the cancellation of three performances. He used this time to rest his throat. In Philadelphia, on July 8, the band played at Ripley Music Hall and recorded the show for a radio show broadcast. The next stop was Providence, where they appeared before a capacity audience. The group moved on to New York, where they performed for another packed house in Rochester. The next extended stop was in Canada. Vaughan and Double Trouble played four concerts including a July 20 appearance at the El Mocambo in Toronto. From there the band took their newly purchased tour bus back to New York, where they played additional concerts. One of the concerts was organized by tennis players Vitas Gerulaitis and John McEnroe as a benefit for the Special Olympics. A review of the concert described it as "one of the lightest turnouts of the season", adding that Gerulaitis and McEnroe "still cannot lure hordes of teenagers to a concert, even a benefit for a worthy cause". However, the review praised the band: "The concert opened strongly with the ubiquitous Texas guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan leading his trio Double Trouble through a workmanlike set of blues and boogie-woogie." The group proceeded to the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and East South Central regions of the US. Returning to Canada, they reached Montreal, where they performed before over 38,000 people, at the Olympic Stadium. The concert also featured The Police, Talking Heads and Peter Tosh, earning nearly $700,000 in gross revenue. The band proceeded through the west and Midwestern U.S., an area that encompassed Michigan, Illinois, Colorado and California, arriving in Grand Rapids, on August 11. After two performances at ChicagoFest with opening act Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, ("I'll open for them", Vaughan told his agent Rick Alter), Vaughan and Double Trouble gave a performance as the warm-up for Sammy Hagar on August 19. In late August the band departed for England. Europe (August–September 1983) On August 27, 1983, Vaughan and Double Trouble arrived in England. The band hoped for a positive reception from the crowd at the Reading Rock Festival in the county of Berkshire. However, in a lineup with mainly hard rock and heavy metal artists, Vaughan and the band stood out and were not received well by the audience, some of whom began throwing bottles of urine. One person who took particular note of this was the band's road crew member Byron Barr, whose journal records the reaction in demeaning terms: "Played Reading Festival. People were rude bastards. They threw bottles full of piss & all kinds of rude shit." Uber Rock writer Andy P's own recollection, written in 2014, was similar: "He kinda stuck out a bit like a sore thumb and like Steel Pulse the day before he caught the attention of the bottle throwers. Unlike Steel Pulse who ended their set early with bottles clanging off their steel drums he persisted with real flair asking the crowd politely, 'I know it's fun but put a stop to it'." On August 31 the band traveled to Paris for two shows. There they received their first gold records from the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for selling 50,000 copies of Texas Flood. In Paris they also visited the famous Eiffel Tower, then the Arc de Triomphe—"...where Hitler marched through on horseback. Pretty scary to think that all that shit happened just 40 years or so ago", wrote Barr in his journal. A further concert was played in Berlin on September 4 at a nightclub in the borough of Kreuzberg. The next day Vaughan and Double Trouble's first German television appearance was broadcast—a brief interview with Vaughan and a performance of four songs from Texas Flood. The interview featured a male and female host. The male host asked questions in English, and the female host translated Vaughan's responses into German. Hopkins comments that the female host came out wearing Vaughan's trademark flat-brim hat, which he did not appear to find humorous. On September 8 the band arrived in London. Vaughan and Double Trouble's first London show was at The Venue on Victoria Street. They were advertised as a "special guest at the Reading Rock Festival" with their "new album Texas Flood". The group's London performance proved successful; according to The Guardian, Vaughan's "technique and command are something quite extraordinary". This was, as former bandmate Billy Alford put it, "just a major drug fest". Referring to Vaughan's escalating substance abuse, Alford said, "I knew he was going to be a star, that he had it. It was just a matter of timing and whether he would kill himself before he got there." The final European concert was performed on September 9 at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. The band then returned to the U.S. for a tour of the East Coast. North America (September–December 1983) On September 14 Vaughan and Double Trouble arrived in Norfolk, where they played at The Boathouse; a few days later they played an awards show held by WSHE in Miami. The band's agent Rick Alter was sufficiently confident of their career status to announce the group's appearance at concerts at Houston Music Hall, Austin City Coliseum and the Bronco Bowl in Dallas in early October. An advertisement for the Dallas concert included the phrase "the triumphant return of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble". The main reason for their return to Texas was to play celebratory homecoming concerts for Vaughan's immediate fan base in the state. He had performed extensively on the Texas club circuit for nearly a decade. Vaughan featured guitarist Eric Johnson as the warm-up act for each show. Manager Chesley Millikin had been effusive with his praise in a letter to Epic's Jack Chase, dated October 12. He wrote that the band would not have had the chance to breakout nationally without the benefit of Epic's marketing efforts. He confirmed that Vaughan and Double Trouble would soon return to the studio, and learned that Texas Flood was approaching sales of 300,000 units. According to Alex Hodges, one of the band's agents, many people disliked the idea of them performing in an upcoming tour with The Moody Blues. He reckoned that both bands had a common thread in musical genre, however, and accordingly organized concerts for October through December, which were deemed a success. Hodges apparently "didn't have any doubt" in Vaughan's ability to command the audience. During a short hiatus in mid-December, the band turned their attention briefly from performing to composing. Among other compositions, they finished two instrumentals, which were incorporated into the closing shows of the year, which they completed during a return appearance in Norfolk. United States (February 1984) The band traveled to New York City for two-and-a-half weeks. The band played no concerts during this period although there were recording sessions scheduled at the Power Station with John Hammond. Drummer Chris Layton was effusive about Hammond's presence during the sessions; Hammond, he said, "was kind of like a nice hand on your shoulder", and: "he was a feedback person". Layton called him "our gyroscope", and praised his keen ability to identify keeper takes and eliminate over processing. The recordings made by Vaughan and Double Trouble during these sessions were released as Couldn't Stand the Weather, the band's second studio album. On February 4, the band left New York for Nashville. They played a concert there at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, appearing at the tenth-annual Volunteer Jam, an event organized by Charlie Daniels. They moved on to Knoxville where they performed at Alumni Memorial Gym on the University of Tennessee campus. The band traveled to Georgia, arriving in Atlanta on February 8, where they did two shows at the Moonshadow Saloon. During the first performance, Vaughan paused during their set and asked an unruly patron to leave the venue, one of the few times he called out a disruptive patron. The tour through the Midwest continued, with concerts in Missouri and Illinois. Less than a week after the band left Chicago, a 28-year-old man named Willie M. "Wimp" Stokes, Jr., the son of a drug kingpin, was shot and killed at a motel there. Austin musician Bill Carter read about the incident in a local newspaper and wrote the song "Willie the Wimp". He recorded a demo of the song that he gave to Vaughan, who later included his version on the band's live album, Live Alive. Resuming the tour, the band reached Honolulu on February 25 where they closed the tour as the warm-up for The Police at Aloha Stadium. Reception Commercial The band had survived a few setbacks, including three canceled shows which were rescheduled due to Vaughan's laryngitis. The full extent of the tour's earnings and expenses was not highly publicized. Hopkins confirms the band had averaged $500 to $950 per show before the release of Texas Flood, but this had grown to $1,500 by the beginning of the tour. After four months on the road, during the Moody Blues tour in October–December 1983, the band received $5,000 per show, an amount that included additional bonuses dependent on ticket sale plateaus. Layton stated that, "I could actually pay my rent and keep my lights turned on and have money to eat on and put gas in my car—that was our real priority in life." He later recounted that the year before they had "very little money" and were "basically broke". At times, the shows were packed to capacity; in August 1983, near the end of the first North American excursion, the group's performance at The Palace in Los Angeles was a sellout. "As we were pulling up to the club, there was a line all the way around the block," recalled Shannon. Two months later, aftertheir success in Europe, Vaughan and Double Trouble received a portion of the near $75,000 in ticket sale revenue, following an appearance opening for Men at Work in Seattle. However, in December of that year, after the Moody Blues tour concluded, they returned to performing in smaller theaters—they sold out the Beacon Theatre on December 28. The following year, after studio duties were completed, Vaughan and Double Trouble earned a percentage of the near $155,000 gross revenue after their performance in Nashville. The stability of the band's career meant they could enjoy making their living by playing music. Critical response and creative development In terms of critical reception, while there were some mixed reactions, Vaughan and Double Trouble were generally well received. The band was now known throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. As well as encounters with other musical celebrities, the group now had the ability to share the stage with their musical influences; the tour represented, for them, an indicator of success. However, these advantages had been gained at a price; Shannon, in retrospect, noted the stress and strain on the band. They had succumbed to "everything you'd want, [which was] right there—and for a long time it was fun". However, Vaughan's friend Lew Stokes, while also expressing concerns, concludes that, despite Vaughan's substance abuse, his moral compass remained, and the way he treated people had never wavered. The tour confirmed Vaughan's mastery of the electric guitar. This was evidenced in his hometown, on June 16, when a number of radio VIPs attended the Texas Flood record release party. They were frankly skeptical about Vaughan's performance skills, believing them to be feasible only in the studio. Four songs Vaughan and Double Trouble composed at the end of 1983 were included on their next album, Couldn't Stand the Weather. A number of songs were outtakes, including an instrumental and a lyrical piece. The released works include two instrumentals "Scuttle Buttin'" and "Stang's Swang", and two lyrical pieces "Couldn't Stand the Weather" and "Honey Bee". Vaughan's creative progress is reflected in the songs released on Couldn't Stand the Weather, which, according to Hopkins, quickly outpaced the sales of Texas Flood. The album includes Vaughan's first attempt at instrumental jazz, "Stang's Swang". Aftermath Despite his earnings from the tour, Vaughan and his wife Lenny continued to live in their modest house in Austin. However, travel and public appearances dominated the next two years of Vaughan's life. In March 1984 the band was on tour again, this time around North America, Europe, Australasia and Japan, remaining on the road until May 1985. In June Vaughan and Double Trouble left for another tour—with Reese Wynans who was now the band's keyboardist. They were away for over ten months, and took a break in May 1986, to change their management team. A second visit to Europe, from September until October 1986, was the last of the exhaustive touring schedule. Vaughan's new personal assistant, Timothy Duckworth, had concerns about his escalating substance abuse. This ultimately threatened Vaughan's life—and now threatened Shannon's, who was also immersed by addiction. Typical Setlist "Testify" (The Isley Brothers cover) "So Excited" "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover) "Pride and Joy" "The Things (That) I Used to Do" (Guitar Slim cover) or "Tin Pan Alley" (Bob Geddins cover) "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (Buddy Guy cover) "Love Struck Baby" "Texas Flood" (Larry Davis cover) "Tell Me" (Howlin' Wolf cover) "Little Wing" (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover) "Third Stone From the Sun" (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover) Encore: "Lenny" "Rude Mood" "Testify" (Reprise) or "Wham!" (Lonnie Mack cover) or "Manic Depression" (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover) Tour dates See also Texas Flood Couldn't Stand the Weather Tour Stevie Ray Vaughan live performances References Sources Stevie Ray Vaughan concert tours 1983 concert tours 1984 concert tours

16200046

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic%20Flood%20Risk%20Assessment

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment

In England and Wales, Strategic Flood Risk Assessments (SFRAs) are a required part of the local planning process, as set out in Planning Policy Statement 25, produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government. SFRAs are primarily produced by local planning authorities, in consultation with the Environment Agency, and are intended to "form the basis for preparing appropriate policies for flood risk management" at the local level. At the regional level, the equivalent document is the Regional Flood Risk Appraisal. On the smaller scale these SFRAs are used to inform site-specific Flood Risk Assessments (FRAs) for individual planning applications. References Flood control in the United Kingdom Town and country planning in the United Kingdom

16295176

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Flood%20%28Gospel%20Gangstaz%20album%29

The Flood (Gospel Gangstaz album)

The Flood is the sixth album released by Gospel Gangstaz. It was released on August 8, 2006, for Alliant Records and featured production Marvin "Twenty/20 Davis", Mr. Solo, Tik Tokk, Chillie' Baby and Jeffrey Baggett. The Flood was the first studio album by the group to not make it on any Billboard charts (All Mixed Up was a compilation album). Track listing "What It Do"- 4:43 "Stand Up"- 4:22 "Raise Up"- 4:03 "My Life"- 4:08 "Back Then"- 4:13 "Let's Go"- 3:56 "Playin' Games"- 2:00 "Conscious"- 3:46 "Crazy"- 3:29 "City Lights"- 4:16 "My G's"- 3:53 "Only Jesus"- 3:54 Awards In 2007, the album was nominated for a GMA Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year at the 38th GMA Dove Awards. References 2006 albums Gospel Gangstaz albums

16334347

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This%20Generation%20%28Sonicflood%20album%29

This Generation (Sonicflood album)

This Generation is the sixth studio album by Sonicflood. It was released on INO Records in 2005. Track listing Personnel Sonicflood Rick Heil – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars Trey Hill – guitars Jordan Jameson – guitars Bryan Willard – bass Ben Showalter – drums Additional musicians Jim Cooper – programming, backing vocals Dan Muckala – keyboards, acoustic piano, synthesizers, Mellotron, programming, string arrangements, backing vocals Marc Byrd – keyboards, acoustic guitar, electric guitar Chris McMurty – acoustic guitar, bass Alex Nifong – acoustic guitar Paul Moak – electric guitar Tony Palacios – electric guitar Andrew Thompson – electric guitar Joey Canaday – bass Chris Donohue – bass Aaron Blanton – drums Ken Lewis – drums, percussion Brandon Heath – backing vocals Jamie Rowe – backing vocals Production Marc Byrd – producer Jim Cooper – producer, engineer Dan Muckala – producer, engineer Skye McCaskey – engineer Tony Palacios – engineer, mixing Jordan Richter – engineer Jeremy Luzier – mixing Mike O'Connor – musical assistance Dana Salcedo – creative direction, stylist Benji Peck – art direction, design Michael Gomez – photography Charts References External links 2005 albums Sonicflood albums INO Records albums

16415198

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early%20Spring%202008%20Midwest%20floods

Early Spring 2008 Midwest floods

The March 2008 Midwest floods were a massive flooding event in the Southern Midwest and portions of the Southern Plains. Cape Girardeau, Missouri officially reported between March 18 and 19. At least 17 people died as a result of the flooding. Levee breaks were observed in several areas, most notably in Southeastern Missouri, where levee breaks occurred through mid-April. Meteorological synopsis The National Weather Service posted flood watches stretching from Dallas, Texas, to Scranton, Pennsylvania, starting March 16. Two strong low-pressure centers developed along a stationary front that stretched along this line. One was located in the southern region of Illinois, and the other was located near San Antonio, Texas. The northern low, combined with strong upper level winds, dragged large amounts moisture north from the Gulf of Mexico. The southern low produced severe weather and heavy rain on its north side. At one point, the national weather radar composite showed a large shield of heavy rain stretching from Texas to northern Indiana. River flooding continued through May in some areas, causing additional problems where flash flooding from the heavy rains struck. Numerous locations in Arkansas reported record rainfall totals from March into early April. River flooding River flooding continued through March and into April; even stretching to early May in a few areas. Several river gauges throughout the Midwest and southeast were in major flood stage. Some of the worst river flooding of the event occurred in the western suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, along the Meramec River; 451 homes were damaged in this area. River flooding stretched from Wisconsin to Louisiana by mid-April; some of the flooding to the north was exacerbated by ice jams after record snowfall during the winter. Impact Deaths The death toll associated with the flooding was 17. Five deaths occurred in Missouri. Others were killed in a highway wreck due to heavy rain in Kentucky, and a 65-year-old woman in Ohio appeared to have drowned while checking on a sump pump in her home. In southern Illinois, two bodies were found hours after floodwaters swept a pickup truck off a road. Also, in Missouri, the body of a 19-year-old man was found about 2 miles downstream from where he was reported swept into a creek the previous evening. Regional impacts The flooding closed a number of roads in Missouri around the Meramec River, and threatened to force the closure of Interstate 44 at Valley Park. Unlike the Great Flood of 1993, which affected this same region, the majority of homes and businesses in Valley Park were protected from the flooding by a new levee built in 2005. In Kentucky, the flooding resulted in scattered road closures and flooded basements. In Covington, city crews used sump pumps to keep high water off the streets. High water from Banklick Creek also forced Kenton County's Pioneer Park to close. Emergency managers in Posey County, Indiana declared a state of emergency and Vanderburgh County, Indiana and the city of Evansville were also under states of emergency for a short time. Schools in Henderson and Union Counties were closed due to the flooding, and U.S. 60 at the line between the two counties was shut down because of landslides. Numerous roads were closed because of flooding in the Louisville, Kentucky area: Old Vincennes Road at Buttontown Road and Clover Creek and Hamby Road and Borden Road at U.S. 150. Aftermath The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied flood recovery grants and loans to Illinois. Fifteen counties in southern Illinois applied for the assistance. In Illinois, 39 homes were destroyed, 150 others had major damage, and 145 businesses were flooded. Out of those 145 businesses that needed repairs after the floods, 74 of the buildings were in Harrisburg, Illinois. See also Winter storms of 2007-08 June 2008 Midwest floods References External links National Weather Service Paducah, Kentucky summary page National Weather Service Little Rock, Arkansas summary page National Weather Service Springfield, Missouri summary page Midwest floods March 2008 events in the United States

16702974

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great%20Flood%20of%201881

Great Flood of 1881

The Great Flood of 1881 was along the Missouri River between April 1, 1881, and April 27, 1881. The flood began around Pierre, South Dakota and struck areas down river in Yankton, South Dakota, Omaha, Nebraska, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Nebraska City, Nebraska, Kansas City, Missouri, and farther south. This was the first detailed reporting of Missouri River flooding, and caused millions of dollars in damage. History Snowfall in the winter of 1880-81 was unusually heavy, and March 1881 remained extraordinarily cold until its last week. Melting snow in the Dakotas, north of Nebraska, poured water into the Missouri River. John Hilger, an early resident of Pierre, South Dakota said, "When the snow started to disappear, it left in a hurry. The river rose very rapidly, the ice gorged a short distance below town, turning the water into the bottoms and flooded the town with from four to six feet of water. Those who were not so fortunate as to possess two story houses were obliged to retreat to higher ground. My dugout was filled with women and children and I was obliged to seek quarters elsewhere because of the lack of room." Omaha and Council Bluffs Downtown Omaha was flooded up to 9th Street, and Council Bluffs was flooded the same. The river remained at a high level for several weeks and during the height of flooding was reported to have been wide. Omaha's entire shipping industry was damaged, with industrial, trade, and docking buildings severely damaged or destroyed. Losses were said to be "in the millions". Omaha had only two deaths during the flood. A small one-man skiff was used by three Union Pacific workers who attempted to cross a break in a temporary dam when the river's current pushed it into the main channel. Two men jumped from the boat and drowned immediately. The Omaha Bee covered the flood each day from April 2 through April 13. Lake Manawa After the flood in the area south of Council Bluffs, the Missouri River had looped itself in a hairpin bend, leaving an old channel filled with quiet water. The body of water left stranded by the river's change, covering about , later became Lake Manawa, a popular recreation area in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. Nebraska City and Eastport As the river rose, people attempted to save the lowlands of Iowa along the Missouri River. By April 9, the steamboat ferry Lizzie Campbell had difficulty in landing passengers at Nebraska City in deep water. Passengers were unloaded only by cart. By April 11, all of the Iowan lowlands were under water. By the middle of May, the river had risen to the highest point in the history of Nebraska City and Fremont County, Iowa and its course was changed considerably when the waters finally fell to normal. Timeline On the morning of April 1, word was received from Yankton, South Dakota that the Missouri River rose thirty-five feet, killing several people and destroying the lowlands in that area. The railroads received warnings from points north and advised people in the area to leave the river bottoms. They moved their rolling stock and equipment to higher lands throughout the area. In the afternoon of April 6, a temporary dam around riverfront businesses in Omaha burst. During this period the Omaha Smelting Works and Union Pacific Shops almost completely submerged. The following morning floodwaters crested at , which was two feet higher than ever recorded on the river. The Missouri had also reached a width of , effectively covering all the lowlands around Omaha and Council Bluffs. On the morning of April 9, the North Western Railroad levee bounding Council Bluffs against the river broke and water spread over the west and south sections of the city. An anonymous man rode a horse through the south part of the city to warn residents when the levee gave way. Rescue shelters were placed throughout the area, with "any building that was suitable was thrown open to the refugees." After that event, from Ninth Street in Council Bluffs west to Omaha and from Carter Lake south beyond the Union Pacific Shops looked like "a sea" dotted with houses and outbuildings like islands. Boats and large sections of wooden sidewalks were pressed into service, with the operators earning from $15 to per day. On April 12, water started receding, with railroads clearing up and repairing tracks immediately. Families returned to their homes to begin cleaning out water. However, on April 22, the river stage increased at one foot per hour, causing people again to move to higher land. This time when the river broke its banks, the water spread to Eighth Street and Broadway in Council Bluffs. Houses, trees, and livestock floated downriver. By April 25, the Union Pacific Shops remained flooded as the river rose another two inches. A riverfront packinghouse and the Willow Springs Distilling Company were flooded, along with many smaller riverside businesses. 1,600 workers were unemployed at this point. In Council Bluffs 600 people were homeless, with more than a half of the city inundated with water. During the previous several weeks, the Elkhorn River valley was flooded, with the entire town of Waterloo, Nebraska abandoned due to flooding. On April 27, the river began to recede and families returned to their homes. General Grenville M. Dodge, the chief engineer in charge of the construction of the Union Pacific, had employees ride through the flooded areas to rescue cattle. The river dropped on the 27th. See also Geography of Omaha The Long Winter (novel) describes the events of the 1880-1881 winter that caused the Great Flood in the spring of 1881. Severe winter of 1880–1881 References External links Flood of 1881 from the Omaha Public Library Historic photo Historic photo Capital Journal, THE GREAT FLOOD: Recalling the Missouri River flood and ice gorges of 1881 Natural disasters in Omaha, Nebraska Missouri River floods 19th-century floods in the United States 1880s floods 1881 natural disasters in the United States 1881 in Nebraska 1881 in Iowa April 1881 events

16849381

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year%20of%20the%20Flood

Year of the Flood

Year of the Flood is the DVD and CD of Runrig's Beat the Drum open air concert on 18 August 2007, filmed at Borlum Farm near Drumnadrochit on the shores of Loch Ness. It was the band's flagship event of Highland 2007, a series of cultural events to celebrate Highland culture and also seen as the realisation of growing desires to play a large open-air show in the Highlands, somewhat in commemoration to the legendary Loch Lomond open air concert of 1991, one of the undisputed highlights of the band's career. On the night before the concert, after a long period of dry weather, rain set in and lasted throughout the day, at times as torrential downpour. This transformed the festival grounds and its car park into a veritable mud hole, evoking memories of the famous Woodstock Festival 38 years earlier, and ironically fitted the name "Year of the Flood" of the first song of Runrig's new studio album Everything You See, which had just been released in May. The festival started at around 1400 BST with supporting acts Vatersay Boys, Aberfeldy, Julie Fowlis, Great Big Sea, Wolfstone and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. At around 2000 BST the audience of 17,000 people were asked to please drop their umbrellas so that the upcoming Runrig gig could be recorded for a DVD. Track listing DVD "Intro Music" (2:20) "Year of the Flood" (4:21) "Pride of the Summer" (4:22) "Road Trip" (5:09) "Proterra" (6:17) "The Ocean Road" (6:27) "An Toll Dubh" (2:45) "Sona" (4:04) "The Engine Room" (4:22) "Every River" (5:21) "A Reiteach/Drums" (6:10) "In Scandinavia" (6:05) "Clash of the Ash" (4:53) "Skye" (8:40) "Hearts of Olden Glory" (5:30) "Something's Got to Give" (3:48) "Protect and Survive" (5:39) "On the Edge" (2:55) "Loch Lomond" (7:36) Credits: Book of Golden Stories/An Dealachadh (3:12) CD "Intro Music" (2:05) "Year of the Flood" (4:21) "Pride of the Summer" (4:22) "Road Trip" (5:09) "Proterra" (6:17) "The Ocean Road" (6:27) "Sona" (4:04) "The Engine Room" (4:22) "Every River" (5:21) "In Scandinavia" (6:05) "Clash of the Ash" (4:53) "Hearts of Olden Glory" (5:30) "Something's Got to Give" (3:48) "Protect and Survive" (5:39) References Concert films Runrig albums Scottish Gaelic music

17202910

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%20Saint%20John%20River%20flood

2008 Saint John River flood

The 2008 Saint John River flood was considered the worst flooding of the Saint John River in 35 years. Flood levels reached 27 feet and 4 inches in Fredericton on May 1, almost reaching the previous record of 28 feet and 3 inches, set in 1973. Flooding was attributed to the melting of record snowfall from the 2007-2008 winter and heavy rain during the melting season. Fifty streets in Fredericton area were closed as a result of the flooding. The flooding caused severe damage in areas of northern Maine and western New Brunswick including international bridges and hundreds of homes and buildings. By May 3, the Canadian Red Cross had registered 680 residents who had been forced to evacuate from their homes. An additional 600 residences were evacuated in Maine. See also 1973 Saint John River Flood References External links City of Fredericton City of Fredericton 2008 River Watch Information Natural disasters in New Brunswick Floods in Canada Saint John River Flood Saint John River Flood Edmundston Fredericton Fort Kent, Maine Natural disasters in Maine Madawaska, Maine Saint John River flood Saint John River flood Saint John River flood Saint John River flood Saint John River flood Saint John River flood Saint John River flood Saint John River flood Saint John River flood

17361309

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German%20Flood%20Service%20Medal%20%282002%29

German Flood Service Medal (2002)

The German Flood Service Medal 2002 (German: Einsatzmedaille Fluthilfe 2002) is a decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. The decoration was awarded to all German military members, foreign armed service members, civilian rescue forces and civilians, who had collaborated with the flood disaster relief efforts in Germany in the summer of 2002. It was approved for wear by the Minister of Defence, but was created by the Ministry of the Interior. The medal is awarded in the same class to all German soldiers regardless of rank. It is the only type of its kind in the German awards system. Some German federal states have created their own flood medals for its citizens, but The German Flood Service Medal 2002 is the first federally created flood decoration in Germany. Design The medal is round, on its center is displayed the German eagle with a flood wave and a half sunk house, the reverse side is plain with the words "Gratitude and Recognition" (German: Dank und Anerkennung). The ribbon has two black stripes on the edges, with two red stripes beside it, with two gold stripes on the inside of the red stripes and in the center is a blue stripe. The ribbon bar has the medal clasp attached to it. See also Awards and decorations of the German Armed Forces German Flood Service Medal (2013) Prussian Lifesaving Medal, an example of an earlier German state-awarded decoration of a similar nature. External links Civil awards and decorations of Germany Military awards and decorations of Germany (Bundeswehr) German campaign medals Awards established in 2002 2002 establishments in Germany Floods in Germany

17375183

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floodplain%20restoration

Floodplain restoration

Floodplain restoration is the process of fully or partially restoring a river's floodplain to its original conditions before having been affected by the construction of levees (dikes) and the draining of wetlands and marshes. The objectives of restoring floodplains include the reduction of the incidence of floods, the provision of habitats for aquatic species, the improvement of water quality and the increased recharge of groundwater. Description Europe In Europe, very few schemes for restoring functional floodplains have been put in practice so far, despite a surge of interest in the topic among policy and research circles. One of the drivers for floodplain restoration is the EU Water Framework Directive. Early floodplain restoration schemes were undertaken in the mid-1990s in the Rheinvorland-Süd on the Upper Rhine, the Bourret on the Garonne, and as part of the Long Eau project in England. Ongoing schemes in 2007 include Lenzen on the Elbe, La Basse on the Seine and the Parrett Catchment Project in England. On the Elbe River near Lenzen (Brandenburg), 420 hectares of floodplain were restored in order to prevent a recurrence of the Elbe floods of 2002. A total of 20 floodplain restoration projects on the Elbe River were envisaged after the 2002 floods, but only two have been implemented as of 2009 according to the environmental group :de:BUND. United States In the United States, examples of floodplain restoration can be found in the catchment area of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, in the Emiquon Preserve on the Illinois River, in Charlotte, North Carolina and along the Baraboo River in Wisconsin. See also Ecological restoration Riparian zone restoration Stream restoration References Ecological restoration Flood control Stormwater management Water and the environment Water resources management Floodplains

17444310

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin%20Flood

Gavin Flood

Gavin Dennis Flood (born 1954) is a British scholar of comparative religion specialising in Shaivism and phenomenology, but with research interests that span South Asian traditions. From October 2005 through December 2015, he served in the Faculty of Theology University of Oxford and as the Academic Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies which is a Recognised Independent Centre of the University of Oxford. In 2008, Flood was granted the title of professor of Hindu studies and comparative religion from the University of Oxford. In 2014, he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy. In 2016, Flood became the inaugural Yap Kim Hao Professor of Comparative Religious Studies at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. He is a senior research fellow at Campion Hall, University of Oxford. Published works See also Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies References and notes External links Website 1954 births Academics of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Fellows of the British Academy Hindu studies scholars Living people Yoga scholars

17454697

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May%202004%20Caribbean%20floods

May 2004 Caribbean floods

The May 2004 Caribbean floods was a flood event that affected the Caribbean Islands and Hispaniola from May 18, 2004, to May 25, 2004.  Moving quickly from Central America, a low-pressure storm system brought heavy rainfall and thunderstorms to Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic resulting in rainfall amounts exceeding 500 mm (19.7 inches) within a 7-day period. Cities in flood-plain areas like Mapou, Haiti, and Jimani, of the Dominican Republic, experienced over 250 mm (10 inches) of rain between May 24 and 25, causing the Solie River to overflow, resulting in devastating environmental and infrastructure damage. With hundreds dead and thousands more displaced in Mapou and Jimani, the death toll was at its highest in decades, partly because of deforestation. Steep valley ridges and barren hillsides channeled rainwater towards valleys, creating landslides that overwhelmed and flooded cities particularly in high-poverty areas where buildings were wooden or makeshift temporary homes. In addition, inhabitants residing on these flood plains were subject to increased risk from water-borne diseases due to inadequate waste removal management and contaminated water supply due to excessive debris caused by flooding. Background Due to its geographic location, Haiti is especially vulnerable to storm surges and hydrometeorological disasters. Nestled in the Atlantic Basin, Haiti’s mountainous topography and weakened natural barriers exacerbate the effects of storms. Deforestation, construction, and mismanaged land use have led to a deterioration in natural barriers such as mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, and sand dunes, further debilitating Haiti’s ability to withstand intense storms and to provide emergency services.  The damage to Haiti’s already weak infrastructure and lack of natural barriers intensive efforts to secure food, water, and humanitarian relief required. Geographical and physical impacts Haiti Widespread flooding and rising rivers had serious consequences in several parts of the country, including the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, and the town of Fond Verrettes. The road linking the two areas was unusable, so air transport was the only option. Fond Verrettes was almost completely washed away, and a mudslide swept away more than 500 houses in the town. In addition, the town of Mapou, located 50 km southeast of the capital, was cut off by flooding. The water reached a depth of more than 3 metres. Consequently, 1,300 houses, almost half of Mapou's houses, were severely damaged. In the area surrounding Mapou, more than 35 villages were affected. Approximately 5,000 families were displaced throughout the country. Dominican Republic Floods occurred in the south, northwest, and northeast areas of the country. Telephone communications and electricity were affected, as was the supply of drinking water due to damage to 21 aqueducts in the country. The most damaged area was the community of Jimani, in the west of the country. More than 300 houses were demolished there. Patients at the hospital of Jimani had to be evacuated because the facilities were severely flooded. Moreover, other provinces such as Barahona, Bahoruco, Elías Piña and Duarte also suffered the consequences of the floods. Duarte's rice crops represented 70% of all rice crops in the Dominican Republic. Due to the flood, thousands of hectares of rice crops in this area, as well as banana crops were destroyed. Also in this northeastern province of Duarte, around 100 families had to be relocated to temporary shelters. Across the Dominican Republic, 3,112 houses were affected in some way by the floods. Around 3,000 families were displaced. Given the extent of the damage, the Dominican Republic National Emergency Commission declared a yellow alert in the country. Response Local response Authorities of the Dominican Republic buried more than 250 bodies immediately and sprayed disinfectant from aircraft over Jimani to prevent the spread of disease from decomposing bodies. They also sent the army to search for victims by using dogs and shovels. In addition, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) Coordinating Unit promptly contacted with multi-lateral and bi-lateral counterparts in Haiti and the Dominican Republic to ascertain needs, monitor the situation as it evolved and provide SitReps (Situation Reports) and needs information. Social Service of Dominican Churches (SSID) began an initial assessment of difficulty in accessing water-logged regions. It also assessed damages and losses in the communities where it worked, and prepared a multi-year food security proposal targeting families whose food security situation was severely affected by the disaster. Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Service Chrétien d'Haiti (SCH) applied to Church World Service (CWS) for the reallocation of food shipment to flood survivors that had originally been intended for use in response to Haiti's recent social and political unrest. International response The international community led by the United Nations (UN) responded very quickly to the emergency in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The UN dispatched a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team (UNDAC) to coordinate donor response activity in the affected countries. Many other countries and regions also provided emergency assistance: The United States led military force ferried emergency aid to a hard-hit Haitian town; The British Virgin Islands pledged US$20,000; Belize pledged one container of relief supplies for each of the affected countries and BZ$25,000 through the Red Cross; Jamaica donated medical supplies and equipment that were sent by boat; Ireland pledged up to €100,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance in response to flooding and storms in both countries; The European Union sent an emergency package worth about €2 million ($2.43 m). Immediate mortality and morbidity implications Immediate mortality On May 26, 2004, the official death toll in both countries totalled 870. By May 29, 2004, the number of deaths had skyrocketed. In Haiti death tolls were at 1,800: 1,000 (Mapou), 548 (Bodarie, Thiotte, Grand Gosier), 250 (Fonds-Verettes), 2 (Port-a-Piment). On the Dominican side, death tolls were at 415: 393 (Jimaní) and 22 (Elia Piña, Duarte, Sanchez). Morbidity implications Changes in the ecosystems led to an increase in vector (mosquito) population. Both countries reported Malaria outbreaks with 13,157 cases reported in 2004 compared to 1,529 cases reported in 2003. There was also a low incidence of classic dengue with 2,340 cases reported in total. Damage to the water and sanitation infrastructure also led to water-borne disease outbreaks. Prior to the floods, Rotavirus disease was a major health issue in both countries - accounting for 42% of all diarrheal deaths. In 2004, both countries reported a sharp increase in rotavirus infections. A total of 275 deaths were reported in Independencia Province. There were no leptospirosis and cholera cases reported in both countries.  However, the damaging effects of this and subsequent disasters continuously weakened the water and sanitation infrastructure which eventually led to a major cholera outbreak in 2010. Prior to the floods, both countries had the highest Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence rate outside of sub-Saharan Africa. The floods had exacerbated the HIV and TB epidemic in both countries. Although the prevalence of new cases seemed low, a disruption in access to multi-level biomedical interventions led to an increase in mortality rates. HIV death rates in the Dominican Republic alone reached 80.5 deaths per 100,000 people in 2004. The floods also disrupted immunisation programs for vaccine-preventable diseases. Poor immunisation coverage for diphtheria led to an outbreak in 2004 in the Dominican Republic and a resurgence in Haiti since December 2014. Short and long term consequences The health impact of disasters such as the 2004 Caribbean floods are complex and cascading. In the short and long terms, floods can affect human health both directly and indirectly. Short-term direct impacts mainly include leptospirosis and acute respiratory infections (ARI). Short-term indirect impacts are a result of two main modes of transmission being water-borne: diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A, and vector-borne: diseases from intermediate species that carry disease pathogens, such as mosquitoes. Vector-borne diseases brought on by flooding include dengue fever and malaria. In addition, displacement and eventual overcrowding can lead to fungal infections of the lungs and skin. The long-term health impacts of the Caribbean floods are mainly in the form of mental health problems. The experience of surviving a flood disaster can affect people for years. Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), confusion and insomnia are some of the common mental health problems that occur after a flood disaster. In addition, not only the health of communities that have experienced flooding is at risk. Disaster relief workers, healthcare workers and key service providers may also be affected. As the flooding occurred in 2004, there is a lack of data in this area, so this direction will not be discussed. In the longer term, chronic illness, disability, poor mental health and poverty-related illnesses, including malnutrition, are potential legacies of the floods. Lessons learned Vulnerabilities already exist in the Caribbean countries and other small island developing States. Accelerated global warming will only exacerbate them. Small island developing States must be actively involved in adaptation and mitigation measures to address long-term climate change. During this period, targeted investments in high-priority vulnerabilities can lead to no-regret outcomes of high environmental and economic benefits. Structural and non-structural measures This is mainly due to the steady increase in population and economic activity in flood-prone areas. The consequences of flooding in the Caribbean are severe because of the exponential increase in urbanization of floodplains, unregulated, human-induced degradation of watersheds, lack of emergency preparedness and resilience, persistent poverty, inefficient public policies and infrastructure problems. The scientific community can work to use advanced methods and techniques to reveal and understand the dynamics and trends of flooding. This will help scientists, politicians and water managers or authorities to develop appropriate policies and measures to prevent and mitigate the effects of flooding. To assess flood risk and prepare mitigation and adaptation measures, structural measures such as policy and economic functions (from low- to high-income countries) need to be compared with non-structural measures and forward-looking consideration of future climatic conditions. The following measures should be considered: (1) strengthening the use of machine learning methods and new satellite imagery products to improve flood prediction and flood warning systems; (2) identifying the role of vegetation in flood occurrence; and (3) establishing adequate, cost-effective structural and non-structural flood prevention policies and measures. See also Economy of Haiti 1985 Puerto Rico floods References 2004 natural disasters 2000s floods in North America 2004 floods Floods in the Caribbean Floods Natural disasters in Haiti 2004 2004 in the Dominican Republic 2004 in Haiti 2004 in Puerto Rico 2004 in the Caribbean Caribbean floods

17470618

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corby%20Flood

Corby Flood

Corby Flood is a 2005 children's book written by Paul Stewart and illustrated by Chris Riddell. It won the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Silver Award. Plot summary Corby Flood is an average girl in an average family. They are on board the SS Euphonia, a giant cruise ship that used to be "the Empress of the Seas" but has since been reduced to a cargo ship with some passengers. The people aboard include her family, the captain, Lieutenant Letchworth-Crisp, a third engineer, Mr. and Mrs. Hattenswiller, The Man from Cabin 21, and the mysterious Brotherhood of Clowns. The Floods are traveling to Harbor Heights to start a new school for the children and, for Mr. Flood, a job designing umbrellas, as he was an engineer but had a "great disappointment" when a bridge he built collapsed. Corby must handle the annoying, smarmy Lieutenant who is overly interested in her older sister, cope with the antics of her four older brothers, and figure out the connection between the Brotherhood of Clowns and a sad, mournful tune – and she must make it back to the ship after getting shipped to a strange and foreign place wearing a bumblebee costume. Also some (if not all) the characters names are taken from names of fonts such as Garamond, Franklin Gothic, Times Roman and Palatino. Most font names were notably among the Brotherhood of clowns. References 2005 British novels 2005 fantasy novels Children's fantasy novels British children's novels British fantasy novels Novels set on ships 2005 children's books Doubleday (publisher) books

17478700

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional%20flood%20and%20coastal%20committee

Regional flood and coastal committee

A regional flood and coastal committee (RFCC; was previously a regional flood defence committee, RFDC) is a type of governmental body in England and Wales through which the Environment Agency regions carry out their work on flood risk management. The committees are made up of a chairman appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and representatives appointed by local authorities, Defra, or the Environment Agency. References Public bodies and task forces of the United Kingdom government Water management authorities in the United Kingdom Flood control in the United Kingdom

17489768

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim%20Flood%20%28hurler%29

Tim Flood (hurler)

Timothy Flood (8 January 1927 – 3 July 2014) was an Irish hurler who played as a left corner-forward for the Wexford senior team. Born in Clonroche, County Wexford, Flood first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of twenty two when he first linked up with the Wexford senior team. He made his senior debut in the 1947–48 National Hurling League. Flood went on to win three All-Ireland medals, six Leinster medals and two National Hurling League medals. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions. As a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, Flood won two Railway Cup medals in 1954 and 1956. At club level he won three championship medals with Cloughbawn. Flood's career tally of 26 goals and 59 points marks him out as Wexford's fourth highest championship scorer of all-time. Throughout his inter-county career, Flood made 38 championship appearances for Wexford. His retirement came following the conclusion of the 1962 championship. His brother-in-law, Oliver "Hopper" McGrath, and his son, Seán Flood, also enjoyed All-Ireland success with Wexford. In retirement from playing Flood became involved in team management and coaching. He served as coach of the Cloughbawn junior hurling team before later serving as a selector. Flood is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers of his era and has been voted onto teams made up of the sport's greats, including at left corner-forward on a specially-chosen greatest ever Wexford side in 2002. Playing career Club Flood played his club hurling with Cloughbawn and, after playing just two minor championship games, joined the club's junior team in 1946, winning a junior championship medal that same year. In 1949 Flood was a key member of the club's senior team, as Cloughbawn reached the final of the senior championship for the first time ever. A defeat of reigning champions Rathnure gave him his first championship medal. Cloughbawn surrendered their championship title in 1950, however, the team reached the decider again in 1951. A 1–13 to 3–7 draw with Horsewood necessitated a replay. Flood scored 2–4 in that game and collected a second championship medal as Cloughbawn triumphed by 3–7 to 1–9. Inter-county Flood made his senior debut for Wexford on 26 October 1947 in a 7–4 to 4–11 defeat by Dublin in the opening round of the 1947-46 National League. It would be another two years before he was picked again for league action, however, after an impressive display against Tipperary he became a regular member of the starting fifteen. After losing the provincial final to Kilkenny in 1950, Flood was at left corner-forward the following year as Wexford faced Laois in the Leinster decider. A 3–12 to 4–3 victory gave him his first Leinster medal as Wexford claimed the provincial crown for the first time since 1918. The subsequent All-Ireland decider on 2 September 1951 saw three-in-a-row hopefuls Tipperary providing the opposition. Nicky Rackard's goal-scoring ability was quelled by Tipperary goalkeeper Tony Reddin, while Séamus Bannon, Tim Ryan and Paddy Kenny scored key goals which powered Tipp to a 7–7 to 3–9 victory. After back to back Leinster defeats over the next two years, Wexford faced Dublin in the 1954 decider. A huge 8–5 to 1–4 victory gave Flood his second Leinster medal. A record crowd of 84,856 attended the subsequent All-Ireland decider on 5 September 1954 with Cork providing the opposition. Wexford had a four-point lead with seventeen minutes left to play, however, history was against Flood's side when Johnny Clifford scored the winning goal for Cork with just four minutes left. A narrow 1–9 to 1–6 victory secured a third successive All-Ireland for Cork. In 1955 Wexford continued their provincial dominance with Flood collecting a third Leinster medal following a 5–6 to 3–9 defeat of Kilkenny in a replay of the Leinster final. Galway, who had been given a bye to the final without ever playing a game, provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final on 4 September 1955. At half-time the men from the west led by 2–5 to 2–3 courtesy of two goals from eighteen-year-old schoolboy Paddy Egan. A goals by Flood nine minutes from the end clinched a 3–13 to 2–8 victory and a first All-Ireland medal. It was Wexford's first All-Ireland triumph in forty-five years. Flood added a National Hurling League medal to his collection in 1956 as Tipperary were bested by 5–9 to 2–14. The subsequent championship campaign saw Wexford reach the provincial final once again. A narrow 4–8 to 3–10 defeat of Kilkenny gave Flood his fourth Leinster medal. Galway fell heavily in the All-Ireland semi-final, allowing Wexford to advance to an All-Ireland final meeting with Cork on 23 September 1956. The game has gone down in history as one of the all-time classics as Christy Ring was bidding for a record ninth All-Ireland medal. The game turned on one important incident as the Wexford goalkeeper, Art Foley, made a miraculous save from a Ring shot and cleared the sliotar up the field to set up another attack. Nicky Rackard scored a crucial goal with two minutes to go giving Wexford a 2–14 to 2–8 victory. Two year later in 1958 Flood added a second National League medal to his collection following a 5–7 to 4–8 defeat of Limerick. In 1960 Wexford were back in the provincial decider. A narrow 3–10 to 2–11 defeat of Kilkenny gave Flood his fifth Leinster medal. The All-Ireland decider on 4 September 1960 saw red-hot favourites Tipperary provide the opposition. The game ended in remarkable circumstances as the crowd invaded the pitch with a minute to go, mistaking the referee's whistle for the end of the game. When the crowd were finally moved off the pitch Tipperary continued playing with only twelve men. Goals by Padge Kehoe and Oliver "Hopper" McGrath gave Wexford a merited 2–15 to 0–11 victory. It was Flood's third All-Ireland medal. After surrendering their titles the following year, Wexford were back in 1962. Another narrow 3–9 to 2–10 defeat of Kilkenny gave Flood a sixth Leinster medal. The All-Ireland final on 2 September 1962 was a repeat of 1960 with Tipp, the reigning champions, lining out in opposition. Wexford got off to a disastrous start when Tom Moloughney and Seán McLoughlin scored goals for Tipperary inside the first minute. Wexford fought back, however, Flood's side were bested on a 3–10 to 2–11 score line. This defeat brought the curtain down on Flood's inter-county career. Inter-provincial Flood was selected for the Leinster inter-provincial team in 1951, however, arch rivals Munster dominated the competition at the time. In 1954 Flood won his first Railway Cup medal as Leinster broke back after thirteen years in the wilderness and defeated Munster by 0–9 to 0–5. Two years later in 1956, Leinster enjoyed one of their biggest ever defeats of Munster. A 5–11 to 1–7 victory gave Flood a second Railway Cup medal. Coaching career After Flood drew a close to his twenty-five-year club career, he quickly became involved in coaching. He was appointed coach of the Cloughbawn hurling team before later serving as a selector. He enjoyed little success during either tenure. Sheepdog trials After finishing with hurling, Flood was heavily involved in sheepdog trials, and represented Cloughbawn, Wexford, Leinster and Ireland on numerous occasions. He competed in his first national trial in 1970 and made his debut on the Irish team in 1972. He and a collie called Cosy won the national title in 1975, the first of his twelve All-Ireland titles. Six of the dozen were in the singles event, while six were doubles, working with a brace of dogs. Flood also made several appearances on the BBC's One Man and His Dog. Personal life Married to Kathleen McGrath, a sister of his Wexford team mate Oliver "Hopper" McGrath, the couple had four children – Séamus, Norma, Sean and Garry. Flood was a farmer all his life, until an outbreak of BSE destroyed his herd in 2002. He also played music all his life and was the mainstay of the Castleboro Céili Band. Flood died at the Farnogue Residential Health Care Unit at Wexford General Hospital on 3 July 2014. Honours Team Cloughbawn Wexford Senior Hurling Championship (2): 1949, 1951 Wexford Junior Hurling Championship (1): 1946 Wexford All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (3): 1955, 1956, 1960 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (6): 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1962 National Hurling League (2): 1955–56, 1957–58 Leinster Railway Cup (2): 1954, 1956 References 1927 births 2014 deaths Cloughbawn hurlers Wexford inter-county hurlers Leinster inter-provincial hurlers All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners Hurling managers Hurling selectors

17624776

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom%20Flood%20%28footballer%29

Tom Flood (footballer)

Thomas Flood was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an outside forward. Flood signed for Dundee Hibernian from rivals Dundee and featured briefly in Hibs' inaugural season in the Northern League before being released at the end of the season. Flood returned to Tannadice Park in October 1914 and although his remaining appearances for the club were in the latter part of that year, he remained a signed player throughout the First World War, leaving in May 1919. Making only eight first team league appearances during his two spells with Hibs, it is unknown where Flood went after leaving for the second time. References Dundee F.C. players Dundee United F.C. players Scottish men's footballers Year of birth missing Year of death missing Place of death missing Men's association football wingers

17657473

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnstown%20Flood%20%28disambiguation%29

Johnstown Flood (disambiguation)

The Johnstown Flood was a disaster that occurred in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States on May 31, 1889. Johnstown Flood may also refer to: Johnstown flood of 1936, a disaster that occurred in Johnstown in 1936 Johnstown flood of 1977, a disaster that occurred in Johnstown in 1977 2021 Johnstown flooding caused by Hurricane Ida Johnstown Flood Museum, a history museum in Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown Flood National Memorial, a memorial near South Fork, Pennsylvania that commemorates the 1889 flood The Johnstown Flood (1926 film), a silent drama film The Johnstown Flood (1989 film), a short documentary film The Johnstown Flood (book), a 1968 book by David McCullough about the 1889 flood

17657663

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%20Johnstown%20Flood%20%281989%20film%29

The Johnstown Flood (1989 film)

The Johnstown Flood is a 1989 American short documentary film directed by Charles Guggenheim about the Johnstown Flood. David McCullough, author of the 1968 book, The Johnstown Flood, hosted the film. Accolades The film won the Oscar at the 62nd Academy Awards for Documentary Short Subject. Cast Richard Dreyfuss as narrator David McCullough as host See also Still image film Ken Burns effect References External links 1989 films 1989 independent films 1980s short documentary films American Experience American short documentary films American independent films Best Documentary Short Subject Academy Award winners Films directed by Charles Guggenheim Documentary films about disasters Documentary films about United States history Johnstown, Pennsylvania 1980s English-language films 1980s American films Rail transport films

17686161

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert%20L.%20Flood

Robert L. Flood

Robert Louis (Bob) Flood (born 1955) is a British organizational scientist, former Professor of Management Sciences at the University of Hull, specialized in applied systemic thinking, particularly in the areas of strategic management, organizational behavior and organizational improvement. Biography Born in London in February 1955, Robert Flood received a first class B.A. in Systems and Management in 1983 at City University and his PhD in Philosophy in Systems Science at City University in 1985. In 1997, he was awarded a Doctor of Science from the University of Hull for his sustained and authoritative contribution to the field of systems science. Prior to university Flood worked several years in the film business in the management of Paramount Pictures, in the health service for the Berkshire Area Health Authority, and at National Opinion Polls in London. In 1989 he was appointed Professor of Systems Science at the University of Hull, and currently is a Professor of Action Research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. Flood has practiced as an independent action researcher since 1997, having left Hull under a cloud following questions regarding management style, use of departmental funds and plagiarism. Flood is founding and current editor of the international journal "Systemic Practice and Action Research" and is also associate editor of the "Systems Research and Behavioral Science" journal. He also has been a Fellow of the Institute of Measurement and Control and was a registered Chartered Engineer. Flood was a nominee for the 'MCA (Management Consultants Association) 1993 Management Book of the Year Award' for Beyond TQM. Publications Flood has authored and co-authored a dozen books and more than 100 articles. A selection: Flood, Robert L., and Ewart Carson. Dealing with complexity: an introduction to the theory and application of systems science. Springer Science & Business Media, 1988, 1993. Flood, Robert L., and Michael C. Jackson. Creative problem solving: Total systems intervention. Chichester: Wiley, 1991. Flood, Robert L., and Michael C. Jackson. Critical systems thinking: Directed readings. Chichester: Wiley, 1991. Flood, Robert L. Beyond TQM. Chichester: Wiley, 1993. Flood, Robert L., and Romm N. R. A. Diversity management: Triple loop learning. Chichester: Wiley, 1996. Flood, Robert L., and Romm N. R. A. Critical systems thinking: Current research and practice. Plenum: New York, 1996. Flood, Robert L. Rethinking the fifth discipline: Learning within the unknowable. Routledge, 1999; 2002. More recent well-cited articles include: Flood, Robert L. 2010. The Relationship of systems thinking to action research. Systemic Practice and Action Research 23: 269-284. Flood, Robert L., and Norma RA Romm. 2018. A systemic approach to processes of power in learning organisations. Part 1: Literature, theory, and methodology of triple loop learning. The Learning Organisation 25: 1-14. References External links 1955 births Living people British business theorists British systems scientists Academics of the University of Hull Alumni of City, University of London Academics from London

17841987

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June%202008%20Midwest%20floods

June 2008 Midwest floods

The June 2008 Midwestern United States floods were flooding events which affected portions of the Midwestern United States. After months of heavy precipitation, a number of rivers overflowed their banks for several weeks at a time and broke through levees at numerous locations. Flooding continued into July. States affected by the flooding included Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. The American Red Cross assisted the victims of flooding and tornadoes across seven states and the National Guard was mobilized to assist in disaster relief and evacuation. Flooding continued as long as two weeks with central Iowa and Cedar Rapids being hardest hit. The upper Mississippi Valley experienced flooding in Missouri and Illinois as the region's estuaries drained the floodwater into the river. The flood left thirteen dead and damage region-wide was estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars. Illinois On June 11, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich deemed Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Jasper and Lawrence counties as disaster areas. Levee breaks on June 10 flooded portions of Lawrence County near Lawrenceville, inundating a campsite and forcing the evacuations of 200 homes. On June 14 many communities located along the Mississippi River in West Central Illinois were notified by the National Weather Service that crests along the river would exceed the record crests of 1993. On the early morning of June 14, the town of Oquawka, Illinois, was evacuated, due to a levee breach along the swollen Iowa River. The city council believed this would affect the flood waters in the already flooding Mississippi River. The same day two levees broke near the town of Keithsburg, Illinois, flooding the entire town. On the morning of June 15, a levee along the Mississippi River in the town of Gulfport failed, flooding most of the town. Two more levees were breached by flood waters in western Illinois on June 18. The breaches flooded farmland near Meyer and forced an evacuation of the town. More than $7.2 million in federal disaster assistance grants and loans were approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration for Illinois residents who suffered damages and losses. Indiana Central and southwestern Indiana was particularly hard hit by flooding along the Ohio River and its tributaries; damages were expected to make the flooding the costliest disaster in the history of the state. Starting on June 4, 2008, rain soaked parts of south-central Indiana, leading to initial floods in and around Bloomington. Additional rain on June 7 brought the worst of the flooding to larger portions of south-central and western Indiana. The highest recorded rainfall was in the town of Edinburgh, which saw of rain in seven hours. Paragon had of rain in just a few hours, leaving 90% of the town underwater. Some parts of the state had flood levels exceeding records set in 1913. On June 9, President George W. Bush declared 29 counties in central Indiana a major disaster area, enabling the region to receive federal aid and Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. Impact Many low-lying areas of central and northern Indiana were evacuated because of the rapid rise of the waters. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels declared a state of emergency in 23 counties and called in the United States Coast Guard to assist in evacuations and rescues. The Coast Guard responded by sending two helicopters to the state along with boats and personnel. The Indiana National Guard was called out to assist in evacuation and direct traffic and enforce road blocks on the many flooded roads. Some areas of southern Indianapolis, where the White River was several feet past flood stage, were evacuated. This included a hospital with one hundred patients and doctors. The Coast Guard continued to rescue trapped citizens on June 8. In Franklin, Indiana water rose as high as the first floor of Johnson Memorial Hospital. Doctors and patients were also evacuated from Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus, Indiana. The hospital had to remain closed for an extended period of time because of power outages, generator failures, and extensive flood damage. It was expected to resume operations between September and December 2008, although emergency services began more quickly. All patients were evacuated and moved to nearby hospitals. One hundred and fifty people were evacuated from a nursing home in Morgan County. The dam at Prince's Lake failed on June 7, threatening the community of Nineveh, Indiana. On June 8 the Wabash Valley between Lafayette and Terre Haute, Indiana, was placed under flood alert; all residents near the Wabash River were urged to evacuate their homes. Looting was reported in Seymour, Indiana, where the White River had overflowed its banks and forced the evacuation of over one hundred homes. Governor Daniels dispatched extra state police to the city to curb the looting. On June 10, five hundred members of the Indiana National Guard were mobilized to assist Indiana in coping with the flood damage and rescuing stranded citizens. The same day floodwaters rose above record levels in at least five localities. In others the rising waters were near or at the historic 1913 flood levels. The flooding was the worst in Indiana's modern history, according to Scott Morlock, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Indiana. Many roads were closed because of high water, including Interstate 65, which was closed southbound at the interchange with Interstate 465 through Seymour. On June 16 Ball State University released a report estimating that preliminary damages in the state would cost at least $126 million, with $45.8 million in damage to public infrastructure and the rest damage to private businesses and homes. Although damage estimates are likely to be revised upward, the current estimate ranks the flood as the second costliest in Indiana history. Governor Mitch Daniels said the state is compiling its own thorough estimates, with total damages expected to top $1 billion. This would include agricultural costs (of over $800 million) and clean-up efforts not included in the Ball State University Study. The agricultural damages from this flood event varied dramatically since the timing of the flood permitted extensive replanting. The joint Ball State University and University of Tennessee study by Mark Burton and Michael J. Hicks excluded not only agricultural damage in Indiana, but also did not include any large public structures (e.g. hospitals) located in flood plains. Deaths Two deaths were reported in Columbus. The first was confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security on June 8, and the body of the second was discovered on June 9. A third man drowned in flood waters near Remington in the northwestern part of the state. Iowa Severe flooding in Iowa led to evacuations of many homes. In eastern Iowa along the Iowa River and Cedar River, flooding was expected to exceed that of the Flood of 1993. Flooding also forced the closure of a number of roads throughout the state, reaching the point where travel was not advised in some parts of the state. On Monday, June 9 the Upper Iowa River in Decorah flooded when a levee was breached. Up to of rain had fallen in the 48 hours prior. The water flooded parts of the lower campus of Luther College, damaging athletic fields and the Regents Center. Winneshiek County officials called this the worst flood to occur in Decorah since the current levee system was put in place in the 1940s. Other portions of the city were flooded. For a time, worries of losing the sanitary sewer system led to a 'please don't flush' order; as of Friday, 13 June 2008, this order was withdrawn, but pleas for careful use remain in effect. Decorah and Winneshiek County now face a difficult cleanup. Further downstream on the Upper Iowa, in the small historic unincorporated area of Dorchester, severe flooding was experienced. In particular, a trailer court sustained major damage. Along the Mississippi River, flood waters were reaching near-record levels. In Burlington, the Mississippi reached three different crests, before hitting on June 10, the fourth highest stage in the city's history; as of June 15, the expected crest was supposed to be around the mark, which would make it the second worst flood in the city's history, surpassing 1993 by . This caused the Burlington Steamboat Days to cancel and close up three days early, the first such occurrence that the festival has closed more than one day early since its inception in 1962. Severe flooding caused the city to close off an entire section of the riverfront, from Main Street to the riverfront. By the morning of June 15, several streets within the city had been closed off, including the entire length of Front Street; a section of Main Street, between Division Street, and Jefferson Street; a section of Mill Dam Road; Tama Road and all of its side roads; and County Highway 99. U.S. Highway 61, five miles (8 km) south of the city, had been closed on the morning of June 13 due to the rising waters of the Skunk River. Along the upper Turkey River, the historic towns of Spillville and Fort Atkinson experienced significant flooding, with damaged roads and bridge approaches. Further downstream, portions of Elkader were under water; the river had retreated by Thursday, June 12. In Cedar Rapids, officials were readying residents and downtown business owners to evacuate as the Cedar River threatened to spill over a levee. The river was expected to top the levee June 11, prompting a mandatory evacuation of downtown. All of the bridges over the Cedar River in downtown Cedar Rapids were closed at 8:00 pm CDT (0100 UTC) on June 11. On June 12, a levee broke, a railroad bridge owned by the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway was swept away along with loaded rail cars (which had been filled with rock in an attempt to keep the bridge in place, or failing that, cause it to sink to the bottom very close to its original location), 100 city blocks were submerged downtown, and 10,000 people were evacuated. In Waterloo, fast-moving water swept away a railroad bridge used to transport tractors from a John Deere factory to Cedar Rapids. It also prompted the city to shut its downtown and close five bridges. The Black Hawk County Emergency Management Agency recommended the evacuation of the Cedar Terrace Neighborhood in Southeast Waterloo on June 10. Because of the severe flooding in east-central Iowa, officials with U.S. Postal Service's Des Moines-based Hawkeye District suspended all Retail, Post Office Box and Mail Caller Services at the Waterloo Main Post Office. On June 12, a mandatory evacuation was issued for the Normandy Drive area of Iowa City. An evacuation of two streets in Coralville was also issued, with the expectations of completing it by 5:00 pm CDT (2200 UTC) on June 12. One person died in the Iowa flooding. A section of Interstate 80 was closed in Cedar County due to flooding. The small town of Palo, just upstream from Cedar Rapids, and home of Iowa's only nuclear power plant, underwent a mandatory evacuation. The town remained under water until June 13, 2008. At 3:43 am on the morning of June 14, the National Weather Service in Des Moines Iowa issued a Flash Flood Warning for the City of Des Moines due to a levee breach along the Des Moines River in Des Moines near Birdland Park between 6th Avenue and New York Avenue. In the evening of June 14, a levee along the Iowa River near Oakville, Iowa, failed, causing the swollen waters to rampage through, two days before the mandatory evacuation deadline in the town of Oakville. This also caused evacuation in the Huron Township area. Also, during that same time, an area of the city of Burlington, Iowa, was evacuated, along Tama Road, due to a levee problem along the swollen Mississippi River; the levee began to bulge and was threatening to fail by mid afternoon. By nightfall, it was still holding, but hopes were not high that it would remain intact; this caused Des Moines County to issue an evacuation order for all residents of the county that live east of County Highway 99. By the morning of June 15, the entire length of County Highway 99 within Des Moines County had been closed. By the morning of June 16, three more bulges were discovered along the levee, prompting workers to state that it was no longer a question of if but when the levee would fail. On June 16, Cedar, Jones, Louisa, Muscatine, Polk, and Winneshiek Counties were approved for federal individual assistance. Michigan Several tornadoes touched down in southern Michigan and flooding led to evacuation of many homes. At least eight people died, due to a combination of blowing debris, flooding, and infrastructure failures. On June 14 a State of Emergency is declared for the counties of Allegan, Eaton, and Mason. In days leading up to the State of Emergency, 8 to of rain has fallen and winds have been recorded at 98 miles per hour across the area. Officials in Allegan County are expecting to spend nearly $700,000 to repair collapsed roads. More than 50 roads in Mason County were closed due to severe damage, as well as several miles of US-10 and US-31. In the City of Ludington damage to the city's public utilities has left many without drinking water and sewage contamination in the area. Minnesota Approximately 75 homes in Preston, Minnesota, suffered water damage from excessive rainfall. The ground was already saturated from heavy rains from the previous week and this compounded the problems that arose. Some residents were evacuated in Hayfield, Minnesota, after the Zumbro River flooded. The Cedar River also flooded which threatened to cause problems in Austin, Minnesota. One man died when his vehicle plunged into a flooded creek near Albert Lea. There were major levees in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids that were breached which forced evacuations and caused extensive damage. The majority of the communities along the Mississippi River from Rock Island, IL to Cape Girardeau, MO were still experiencing major flooding around the end of June. Missouri Missouri's battle with the floods of the summer of 2008 began at the end of May, when the Wentzville Fire Protection District had to close several roads in the area and ended up fielding 58 calls for service in a single 24 hour period. The deluge of storms led to a quick rise of water on the Mississippi River which saw water crest ten feet above flood stage in Hannibal, Missouri, on June 10. The National Weather Service predicted that the flood stage could be higher in the next two weeks. Most of the towns near the river are protected by levees, but outlying areas are vulnerable to flooding. On June 1, 2008, Governor Blunt declared a state-wide emergency and on June 15 requested the approval of a "major disaster" declaration from the federal government, which was officially approved on June 25. On June 17, 2008, Steve Ehlmann, the county executive for St. Charles County, declared a state of emergency and the sandbagging of levees, airports and other essential infrastructure began that day. Multiple levees were breached or topped before the Mississippi river crested during the last weekend in June. On June 27, 2008, muskrat holes weakened a Mississippi River levee, allowing floodwaters to pour into Lincoln County, Missouri. The levee was the last one remaining in Lincoln County and was protecting about 100 homes. Sheriff's deputies alerted residents to evacuate. Sirens also went off to warn residents of the levee breach. Muskrats looking for food or making dens had dug into the levee, weakening it enough for the levee to breach. Missouri River flooding continues to cause more damage over the last decade. There have been major flooding events June - August 2011, December 2015 thru January 2016, and April - May 2017. In March 2019 the Missouri River flooded almost every levee devastating countless farms and homes in Holt County, Missouri. The rise in water levels begin as early as September and October leaving the county soil saturated as the grounds free along the Missouri River and continues to cause more property damage in the spring during cyclone season. Wisconsin On June 7, at least six confirmed tornadoes touched down in multiple counties, as an effect of the strong winds of the daily storms. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle declared a state of emergency in thirty counties on June 9 due to the flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) inspectors are due to examine areas that suffered the most damage. Continued heavy rains in the Wisconsin Dells led to the Dell creek bypassing the dam holding Lake Delton. On June 9, water rushing out of the lake eroded a section of County Highway A and washed away three homes and tore apart several others. The lake became nearly empty and the escaping flood water created a new channel for the Wisconsin River about a quarter mile away from the dam. Wisconsin National Guard engineers began repairs on the dam the same day, but with the breach being about wide, the repairs weren't expected to be completed for over a year. However, as Governor Jim Doyle called the lake critical to the $1 billion Wisconsin Dells tourism industry, he said the Department of Natural Resources was trying to figure out how to get the water flowing in the man-made lake. Soon tourists who had made summer reservations at the lake's twenty resorts began canceling their reservations. The response of the local businesses was varied. The Delton Oaks Resort, a 60-year operation, closed temporarily. Meanwhile, the iconic Wisconsin Dells boat tours reopened despite the low water level. The Tommy Bartlett Show continued, though the waterskiing aspect was discarded at least until the lake was refilled the following year. Nearby Devil's Lake was also flooded, one lake house was nearly totaled, and both of the beaches were washed away. In southwestern Wisconsin, the Kickapoo River rose several feet above flood stage, destroying most of the village of Gays Mills. Gays Mills had already been badly flooded in the August 2007 floods. Officials said Kickapoo River flood damage in Vernon County likely will exceed the $60 million damage caused by the August 2007 floods, and already the water was two feet higher than the high water mark of a historic 1978 flood. In the early morning of June 9, 150 residents in the village of 625 were forced to evacuate. Ontario, Hillsboro, La Farge, Steuben and Viola were also severely flooded, much worse than in August 2007. The county took an average of of rain over the second weekend, causing mudslides and closing over 100 roads in Vernon, but the rain relented on Monday, June 16th. More thunderstorms, and more severe flooding, were expected in both Vernon and Crawford counties later that week. All the nearby dams held, though many sustained damage. Westbound lanes of Interstate 94 were closed between Johnson Creek and Lake Mills on June 10, 2008, at 7 pm because of the rising Rock River. Eastbound lanes of Interstate 90/Interstate 94 were closed between WIS 82 in Juneau County and WIS 33 west of Portage. Also, Interstate 39 was closed in two places: Northbound at its interchange with I-90/94 and WIS 78, and southbound between WIS 82 and WIS 33. The closure of I-94 westbound in Jefferson County was extended eastward to WIS 83 in Waukesha County. The closure of the interstates around Portage were extended southward to US 151 east of Madison. The first reported fatality due to flooding in the state was confirmed June 14 in Waukesha County. 68-year-old Robert Schaf was found near his car on a flooded road in the town of Summit. Authorities report he died after being stranded on a flooded road, and was found in at least three feet of water. Flooding also affected the communities on the Baraboo River. The town of North Freedom had all but one road into town closed because of flooding. The flooding forced the closure of the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. On June 14, federal disaster aid from FEMA was authorized under a major disaster declaration issued for the state by President George W. Bush. Federal funding was made available to affected individuals in Columbia, Crawford, Milwaukee, Sauk, and Vernon counties. Continuing damage surveys were conducted, especially in the southeast, and Wisconsin's inhabitants were reassured that other counties would be allowed to receive assistance. Richland and Racine counties were declared disaster areas on June 16. On June 18, the President put five more counties under disaster area status, allowing Dodge, Green, Waukesha, Washington, and Winnebago. At the time of the announcement, the first 7 counties had already received almost $38,000 in FEMA aid. The rainfall in southeastern Wisconsin was anywhere from 6 to 12 inches in the string of thunderstorms. Waukesha County had up to 8 inches in certain areas. As of June 19, municipal estimates for Waukesha County was $87.7 million, $3.2 million more than earlier in the week, though the total remains fluid. The Rock and Crawfish rivers were still above flood stage in Jefferson and Rock counties into mid-July. Public health concerns In city or country, suburb or industrial area, the main public health hazard was the polluted water, mixed with the outflow of overwhelmed sanitary sewer systems, petroleum products and a variety of other toxic materials, to include asbestos. As the waters recede, tremendous amounts of potentially infectious debris added to the problem; this included uncollected garbage and dead animals. This issue was exacerbated by the onset of the hot and humid summer weather. Just making the affected areas sanitary again was a huge undertaking. The problem of mold propagating in flooded buildings was one of major concern. Skin contact with polluted water and flood soaked items can cause rashes, and a contact with a skin cut may result in a variety of infections. Public officials warned of a potential increase in waterborne diseases such as dysentery as well as an increased population of mosquitoes, which can carry West Nile virus. Free tetanus shots were being offered in many areas, including Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. In addition to physical disease, residents were warned of potential mental health problems. Parents were told to expect developmental regressions in child survivors of the flood, especially those who lost their homes. Even in adults, the stress of applying for services and managing daily activities under catastrophic conditions, along with the summer heat and number of people needing the same things, was expected to exacerbate pre-existing anxiety, depression, or family conflict. The physical and emotional stress of cleaning out flooded homes was only part of the trouble, as parents needed to manage all of this while still caring for children who were home on summer vacation. Long-term consequences were expected as well. "Once the original shock and dismay pass, the losses of such things as wedding photos or treasured family heirlooms can lead to depression and even post-traumatic stress disorder," said one official. Some rural areas suffered from a lack of access to badly-needed public and social services, and agencies were overwhelmed with the increase of people needing assistance. Also, due to the large area of the Midwest affected by this event, some rivers and tributaries took an abnormally long time to recede, with some areas remaining flooded for up to four weeks. The increased amount of standing water and flood-affected ground caused a summer-long increased population of biting midge gnats (sand flies), fungus gnats, flies, and mosquitoes, with the above-mentioned public health concerns. See also 2007 Midwest flooding June 2008 tornado outbreak sequence Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana March 2008 Midwest floods Floods in the United States before 1901 Floods in the United States: 1901–2000 Floods in the United States: 2001–present References External links Floods in the United States Midwest floods History of Cedar Rapids, Iowa Natural disasters in Illinois Natural disasters in Indiana Natural disasters in Iowa Natural disasters in Michigan Natural disasters in Minnesota Natural disasters in Missouri Natural disasters in Wisconsin

17842039

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B8rgen%20Flood

Jørgen Flood

Jørgen Flood (28 December 1792 – 28 June 1867) was a Norwegian merchant and politician. Personal life Jørgen Flood was born in 1792 to merchant Peder Jørgensen Flood (1756–1832) and Inger Jørgine Jørgensen (1769–1843), née Wesselstoft. He had ten brothers and sisters. They grew up in Skien, but Jørgen later moved to Eidanger. Following the death of his wife Hanna in 1863, Jørgen moved to Grimstad. He died in that city. He had married Hanna Aall, daughter of Constitutional founding father Jørgen Aall, in 1818. They had seven children, the most prominent being Jørgen Aall Flood and Fritz Trampe Flood. In addition, their youngest daughter Constance married long-time mayor Niels Mathiesen. Career Together with his brother Elias Marthinius, Jørgen Flood ran the merchant company I. & E. M. Flood, dealing with grain, tobacco and manufactured goods. One of their outlets, the so-called Floodebutik (Flood shop) was "visited by the most distinguished public of the Skiensfjorden", according to one historian. Jørgen Flood also bought Bolvig iron works in 1841, and was also consul. In 1837, when local governance was established in Norway, Flood became the first mayor of Porsgrund municipality. He also held that position in the years 1838 and 1841. He also served as vice mayor in 1839 and 1840, under consul Jens Gasmann who started as deputy mayor. Another of Jørgen's brothers, merchant Paulus Flood, served as mayor in 1845. References 1792 births 1867 deaths People from Porsgrunn Politicians from Skien Mayors of places in Telemark Norwegian merchants 19th-century Norwegian businesspeople

17842473

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulus%20Flood

Paulus Flood

Paulus Mathias Frederikus Flood (11 March 1804 – 26 December 1847) was a Norwegian merchant and politician. Personal life Paulus Flood was born in 1804 to merchant Peder Jørgensen Flood (1756–1832) and Inger Jørgine Jørgensen (1769–1843), née Wesseltoft. He had ten brothers and sisters, and grew up in Skien. He married Constance Aall, daughter of Constitutional founding father Jørgen Aall, in 1830. His most prominent child was Constantius Flood, an author. Career He spent his professional career as a merchant in Porsgrund, having acquired burghership in 1829. He was not involved in the merchant company I. & E. M. Flood, run by his brothers Jørgen and Elias Marthinius. Paulus was also employed as treasurer and accountant of Porsgrund savings bank in 1844. As a politician, Paulus Flood was elected to the first municipal assembly in 1837, and was elected mayor of Porsgrund municipality in 1845. He then held the position of vice mayor in 1846. His brother Jørgen had been mayor. References 1804 births 1847 deaths Politicians from Porsgrunn People from Skien Mayors of places in Telemark Norwegian merchants 19th-century Norwegian businesspeople

17842845

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz%20Trampe%20Flood

Fritz Trampe Flood

Fredrik "Fritz" Christoffer Trampe Flood (13 January 1826 – 10 May 1913) was a Norwegian merchant. Personal life Fritz Trampe Flood was born in 1826 to merchant Jørgen Flood (1792–1867) and his wife Hanna (1796–1863), née Aall. As such his maternal grandfather was Constitutional founding father Jørgen Aall. He grew up in Eidanger. He married Marie D. Cappelen, daughter of Hans and Benedicte Cappelen. Of their four children, two boys and three girls, their oldest son Hans Flood became director of Bergens Mekaniske Verksted. Through his wife, Fritz was connected to the influential Cappelen family. Fritz' father-in-law Hans was the son of Constitutional founding father Didrich von Cappelen, his mother-in-law Benedicte was the daughter of ship-owner Ulrich Fredrich von Cappelen and sister of Ulrik Frederik Cappelen, Nicolai Benjamin Cappelen and Jørgen Wright Cappelen (who founded the publishing house Cappelen), and his brother-in-law was parliament member Didrik Cappelen. Fritz and Marie both died in 1913. Career He started his career as a trainee in the merchant company J. & E. M. Flood, which was run by his father Jørgen and uncle Elias, One of their outlets, the so-called Floodebutik (Flood shop) was "visited by the most distinguished public of the Skiensfjorden", according to one historian. Fritz Trampe Flood also co-managed Bolvig iron works with his brother Niels Weyer Aall Flood. They had inherited the iron works from their father, who bought it in 1841. Towards the end of his career he ran a broker's business and a firm of agents. Another of his brothers, Jørgen Aall Flood, became a noted public figure as mayor of Porsgrund municipality. References 1826 births 1913 deaths People from Porsgrunn Norwegian merchants 19th-century Norwegian businesspeople

17843202

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B8rgen%20Aall%20Flood

Jørgen Aall Flood

Jørgen Aall Flood (1820–1892) was a Norwegian politician, vice consul and businessman. Personal life Jørgen Aall Flood was born in 1820 as the first child of merchant Jørgen Flood (1792–1867) and his wife Hanna (1796–1863), née Aall. As such his maternal grandfather was Constitutional founding father Jørgen Aall. He later got four sisters and two brothers; the family grew up in Eidanger. He married Anna Cathrine (1825–1886), née Bæhr. The couple had eight children. Career He started as a trainee in the merchant company J. & E. M. Flood, which was run by his father Jørgen and uncle Elias. From the latter he inherited the property Nedre Borge, where he lived until 1866. He sold the property that year, as the company went bankrupt in 1865. The company's remaining assets were repossessed by the local government. However, in 1861 he had taken over as director of Den første norske Assuranceforening, an association for marine insurance. He was brought in as a new face following the 1860 turbulence in the organization: Hans Eleonardus and Hans Møller, who formerly had cooperated within the association with the nephew of Jørgen Aall Flood's grandfather, left to form a rivaling insurance company. Jørgen Aall Flood was also He was also vice consul for Denmark. As a politician, Jørgen Aall Flood was elected mayor of Porsgrund municipality in 1857, and returned to serve in the year 1860. He also served as vice mayor, in 1859. His father Jørgen and his uncle Paulus were both former mayors. References 1820 births 1892 deaths Politicians from Porsgrunn Mayors of places in Telemark Norwegian businesspeople in insurance

17881810

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floodgate%20Records

Floodgate Records

Floodgate Records was a part of the East West Records family of labels. It was founded in 2000 and managed by Tim Taber (formerly of The Prayer Chain). Distribution was through Word Records and marketing through Rocketown. Their first release was All I Have, a worship album by Rita Springer. The label ceased operations at an unknown point before mid-2008. Artists Bernard Brian & Jenn Johnson Cool Hand Luke Denison Marrs East West Forever Changed Hundred Year Storm The Insyderz Life in Your Way Kate Miner Mourning September The Myriad Number One Gun Rita Springer Transition (not to be confused with a UK indie band of the same name) Yellow Second See also List of Christian record labels References External links Defunct record labels of the United States Record labels established in 2000 Christian record labels

17932838

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa%20flood%20of%202008

Iowa flood of 2008

The Iowa flood of 2008 was a hydrological event involving most of the rivers in eastern Iowa which began June 8 and continued until July 1. Flooding continued on the Upper Mississippi River in the southeastern area of the state for many more days. The phrase "Iowa's Katrina" was often heard. The flooding included (from north to south, east to west), the Upper Iowa River, Turkey, and the Maquoketa Rivers; outside of the Driftless Area, they include the catchments of the Wapsipinicon River and that of the Iowa River, to include the latter's major tributary, the Cedar River (and its significant tributaries); and the Skunk River in its various forks. The Des Moines River had some minor flooding, but floodwalls and levees, for the most part, held fast. The Upper Mississippi River, which receives the outflow from all these rivers, remained at the flood stage. The flooding of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City were the most significant events. Recovery, in particular for Cedar Rapids, is considered to be a protracted and costly affair. For Iowa City, the level of damage was less than expected, but that of Cedar Rapids was greater than anticipated. In Iowa City, the campus of the University of Iowa was vulnerable, and serious flooding did occur there. President George W. Bush landed on Air Force One at The Eastern Iowa Airport on June 20. He toured on foot and by helicopter the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City region. On the same day, Senator John McCain made a stop in Columbus Junction. Origins State Meteorologist Elwynn Taylor of Iowa State University commented that the wet spring of 2008 was traceable to relatively warm and wet air during the winter season. Taylor explained: "Fog in the winter is normally the result of a strong flow of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, which normally does not occur in the winter," he said. "Usually that occurs in March and April. It's caused by either low pressure over New Mexico or high pressure over Bermuda. Both are common in the summer. Both are rare in the winter. More than 80 percent of moisture that falls in the Midwest is from the Gulf of Mexico, and the primary cause of it coming here is the Bermuda high pressure. The pressure arrived very early and much stronger than usual by April and May this year. And it was the case in 1993." Taylor was quoted at length in the article, concluding: "[The] Rule of thumb is, if a storm begins in the Texas Panhandle, it will come to Iowa. The conditions that allow a storm to develop there are the conditions that move the storm to Iowa." The 2007–2008 winter was particularly severe in northeast Iowa, with a heavy snow cover that persisted in many areas until early spring rains. From the last week in April, the state experienced heavy rain, particularly in the form of thunderstorms, which saturated the soils. It was an extension of the Late-May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence, which aside from record-setting tornadoes, also brought huge quantities of rain in the form of stalled thunderstorm systems. Another possible, contributing factor was the extensive field tiling (installation of drain tile) in Iowa. Almost 40% of agricultural fields in Iowa are tiled, which allows water to flow more quickly from fields into waterways, possibly causing water levels to rise faster. Also, farming closer to creeks and rivers, without adequate buffer strips, allows the water to move rapidly from the field directly to the surface water. Effects While the Great Flood of 1993 was greater in continental terms, in local Iowa terms, the June 2008 Midwest floods were considerably worse. The lessons learned in 1993, however, helped prevent or otherwise mitigate damage, extensive as it was; one example is how the city of Des Moines raised its levee around its domestic water and sewage treatment plants. The extent of flooding in 2008 was probably less than during the Flood of 1851, but it is difficult to compare impacts of the two floods because of changes in population, economy, and land use. A study performed by Mark Burton at the University of Tennessee and Michael J. Hicks at Ball State University was based on post 1993 flood data. However, the 2008 floods damaged key infrastructure outside of the model (e.g. the University of Iowa library) due both to changes in population and flood protection measures. However, the Burton & Hicks study did identify crop damages at roughly $3 billion, which turned out to be very close to the actual damages. The flooding led to many homes being evacuated. In eastern Iowa along the Iowa River and Cedar River, flooding exceeded that of the Flood of 1993. Flooding had also forced the closure of an extensive number of roads throughout the eastern half of the state, a situation that affected far more people than those who directly experienced the floods; in particular, portions of Interstate 80 and I-380 were closed. The closure of bridges in Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City disrupted usual traffic patterns, and especially led to extensive detours. Rail traffic was also seriously affected. The Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (IC&E Railroad) had a washout between Mason City and Nora Springs. The Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Co. (CRANDIC/CIC) was particularly affected; its bridge in Cedar Rapids was destroyed by the flooding while an embankment downriver near Coralville was also washed out. The Keokuk Junction Railway (KJRY) also reported disruptions. Amtrak service was rerouted, away from Iowa; a number of trains had their passengers put onto buses. Restoration of Amtrak service Amtrak's California Zephyr service (from Chicago) was suspended in Iowa due to substantial flooding. Because of the widespread flooding in Iowa, no detours were available and passengers were moved by motor coaches during the interim. The affected railways were owned by IC&E and BNSF. Service was projected to resume on July 5, 2008 for the California Zephyr. The two other routes previously closed by flooding resumed service on July 1. Upper Iowa River Decorah On Monday, June 9 the Upper Iowa River in Decorah flooded when a shorter college-built levee was breached. The Army Corps of Engineers levee held in all parts of Decorah. Up to of rain had fallen in the 48 hours prior. The water flooded parts of the lower campus of Luther College, damaging athletic fields and the Regents Center. Winneshiek County officials called this the worst flood to occur in Decorah since the current levee system was put in place in the 1940s. Other portions of the city were flooded. Part of the city was evacuated. For a time, worries of losing the sanitary sewer system led to a 'please don't flush' order; as of Friday, June 13, 2008, this order was withdrawn, but pleas for careful use remained in effect. This article also alludes to a difficult cleanup facing Decorah as well as Winneshiek County. Dorchester Further downstream on the Upper Iowa, in the small historic unincorporated area of Dorchester, located on the left bank of the Waterloo Creek, severe flooding was experienced. In particular, a trailer court sustained major damage. The flood began in the early morning of Sunday, June 8; residents were advised to evacuate that Saturday evening. Approximately seven to ten inches (254 mm) of rain fell in the area that Saturday. The main troublemaker was Waterloo Creek, a normally placid trout stream tributary to the Upper Iowa at Dorchester. The Eitzen, Minnesota Fire Department responded to the flood. Cleanup and recovery occurred during the aftermath. Turkey River Spillville and Fort Atkinson Along the upper Turkey River, the historic towns of Spillville and Fort Atkinson experienced significant flooding, with damaged roads. In particular the one-year-old bridge carrying Iowa Highway 24 had its approach on one side of the river washed out by floodwaters. Elkader Further downstream in Elkader, the river crested in the morning on Tuesday, June 10 at nearly , besting the previous record set in 1991. The river had retreated by Thursday, June 12 By June 16, most of the water had been pumped out of buildings. At "least 20 homes were destroyed and nine suffered major damage". Damages were initially estimated to be in the range of $8 million, of which about $3.7 million in damage to the city's infrastructure; these figures are expected to rise. About 100 people evacuated. Maquoketa River In the Maquoketa's upper area, Monticello experienced high water. Manchester Beginning in early May, Manchester has endured a series of floods, with a total of of rain over the period. Downtown alone has been hit four times. Supersaturated soil led to basement flooding. Wapsipinicon River Independence Independence experienced flooding in low-lying areas. Anamosa A levee breach occurred in Anamosa on Thursday, June 12. While the flooding was not extensive, it nonetheless knocked out the city's sewer treatment facility. The Wapsi crested at , breaking the older record of in 1999. The cost of putting the sewer system back to full function was $3 million; initial filtering, however, was expected to come back on line by the second week of August. Olin and Oxford Junction Oxford Junction managed to protect its water plant as well as the American Legion hall. Upriver, Olin suffered flooding in low-lying areas but the waters were receding by June 15. Olin sustained about $80,000 in damage. At least 80 homes sustained damage. With Oxford Junction, the nearby Cooksville area had about 30 homes evacuated. The city sustained damage to the road leading to the sewer treatment facility. The two towns were spared even greater damages by a levee breach upstream in the Massilon-Toronto region, which flooded up to of farmland, easing what would have been a higher crest. De Witt De Witt sits above the Wapsi, between two minor tributaries of the river. Areas outside the city are expected to flood, and some sandbagging is in progress. The expected crest near De Witt was , near to the record set in 1993. The actual crest was on Monday, June 18; flood stage is . Iowa River The Iowa River has as its major tributary the Cedar River. Iowa City-Coralville Coralville Lake had waters flowing over its emergency spillway at a record breaking crest just short of . Downstream, the Iowa continued to rise, progressively inundating portions of Coralville and Iowa City. Smaller local tributaries added to the problem, particularly in Iowa City along Ralston Creek and in Coralville along Clear Creek. By Saturday, June 14, the river had seriously risen. Warnings were issued for people to prepare to evacuate from the 500-year-flood floodplain. The University had time to prepare, moving important library collections and millions of dollars of artwork out of harms way, through the help of volunteers. The bookstore in the student union had its contents moved to higher ground. The University's electrical power plant was shut down on Saturday, June 14 as sections of it began to take on water. In Coralville, the washout of the embankment holding the tracks of the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railroad and subsequent high water severely compromised the city's access to Iowa City. The DOT decided to close US Highway 6 in two places in the area; one in downtown Coralville and the other in Iowa City at the intersection of Highway 6 and Iowa Highway 1. The river crested at , about two feet lower than had been predicted. A reported sixteen buildings on the University of Iowa campus were flooded, including Hancher Auditorium; this number was later upped to at least twenty. There were over 6 million sandbags filled in Johnson County, which is more than were filled during Hurricane Katrina, and is a national record. The Arts Campus was particularly affected. The University of Iowa School of Art and Art History Art Building and Art Building West were heavily damaged by the flood. Hancher Auditorium took on floodwaters up to the stage level and into the middle of the main floor seats. The Voxman Music Building was filled up to the first floor level. The Theater Building was also significantly damaged by the flood. The University of Iowa Museum of Art was significantly damaged and the building was rendered uninsurable by Lloyds's of London, the art insurer (which means the art collection can never return to this site). On the east side of the river, the Adler Journalism Building, the Becker Communications Study Building all had water in their basements. The main library had only minor flooding, and then only in its basement. The Iowa Memorial Union took on water in its basement and first floor. Mayflower residence hall, home to about 1,000 students during the school year, took water into its underground parking and utility areas as well as into parts of the first floor. At one time, the dorm was projected to remain closed for at least a semester, if not for the whole 2008–2009 academic year. However, the damages to the building were not as significant as once thought and Mayflower opened for the 2008–09 school year. The campus has miles of utility tunnels, some of them crossing under the river, and maintaining electrical and air conditioning service was a fragile thing. Summer courses resumed Monday, June 23. Hills Hills is about six miles (10 km) downstream from Iowa City. The town heavily sandbagged over that weekend, and there were hopes that the water would spread out into open farmland and spare the town. The hopes came true and there were a few flooded basements. The town was featured on ABC's World News Sunday on June 15. A reporter interviewed Mayor Russ Bailey. The report showed people sandbagging in front of the city maintenance building. Wapello Wapello, county seat of Louisa County experienced a levee breach and residents were evacuated as a precaution. A few homes and farmland were destroyed, but the town was kept mostly safe due to its higher elevation and no one in the town was injured or killed by the flood as a result. Oakville Oakville is the last town on the Iowa River before it empties into the Mississippi. The authorities believed it would be in danger when the river crested and had issued an evacuation order to take effect on Monday, June 16. However, in the early morning of June 14 a river levee near the town failed catastrophically, resulting in an immediate emergency evacuation order. In an interview with NPR, the mayor of Oakville recounted that she was in the town hall with members of the National Guard when the town's fire chief drove up to the building and started shouting, "The levee's breaking, get out, get out now." Within hours, most of the town was submerged under several feet of water and remained flooded for days. As of July 1, the levee was still open to the river, and water was still passing through it. The Corps of Engineers has constructed a rock and earthen temporary levee, but the town's future remains uncertain as almost all of the buildings were damaged or destroyed, almost none of the residents carried flood insurance, and repairs on the permanent levee have been delayed due to discovered pottery fragments. Cedar River A number of cities, and rural areas, suffered serious flooding, the most extreme being that in Cedar Rapids. Charles City Charles City experienced the earliest flooding on the Cedar, starting on Sunday, June 9. It is reported as the worst flood in the city's history. The city's historic suspension bridge was swept away. Waverly Waverly was caught somewhat unprepared for the river's height, causing officials to scramble; the river crested locally at on June 10, with a second crest of 13.73 ft experienced on June 15. More than 2500 people were evacuated. Much of the town was inundated with many homes and businesses experiencing flood damage. In the flood's aftermath 151 homes were reported to be flood – impacted, with 69 of the properties eventually being bought out by the city. Since the floods of 2008, Waverly has been made an official forecast point to better help with predicting river crest levels and impact information – information that was not available during the floods of 2008. In 2011, Waverly completed the construction of a 4.3 million dollar inflatable dam. The dam is designed to protect more than 400 homes and businesses in the event of a 100-year flood and will provide relief in 500-year flood events such as 2008. Cedar Falls-Waterloo Cedar Falls, home of the University of Northern Iowa, is on the west bank of the Cedar River, and north of Waterloo, which occupies both banks of the river. Hundreds of homes in Waterloo and north Cedar Falls were underwater, along with Waterloo's downtown. This led to the closing of the bridges, cutting the city in half. The Waterloo Courier lost the use of its printing plant but continued printing by courtesy of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. As of June 7, 2012, 150 homes in northern Cedar Falls were bought out as part of the flood recovery. http://wcfcourier.com/app/special/flood_buyout/ On the morning of Wednesday, June 11, television news station KWWL was knocked off the air by a "flood-related" power outage but regained power by the afternoon by using a generator. Then on the night of Monday, June 16, at about 9:30, KWWL lost power, putting them off the air, and had a small electrical fire in a part of their building. An electric motor burned and sent smoke through the building. They were able to resume broadcasts around 1:00 Tuesday morning. After three floods in the 1960s, Waterloo and Cedar Falls spent years building levees and flood gates along the Cedar River and two of its tributaries. During the flood of 2008, water became trapped behind those levees and was kept from returning to the river. The City of Waterloo is now investing in pump stations to pump out water from behind the dikes in the event of future flooding. La Porte City La Porte City had earlier suffered a significant flood at the end of May. By June 10, the city braced for a second onslaught. Vinton Vinton experienced the worst flooding in its history starting in the early morning of Wednesday, June 10 with a crest upwards of . The flood knocked out the municipal electrical generating plant, inundating about 15 blocks along the river. The Benton County jail had to be evacuated. The sheriff's office was inundated, as was the basement, where 911 dispatchers were housed. Palo The small town of Palo, just upstream from Cedar Rapids, and home of Iowa's only nuclear power plant, underwent a mandatory evacuation. The nuclear plant was not harmed, but did lose land-based telephone service, as the land lines were routed through Palo. On Wednesday, June 11, the city completely evacuated all of its 980 citizens. All road access was later cut off, and the city went completely underwater. Around 90% of the structures in the community had damage from water. People were supposed to return to their homes on June 15, but were delayed by hazards such as contamination due to the flood and floating propane tanks. By Tuesday, June 17, it was reported that residents had for the most part returned home to deal with damage. Some buildings were more damaged than others; some had only a flooded basement to deal with, but for others, the water reached up to the first floor level. About a month after the flood mayor Terry Sanders resigned and Jeff Beauregard was appointed as the interim mayor. Beauregard has been recognized for his flood recovery efforts, winning the 2008 Iowa League of Cities Rhonda Wood Johnson award, amongst others. The community has been recognized as a model for flood recovery efforts. Due to expedited recovery efforts and processes such as temporary occupancy permits, as of January 1, a majority of Palo residents were back into their homes. The city passed a one cent sales tax in March 2009 with an 82% approval to deal with the community's recovery. Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids began to be affected by the Cedar River on Monday, June 9. Ellis Boulevard NW near Ellis Park closed due to flood water. Water was nearly over the access road to the Ellis boat harbor on that Monday evening. By Tuesday morning, June 10, 2008, Edgewood Road from Glass Road NE to O Ave NW (including the bridge) was closed as flood waters overtook the western section of the roadway near the City Gardens area. Mid American Energy began terminating natural gas service to the Time Check and Osbourne Park neighborhoods of northwest Cedar Rapids around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10. Alliant Energy reported that electrical service to the Time Check area would be terminated. However, power still had not been terminated by Wednesday, June 11 at 6:00 p.m. Cedar Rapids, Iowa was one of, if not the hardest hit area during the floods of 2008. The Cedar River crested at 31.12 ft (19 feet above flood stage) at 10:15 am on Friday, June 13, 2008, with the flood waters expected to fully retreat by June 24, barring any more heavy rains. The 1st Street NW Time Check Levee, built in the 1930s after the Great Flood of 1929 (20 ft crest), was completely submerged by the Cedar River, according to a KCRG-TV video captured on the morning of Thursday, June 12, 2008. A homeowner measured from the waterline on his house to a point equal to the top of the levee using a laser level and discovered that the levee had been under approximately 56 inches (4.5 feet) of water. About 1,300 blocks or 10 square miles, including most of the downtown area, were inundated, with more than 5,000 homes being affected. Mays Island (which included the Cedar Rapids city hall, the Linn County courthouse, the county jail, and the federal courthouse) was flooded up to the second floor level. Buildings that did not suffer any first floor damage had flooded basements. The Czech Village, Time Check, and Cedar Valley/Rompot districts in particular sustained significant damage. The city's domestic water distribution was compromised, as all but one of the city's wells were flooded, and water usage restrictions were imposed; however through a massive sandbagging effort the city's last remaining well was kept operational throughout the disaster. The river dropped faster than previously expected. A revised figure of was issued for the crest. Linn County moved most of its government offices, including the county courts, to the campus of Kirkwood Community College and later to a former Montgomery Ward store in Westdale Mall. Tremendous disruption to the city's utilities occurred. Electricity was cut off to the flooded parts of the city by the power company, Alliant Energy, as was natural gas; telephone and internet service was also disrupted. As the waters receded, flooded buildings were inspected by "strike teams" before owners were allowed to return and check out the damage. They used a color-coded system. Green meant the building was safe for occupancy, yellow meant entry should be limited and at one's own risk, red indicated serious damage/no entry, and purple was later used for buildings which were to be demolished. In biggest problems with homes were collapsing basements or foundations. In cases where water had reached the first floor or higher, there was failure of the floor joists, leading to a sagging or collapse into the basement. The Time Check neighborhood is particularly hard hit, where several hundred homes were said to be beyond salvation and will be demolished. On the third anniversary of the disaster (June 12, 2011), Cedar Rapids was still rebuilding from the largest flood to ever hit. The City was yet to rebuild the main branch of its public library, the new federal courthouse was under construction, and the City government was in process of moving back to May's Island. These projects have since been completed. The iconic Dairy Queen on 1st Ave downtown is gone, along with several hundred homes that were razed, and many businesses that were not able to recover. On June 13, 2011, the replica of The Statue of Liberty was rededicated on May's Island after being washed away by the flood. Statistics Houses damaged: 5,238 (parcels: 5,390) Businesses damaged: 940 (parcels: 1,049) Non-profits/faith organizations damaged: 77 City blocks affected: 1,300 (10 square miles) River levels: Crest 31.12 feet June 13, 2008 at 10:15 am (flood stage 12 feet), One month after crest: 8.66 feet, Two months after crest: 4.43 feet, Previous record crests: 20 feet in 1929 and 1951, 19.27 feet in 1993 Cultural losses The Paramount Theatre, one of the city's premier cultural venues, was flooded up to the first floor. The 1928 Wurlitzer theater organ console was found to have floated up onto the stage and the wood of the console said to be a total loss. The historic theater had recently completed an extensive restoration project prior to the flood. In July 2009, the city indicated that they had selected an architect to direct the reconstruction of the theater. While the interior of the building was heavily damaged, the structure of the theater remained relatively sound. The African American Cultural Center and Museum took on water up to the first floor, and it remains to be seen how much of its 1,700 exhibits can be salvaged. The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library received water into the first floor area, with the loss of many artifacts and documents. The building was moved and elevated. The first floor of the main branch of the Cedar Rapids Public Library was filled with floodwater. With a collection of books said to be about 290,000, the entire adult section was lost, as was the reference section. The children's collection, however, was located on the unflooded second floor. Plans to expand the building and to increase the library levy were shelved. On July 3, 2008, the library's director stated that the main branch may not reopen for at least three years, with the possibility open of moving to a new location altogether. In the meantime, the library leased additional space at Westdale Mall, where it already operated a branch. FEMA would not pay for rebuilding the main branch on the current, flood-prone site, so a property swap was effected with a commercial property owner away from the river; the new owner paid for renovation, and FEMA paid for a new library across the square from the city art museum. In 2013, the downtown branch of the library was completed by OPN Architects, a regional design firm located in Cedar Rapids. The project has received many awards in library design and construction by the American Library Association and American Institute of Architects. The Helen G. Nassif YMCA was badly damaged, with an estimated 7½ feet of water on the first floor. The downtown facility was built in 2002 for a cost of $8 million. Repair progressed quickly, and the facility has reopened.. The Mother Mosque of America, the oldest building in the United States built specifically for use as a mosque, had its basement flooded, ruining a century's worth of documents and artifacts.. Theatre Cedar Rapids' basement, stage, and a large part of the auditorium was flooded. The Wurlitzer organ was heavily damaged and was rebuilt out of state; it is currently undergoing final installation before it is returned to use. The theatre was able to return to its downtown location in February 2009 after a massive rebuilding and remodeling effort. United States Courthouse Congress had earlier authorized a new United States Courthouse to replace the current crowded, outdated building located on 1st Street SE. Both of Iowa's senators were said to be pushing hard to move up the appropriation necessary to build the new facility, as it makes little sense to repair the current flood-damaged building. As of 2013, construction has been completed on the new Cedar Rapids Federal Courthouse, and it is located across the street from the Helen G. Nassif YMCA on 8th Avenue Southeast. Law enforcement The flood greatly stressed the local police and sheriff's departments. Cedar Rapids Police Chief Greg Graham personally called Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan and asked for emergency assistance. Graham's officers had been working for over twenty-four hours straight. Minneapolis sent the first contingent of officers headed by Deputy Chief Rob Allen. The state activated the National Guard and sent about 750 of them into the city. Members of the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation responded. Sheriff's departments from other Iowa counties also sent manpower. The federal government also deployed agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Nebraska State Patrol and Lincoln, Nebraska Police Department sent officers. Officers from the Twin Cities area also showed up, including members of the Hennepin County, Minnesota sheriff's office, and officers from the Minneapolis, Bloomington and Saint Paul police departments, as well as Minnesota state troopers. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Dept. also supplied a portable repeater to assist in radio communications. The existing repeater had been knocked out by the flood waters. The list of all agencies that deployed to assist in Cedar Rapids alone is as follows: ATF Bloomington Minnesota Police, Cass County Iowa Sheriff, Decorah Iowa Police, Delaware County Iowa Sheriff, DEA, FBI, Hennepin County Minnesota Sheriff, ICE, Indianola Iowa Police, Iowa Air National Guard, Iowa Army National Guard, Iowa Department of Public Safety Enforcement, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Navy Reserve, Jones County Iowa Sheriff, Lincoln Nebraska Police, Linn County Iowa Sheriff, Lisbon Iowa Police, Marion Iowa Police, Minneapolis Minnesota Police, Mt. Vernon Iowa Police, Nebraska State Police, Iowa Region 3 & 4 FUSION centers, St. Paul Minnesota Police, Toledo Iowa Police, US Coast Guard, US Department of Narcotics Enforcement, US Marshals Service, US Postal inspectors Police, US Treasury Department Enforcement, Warren County Iowa Sheriff, and West Branch Iowa Police All of this extra help was used to man roadblocks and barricades. Extra officers were also placed with Cedar Rapids Police officers to help patrol flood-affected areas, as well as handle excess calls for service generated by the flood. It was reported that officers from St. Paul Minnesota Police were noted as handling routine calls such as bar-checks in Marion, as well as FBI and ICE agents responding with Toledo Iowa Police to burglary calls in Cedar Rapids. The police department, located on the west bank of the river, was flooded and evacuated. By Friday, June 20, 2008, they had reoccupied the building as cleanup ensued. Economic losses Job losses were estimated to be in the 6,000–7,000 range. Officials urged those whose jobs were washed away by the flood to file for unemployment insurance, even those who might not be otherwise eligible, as disaster unemployment benefits were available. Business losses were considerable. Many small businesses were essentially wiped out, particularly in the Czech Village area. The Cargill plant was expected to reopen rapidly. Archer Daniels Midland expected to get its plant back online by the end of June. Quaker Oats is a major employer in Cedar Rapids. Mark Schiller, Quaker's president, said, "We've been here for 140 years and we'll be here for another 140 years." The plant has operated in Cedar Rapids since 1873. Schiller indicated that the plant was largely undamaged, and that the main impediment to full reopening was the lack of adequate electric service, as well as the fact that rail lines were closed. Recovery By Wednesday, June 18, the waters had receded greatly, leaving remnants only in the Time Check neighborhood on the west bank of the river and the Czech Village district, which lies on both sides of the river. Importantly, most bridges had been reopened, relieving the stress on the I-380 which had been the only crossing that remained open (and only then with severe restrictions on who could cross). While downtown became accessible, power remained off, and traffic signals were out; this is because transformers in underground vaults were still receiving water. Water restrictions which imposed limits on use were also eased, and people were allowed the use of showers and washing machines. By June 2013, some residents were still struggling with the consequences of the flood. For nearly all, a "new normal" had been found, including a new sense of community. Sutliff Flooding badly damaged the NRHP Sutliff Bridge at Sutliff. Columbus Junction, Columbus City and Fredonia Columbus Junction, Columbus City and Fredonia are all quite close to each other, at the confluence of the Cedar River and the Iowa River. Columbus Junction is located on the south bank of the Iowa. Columbus City is just south of Columbus Junction. Fredonia is on the north bank very close to the confluence of the rivers. Early attempts at sandbagging in Columbus Junction were abandoned Saturday, June 14 when it was realized such efforts would be futile. Resources were then diverted to Oskaloosa, on the Skunk River. Fredonia and parts of Columbus Junction and Columbus City were evacuated. Residents were allowed to return on June 16. Columbus Junction and Columbus City have water again, but were under a boil order. Governor Chet Culver was flown into the area by Blackhawk helicopter on June 16. Louisa County received a presidential disaster declaration. Tipton Tipton is the seat of Cedar County. The county is reported to have had some damage, and the county was declared a presidential disaster area. Skunk River Colfax Colfax is located east of northeastern Des Moines. By June 9, the South Skunk had risen sufficiently to start sandbagging. U.S. Highway 61 was closed off five miles (8 km) south of Burlington due to the rising waters blocking off the road. Oskaloosa Oskaloosa is located between the South Skunk River and the Des Moines River just downstream from Lake Red Rock. National Guardsmen who had been designated for Columbus Junction were sent to Oskaloosa. Around 7 a.m. on Thursday June 12 sandbagging began in an effort to save the city's water plant. The sandbagging continued until noon when they were allowed to stop. Later in the day the Army Corps of Engineers ordered that they continue sandbagging. The sandbagging started up around 5 pm and continued late into the night. Musco Sports Lighting sent a portable lighting truck to help the volunteers see at overnight. The sandbagging continued until about noon on Friday June 13 when the sandbagging was allowed to cease. The frantic sandbagging saved the city's water plant. Des Moines River Des Moines In Des Moines a levee breach flooded the Birdland Park neighborhood north of downtown. The river was past its crest by Friday, June 13, but advisories were still in effect. In the morning hours of June 13, the Army Corps of Engineers called for a complete evacuation of a 100-year flood zone in downtown Des Moines, but the data used to call the evacuation turned out to be false because of a faulty water flow rate sensor. Residents returned to their homes by the end of the day. Ottumwa Ottumwa is downstream from Oskaloosa. An electrical substation was threatened. Elements from the Iowa National Guard's 334th Brigade Support Battalion and the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, earlier deployed Cedar Falls and Oskaloosa, formed a human chain to successfully sandbag the facility. Mississippi River The Army Corps was forced to close the river to navigation, intermittently, from Lock and Dam No. 11 to Lock and Dam No. 25. As of Sunday, June 15, Locks 13 through 25 were closed, making of the Mississippi River inaccessible to commercial river traffic. Mississippi River traffic resumed on Saturday, July 5, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, as the final lock to be cleared for operation, Lock 25, reopened Saturday morning. Dubuque Dubuque was not as severely affected as other Iowa cities. Over the course of the flood, Dubuque experienced only occasional flash flooding on the Little Maquoketa River or Catfish Creek. Lock and Dam No. 11 had its floodgates opened by the Army Corps to prevent the dam being overtopped by flood stage waters. Quad Cities The Mississippi River topped the flood stage in the Quad Cities on June 11, 2008. Davenport is the largest city bordering the Mississippi that has no permanent floodwall or levee. On June 12, 3.28 inches of rain fell in six hours at the Quad City International Airport courtesy of severe thunderstorms and high winds, breaking the record of rain fall, for that time period, adding major problems to the flooding. The rain caused not only Mississippi River flooding, but also flooding at Duck Creek. Duck Creek is a creek which winds through central Davenport. Duck Creek topped four feet over flood stage. Three of the seven main streets, including U.S. Route 61 which was being used as a detour for Interstate 80, that cross the creek were blocked off due to major flooding over the roads. The river is expected to crest on June 16, at which is over flood stage, then start falling shortly after. The river is expected to be down to by June 21, but won't be back to the flood stage until sometime during the week of June 22. The YouTube article "Lightning Hitting the Ground/Flooded Mississippi" is one of several videotaping shots which relates to the severe thunderstorms which created the flooding at Duck Creek during Thursday, June 12 and Friday, June 13. Burlington In the city of Burlington, the river played havoc with national transportation. In the early morning hours of May 1, 2008, five river barges came loose from their moorings at a staging area a short distance upstream of Burlington. While two ran aground before they reached the city, the remaining three struck the far eastern pier of the Great River Bridge with minimal impact. The bridge was closed to traffic until later the same afternoon, after the Iowa Department of Transportation inspected it and found it structurally sound. One of those barges continued downstream and became lodged under the Burlington Rail Bridge. After two unsuccessful recovery attempts, the 140-year-old rail bridge was partially reopened the following morning with the barge still wedged beneath. Flood waters caused the city to close off the area of the riverfront along Front Street to Main Street. Several buildings along Main Street, including the county courthouse and the historic railroad depot, utilized several sandbags around the buildings in an attempt to keep the rising flood waters at bay. Buildings as far west as Fourth Street (four blocks west of, and parallel to, the riverfront), and the historic fire station, were pumping out their basements due to the flood waters. On the morning of June 10, all rail traffic was halted at the BNSF Bridge and rerouted to other, safer bridges, as the level of the river was just a little over five feet from the bottom of the tracks, and flood waters had begun to overtake the bridge's western approach into Iowa, by the morning of June 15, the river had placed itself to the bottom of the bridge, hiding all piers, and causing the bridge to appear as if it were simply resting on top of the water. The city's rail yard, which runs parallel to the riverfront, began to experience flooding for the first time since the Flood of 1993 on the afternoon of June 12, as it encroached on their diversion spurs, and began to follow the tracks leading out of the city. By mid-afternoon on June 15, the entire yard had flooded out, by the morning of June 16, the flood waters were so deep in the rail yard, the tracks were no longer visible. Several buildings along the waterfront, including Memorial Auditorium, and the historic Port of Burlington building, began sandbagging efforts early on the morning of June 11 to keep out the rising flood waters. By the morning of June 12 the flood waters began to fill the parking lots of businesses along the riverfront, including the Port of Burlington and Memorial Auditorium, both of which sit at the river's edge, by the morning of June 16, both buildings had flooded up to the main floor, as the flood waters seeped through cracks between the sandbags, rendering the work that had been done to protect them useless, the outdoor stage that is connected to the south facade of the Port of Burlington building was not visible, nor were the access ramps that run along the entire western entrance. (the stage is built up five feet from ground level, and is made of concrete, the access ramps, and one raised sidewalk connects to it.) During the afternoon of June 14, the city, as well as Des Moines County evacuated all residents living east of County Highway 99 due to a levee in the area threatening to fail. A bulge had been seen on one side of the levee, and water was pooling near the base on the dry side, by the early morning of June 16, three more bulges were discovered along the Tama Levee, the longest levee in the area, and one of only a handful of survivors from the Flood of 1993, this made workers in the area state that it was no longer a question of if, but when the levee would break. One of the city's largest employers, Case Corporation, had been threatened with rising flood waters, due to its proximity to the riverfront, and due to the closeness to a levee that was severely damaged due to constant rains in the area, by the morning of June 15, Case had ceased all production, and ordered a shutdown of the plant, allowing workers to help in the sandbagging effort, surprisingly, the plant survived the flood unscathed, the fourth such flood it had withstood,(the building that houses the Case plant has stood in its current location since the late 1890s, first as Shower Brothers furniture. The plant, as Case, became operational in 1937, and withstood the floods of 1965, 1973, and 1993.) By the early evening of June 14 residents were put on alert that water might be shut off, due to the possibility of flood waters reaching the treatment plant along the riverfront, however, on the morning of June 15, it was stated that the plant would not be affected, unless the river were to crest at, or above the mark, which, according to records, has not happened in well over a century, and not since the recent water treatment plant had been built. Burlington's newspaper, The Hawk-Eye, remained in operation throughout the flood, despite its close proximity to the Mississippi River. It has never stopped publication in its history. One of two major highways that serve the Burlington area, U.S. Highway 61, was closed off just south of the city, near the county line. On July 19, 2008, the Great River Bridge, connecting Highway 34 west with Illinois officially re-opened after being closed for nearly a month. The Great River bridge is an important connection to Illinois, because nearly 40% of Burlington's workforce lives in nearby Illinois, also, several Burlington residents work in cities in Illinois. The early morning of June 15 saw a section of Main Street, between Division Street, and Jefferson Street blocked off, due to the rising flood waters. The entire length of County Highway 99, from the city limits, to the northern county line, was blocked off, due to the rising flood waters, and a break along a levee on the Iowa River near Oakville (the road had already been blocked off near the northern county line, due to construction). The National Weather Service expected the river to crest on June 18 at , surpassing the crest of the Flood of 1993 by 0.7 feet, making it the second worst flood in the city's history. By the morning of June 15, several streets had been closed, making travel difficult, among them were, Front Street, running the entire length of the road, Main Street, between Division Street, and Jefferson Street, Mill Dam Road, Tama Road, and all of its side roads, U.S. Highway 61, and County Highway 99, by the morning of June 17, Main Street had been blocked off even further, extending another block to the south, and Division Street had been blocked off up to Third Street, along with Jefferson Street, and Valley Street. By June 15, Lock and Dam 18, north of the city, had stated that if the river does not begin to recede soon, they would be forced to open the flood gates, due to the possibility of the river topping over the dam. On the morning of June 15, the Stevenson Lake levee, near Gulfport, Illinois gave way, bringing the depth of the river down somewhat, but completely obliterating the small town of 200, which lay directly across the river in Illinois. As of July 23, 2008, the city of Gulfport, IL remains under water. Because Gulfport sits below the Mississippi river level, Gulfport will need to be drained using pumps. Many businesses and homes are steadily decaying or are already destroyed. As August drew to a close, Gulfport had been pumped out, the complete obliteration of several buildings, including The Beverage Mart was noticeable, these buildings would be demolished later on, as of September 23, no plans have been made on reconstruction. The town didn't see any help until the following summer, when several construction companies finally were allowed into the area, which had been blocked off by the Illinois State Police, and the Henderson County Sheriff's office. In September 2008, the area, once again, became the victim of massive flooding, as a spillway off the river, known as Flint Creek, as well as a small pool area, known as Dumbbell Lake, jumped their banks, after a week of hard rain, caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ike. Tama Road was severely damaged due to the raging flood waters, and was caught on both sides of the road. The flood was so severe, that the earthen embankments eroded, and the concrete road bed fractured, and crumbled, causing widespread damage over the two mile length of the road. As of December 2008, the road remains closed due to massive damage. In several areas along County Highway 99, the flood waters came against the high embankments, making the fields on the east side of the road appear to be nothing more than a large lake area for an estimated five miles, the flooding could also be seen along certain areas of U.S. Highway 61, at the north end of town. Although neither highway was flooded out, or closed, the damage was noticeable, especially where County Highway 99 was at its most vulnerable, two of the four piers constructed for a new bridge near the northern county line were knocked over by the water, and had to be rebuilt. As of December 2009, Tama Road still remains unpaved, with gravel filling in the areas where the old concrete road bed had given out. In the areas where the road had been destroyed, a difference in road height of three feet, or more is instantly noticeable. Continuing arguments between the Burlington City Council, and the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors over responsibility of the road prevents any repairs from taking place (in the mid-1970s, the city had paved the road in concrete, taking responsibility from the county, the city's argument is that the road sits outside of the city limits, and therefore, the county is responsible). Finally, in early 2010, after a final winter thaw eroded the roadbed even further, completely destroying what was left of the road, the state stepped in, and took over the reconstruction, billing the city for their services. The road was opened later that same year, completely repaved, and set with a new waterproof concrete roadbed, and several new drainage culverts. Media response The local TV news stations went to wall-to-wall coverage starting Wednesday, June 11. KGAN-TV (CBS, channel 2) and KCRG-TV (ABC, channel 9), in Cedar Rapids, and KWWL-TV, (NBC, channel 7), in Waterloo all stayed on air giving local coverage, preempting network programs, even to include preempting the network evening news program. KCRG moved ABC's coverage of Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Finals to its digital subchannel, while KWWL broadcast NBC's coverage of the 2008 U.S. Open Golf Championship. Stations resumed airing regular programming June 15. Des Moines television stations aired all local coverage during the day on Friday, June 13. WHO-TV left briefly to allow NBC to announce the death of Tim Russert. After the Des Moines flood threat proved to be not as bad as once thought, stations returned to regular programming that evening. KCRG and The Gazette, both owned by Gazette Communications and located adjacent to each other in downtown Cedar Rapids, continued to operate out of their respective newsrooms despite the nearby flooding and loss of electricity. The Gazette's editor at the time, Steve Buttry, officially began his duties just two days before waters rose above flood stage in Cedar Rapids. At about 9:30 p.m. on Monday, June 16, KWWL went off the air due to a small electrical fire in the studio. An electrical motor in the ventilation system caught fire and sent smoke through the building. There were no injuries and hardly any damage. They resumed broadcasts at about 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17. Public health Just after midnight, central time, June 13, Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids began evacuating its patients from the facility. It is understood they could not further function under the emergency circumstances. The evacuation was completed by about 8:20 a.m. Public Health Hazards: Physical and Mental The main public health hazard was the polluted water, mixed with the outflow of overwhelmed sanitary sewer systems, petroleum products and a variety of other toxic materials, to include asbestos. As the waters recede, tremendous amounts of potentially infectious debris added to the problem; this included uncollected garbage and dead animals. This issue was exacerbated by the onset of the hot and humid summer weather. Just making the affected areas sanitary again was a huge undertaking. The problem of mold propagating in flooded buildings was one of major concern. Contact with polluted water and flood soaked item can cause rashes, and if it comes in contact with a skin cut, a variety of infections. Public officials warned of a potential increase in waterborne diseases such as dysentery as well as an increased population of mosquitoes, which can carry West Nile virus. Free tetanus shots were being offered in many areas, including Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. In addition to physical disease, residents were warned of potential mental health problems. Parents were told to expect developmental regressions in child survivors of the flood, especially those who lost their homes. Even in adults, the stress of applying for services and managing daily activities under catastrophic conditions was expected to exacerbate pre-existing anxiety, depression, or family conflict. The physical and emotional stress of cleaning out flooded homes was only part of the trouble, as parents needed to manage all of this while still caring for children who were home on summer vacation. All of this was compounded by the summer heat & humidity, mosquitos and biting gnats, and the sheer number of people facing the same circumstances. Long-term consequences were possible as well. "Once the original shock and dismay pass, the losses of such things as wedding photos or treasured family heirlooms can lead to depression and even post-traumatic stress disorder," said one official. Some rural areas suffered from a lack of access to badly-needed public and social services, and agencies were overwhelmed with the increase of people needing assistance. Also, due to the large area of the Midwest affected by this event, some rivers and tributaries took an abnormally long time to recede, with some areas remaining flooded for up to four weeks. The increased amount of standing water and flood-affected ground caused a summer-long increased population of biting midge gnats (sand flies), fungus gnats, flies, and mosquitoes, with the above-mentioned public health concerns. FEMA trailer problems Problems arose in trailers provided by FEMA to residents displaced by this flood . Several months after moving to the trailers, occupants reported violent coughing, headaches, as well as asthma, bronchitis, and other problems. Tests showed that in some trailers, levels of formaldehyde exceeded the limits recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and American Lung Association. The associated publicity resulted in additional testing being planned to begin in November 2008. Recovery Comparison has been made to the Grand Forks, North Dakota, 1997 Red River flood, Hurricane Katrina, and the Great Flood of 1993 and the lesson to be learned is that full recovery will take at least ten years, and that the political and private establishments will have to put aside territorial one-ups-man-ship and co-operate in making some decisions that will be decidedly unpopular. To assist in recovery efforts, a web site has been site up. Save Iowa was established to help flood victims as there is a tremendous need for donations all across Iowa. Save Iowa makes it easy for people around the country to donate to the flood relief cause of their choice. In response to the Iowa flood of 2008, the Iowa Legislature established the Iowa Flood Center as a part of the University of Iowa in 2009. FEMA trailers and formaldehyde A couple months after the June floods, Iowa flood victims reported violent coughing, headaches, and conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and other health issues worsening since moving into the trailers. KGAN-TV out of Cedar Rapids tested 20 trailers in the Cedar Rapids area under contract with a nationally certified chemical testing company, with testing kits finding unsafe levels of formaldehyde in six of them, according to Environmental Protection Agency and American Lung Association limits, which are more stringent than FEMA's or Iowa's standards. After KGAN airing their results, intervention from Iowa Governor Chet Culver, and increasing concerns from residents, FEMA held a meeting in Cedar Rapids with residents, despite denying to intervene with the reports. FEMA will now retest trailers upon request, starting early November. See also June 2008 Midwest floods References External links Former Iowan blogs back to his flooded homeland Iowa Flood News Blog Aggregator 2008 floods in the United States Flood Floods in the United States History of Cedar Rapids, Iowa Natural disasters in Iowa June 2008 events in the United States

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%20South%20China%20floods

2008 South China floods

The 2008 South China floods began on 26 May 2008. Four rounds of torrential rains with landslides and flooding lasted for 20 days and affected fifteen provinces in Eastern and Southern China. The first round of floods affected twelve provinces in South China and killed 93 people as of 30 May. A new round of floods began on 6 June and swept nine provinces in southern China killing 55 people with 7 missing and forcing 1.3 million to evacuate as of 14 June. China's National Meteorological Centre has said that heavy rain would continue and that precipitation in the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan would be 30 to 70% greater than in the same period last year. Mainland China Mainland provinces affected include Anhui, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong. May China Daily that torrential rains caused by Cloud seeding in the southern provinces killed 64 people in May. According to State Flood Control and Drought Relief headquarters, floods have claimed 59 lives up to this point of the year. June From 28 May to 2 June, some places in Guangdong experienced heavy rainfalls. After 7 days, flood situations were investigated by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on 3 June. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief headquarters and National Meteorological Centre (NMC) both raised emergency levels expecting more torrential rain and thunderstorms. On the weekend of 7–8 June, Guangzhou Daily reported it to be the heaviest rain storm in 50 years for Guangdong province. Wuzhou was struck with their worst flooding in 100 years. In two days the rainfall in some areas measured more than 400 millimetres (15.7 inches). On 14 June, the Ministry of Water Resources said close to 1 million hectares of farmland have been affected with the worst hit provinces being Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei. From 25 May to 14 June, up to 18 people have died, including 2.22 million people were affected in 17 cities in Guangdong. The average rainfall of was double the long-term level, with the media reporting it as "Freak rain". On 15 June, more than 300 places in Shenzhen were submerged underwater. Floods have forced more than 1.66 million people to evacuate, caused 67,000 houses to collapse, and killed 63 people. Three days later officials in Guangdong warned of a "black June" as high tides, rain and rivers threatened levees. Across the region, 169 were reported killed in the floods. On 21 June, the main precipitation areas include the Huai River valleys, Guizhou, Sichuan and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Heavy rain follow in Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia. At the end of the month, 252 people were killed in the rainstorms and flooding. Hong Kong June On 7 June, more than of rain fell on Lantau Island and more than fell on Hong Kong Island. By noon, almost 40 landslides and 156 floods were reported. In Tsim Sha Tsui, the 124-year record of rainfall per hour was smashed, with 145.5 mm (5.73 inches) of rainfall being recorded. The North Lantau Highway was blocked, for the first and so far the only time since its opening in 1997, by a landslide. Land traffic to the villages of Tai O was cut off, forcing the government to increase the frequency of ferries to and from the villages. Newspaper vendors in the streets reported that the water came very fast, flooding the area within five minutes to thigh-deep level (over-the-knee). One of the landslides killed two people in Tuen Mun. The Hong Kong Observatory thus changed the "amber rainstorm" warning to a "black rainstorm" warning. References External links China View BBC News Reuters 2008 South China floods, Sina.com Floods in China 2008 disasters in China 2008 floods in Asia Weather events in Hong Kong Landslides in China Landslides in 2008

17957242

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%20floods

China floods

China floods may refer to: Flooding in China Great Flood (China), ancient

18209139

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIKE%20FLOOD

MIKE FLOOD

is a computer program that simulates inundation for rivers, flood plains and urban drainage systems. It dynamically couples 1D (MIKE 11 and Mouse) and 2D (MIKE 21) modeling techniques into one single tool. MIKE FLOOD is developed by DHI. MIKE FLOOD is accepted by US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). MIKE FLOOD can be expanded with a range of modules and methods including a flexible mesh overland flow solver, MIKE URBAN, Rainfall-runoff modeling and dynamic operation of structures. Applications MIKE FLOOD can be used for river-flood plain interaction, integrated urban drainage and river modeling, urban flood analysis and detailed dam break studies. Integrated hydrologic modelling Hydraulic engineering Environmental engineering Physical geography

18370972

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1910%20Great%20Flood%20of%20Paris

1910 Great Flood of Paris

The 1910 Great Flood of Paris () was a catastrophe in which the Seine River, carrying winter rains from its tributaries, flooded the Paris conurbation, France. The Seine water level rose eight metres above the ordinary level. Chronology In the winter of 1909–1910, Paris and the surrounding area experienced higher than normal rainfall which saturated the ground and filled rivers to overflowing. In January 1910, Parisians were preoccupied with daily life and lulled into a false sense of security because the Seine's waters level had risen and fallen again in December. Consequently, they largely ignored reports of mudslides and flooding occurring upriver. They were also slow to notice warnings signs within the city as the Seine's water level rose eight meters higher than normal, its water began to flow much faster than normal, and large amounts of debris appeared. By late January, the Seine River flooded Paris when water pushed upwards from overflowing sewers and subway tunnels, then seeped into basements through fully saturated soil and from the sewer system that got backed up, which led to the basements of several buildings sustaining damage. The waters did not overflow the river's banks within the city, but flooded Paris through tunnels, sewers, and drains. These larger sewer tunnels were engineered by Baron Haussmann and Eugene Belgrand in 1878 which magnified the destruction caused by the flood in 1910. In neighbouring towns both east and west of the capital, the river rose above its banks and flooded the surrounding terrain directly. Winter floods were a normal occurrence in Paris but, on 21 January, the river began to rise more rapidly than normal. This was seen as a sort of spectacle where people were actually standing in the streets watching the water rise in the Seine. Over the course of the following week, thousands of Parisians evacuated their homes as water infiltrated buildings and streets throughout the city, shutting down much basic infrastructure. The infrastructure was more vulnerable to flooding because most of it was built within the sewage system in order to avoid cluttering the streets. Police, firefighters, and soldiers moved through waterlogged streets in boats to rescue stranded residents from second-story windows and to distribute aid. Refugees gathered in makeshift shelters in churches, schools, and government buildings. Although the water threatened to overflow the tops of the quay walls lining the river, workmen were able to keep the Seine back with hastily built levees. Once water invaded the Gare d'Orsay rail terminal, its tracks soon sat under more than a metre of water. To continue moving throughout the city, residents traveled by boat or across a series of wooden walkways built by government engineers and civilians. On 28 January the water reached its maximum height at 8.62 metres (28.28 feet) above its normal level. In March, the Seine finally returned to normal levels. Consequences Estimates of the flood damage reached some 400 million francs, or $1.5 billion in today's money. The flooding lasted nearly a week, according to one report. Remarkably, despite the damage and duration of the flood, no deaths were reported. There were fears that an outbreak of disease would occur after debris from flooded homes piled into the streets. Literature and Media The Knowledge of Water by Sarah Smith, Ballantine, New York (1996) The flood provided the setting for the 2011 animated film A Monster in Paris. In Stealing Mona Lisa (2011) by Carson Morton, the flood is the setting of the climax of the novel. In Bertrand Bonello's 2023 film, The Beast, the flood is depicted. Image gallery References Sources Jeffrey H. Jackson, Paris Under Water: How the City of Light Survived the Great Flood of 1910 (NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010) External links Crue de la Seine Postcard collection of flood photographs Images by photographer Pierre Petit Assemblée nationale website on the 1910 flood The flood's impact on Parisian hospitals L'explosition virtuelle Paris Inondé 1910: Galerie des bibliothèques, Ville de Paris Revisiting the flood 100 years later Great Flood Of Paris, 1910 Great Flood Of Paris, 1910 1910s floods 20th-century floods in Europe Floods in France River Seine January 1910 events 1910 disasters in France

18423587

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%2C%20Virginia

Flood, Virginia

Flood is an unincorporated community in Appomattox County, Virginia, United States. References GNIS reference Unincorporated communities in Virginia Unincorporated communities in Appomattox County, Virginia

18432537

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pond%20Lane%20Flood%20Gates

Pond Lane Flood Gates

Pond Lane Flood Gates is a redundant flood defence structure, located near Lea Bridge Road on the River Lee Navigation in the London Borough of Hackney, England. History The flood gates were the third water control structure to be built in the vicinity. When the Hackney Cut was first opened in 1769, the River Lea flowed over a weir, now known as the Middlesex Filter Beds Weir, to follow its original course, and the new cut was protected by Lea Bridge half lock, a single set of gates just below the start of the cut. These could be closed to prevent high levels on the river affecting the cut. Lea Bridge Lock was demolished in 1853, and was replaced by Pond Lane Lock at Cow Bridge in 1865, but it was only operational for seven years, as the navigation was rebuilt for larger barges, and was made level between Old Ford and Tottenham. Although the lock was no longer needed, it was retained so that it could be used to protect the cut from flooding as Lea Bridge half lock had once done. There were plans to fit it with gates pointing in both directions, to prevent draining of the cut below the gates if too much water was drawn from the river by the waterworks at Lea Bridge, but this was not carried out. The structure lasted until 1931, when it was demolished, to be replaced by the Pond Lane Flood Gates, a little further upstream. These consisted of vertical guillotine gates, which could be used to isolate the cut in times of flood, and were designed to help prevent flooding of Hackney Marsh. The construction of the Thames Barrier caused the flood gates to become redundant and they were finally removed in 1987. The footbridge over the lock still remains. Location The remains of the flood gates are located south of the Lea Bridge Road at Lea Bridge and adjacent to the former Middlesex Filter Beds which are now a nature reserve. The filter beds were built in 1852, to provide cleaner water to London, as a response to an outbreak of cholera three years before. They became redundant when the Coppermills Water Treatment Works was built at Walthamstow in 1969, and by the time Thames Water took over responsibility for them in 1974, they were already providing habitat for a range of plants and wildlife. They subsequently became part of the Lee Valley Regional Park in 1988, and the filter beds now provide areas of wet woodland, reed beds and open water. Over 60 varieties of birds have been seen at the reserve, which is close to the Waterworks Nature Reserve, a similar site occupying some of the Essex filter beds, which were built later than the Middlesex filter beds. Public access Walking and cycling access to the gates is possible by following the Lea Valley Walk, which runs along the towpath of the Hackney Cut. The nearest railway station is Clapton railway station, which is about to the west of the gates. Bibliography References Locks of London Former buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hackney Locks of the Lee Navigation Flood control in the United Kingdom

18492773

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970%20floods%20in%20Romania

1970 floods in Romania

The 1970 floods in Romania, brought on by river swelling caused by torrential rains, high winds and a heat wave that melted snow in the Carpathian Mountains, were the worst in modern Romanian history in loss of life, and caused the most damage up to the 2006 floods: at least $500 million; perhaps over $1 billion. Flooding The floods began around May 12 and lasted into mid-June. 209 people were killed, 41,000 houses were damaged or totally destroyed (leaving at least 265,000 homeless), over a million arable acres were inundated, over 100,000 sheep, pigs, cows and chickens (including over 35,000 head of cattle) drowned, 146 factories were idled at least temporarily, and over of highway required repair. At least 240,000 people were evacuated, some repeatedly. 37 of Romania's then 39 counties were severely damaged, with 230 towns and villages hit in just the first twelve days, including Sighișoara and Mediaș, the women and children of which were evacuated to centres in hill villages while the men salvaged possessions. Airports, including those at Sibiu and Satu Mare, were flooded and closed. Railway systems were damaged, and landslides blocked roads and carried away telegraph lines. Broadly speaking, floodwaters moved from the northern and central regions toward the Danube lowlands in the south and east. The Prahova, Târnava, Olt (threatening Râmnicu Vâlcea and Slatina) and Tisza rivers were among those affected, as well as the Danube (which rose up to 6½ ft above normal spring high-water levels, flooding docks and port installations in Turnu Severin), Prut and Siret. As crests rolled onward, downstream localities knew to fear the worst: for instance, Galați and Brăila knew by June 3 that floods from three weeks earlier would reach them on June 11, the question being if their dikes would hold. The neighbouring Soviet Union and Bulgaria were not nearly as threatened, as the Prut and Danube banks are steep and high on their shores. The floods also came in phases: for instance, the waters were just beginning to recede when on May 23–24 renewed heavy rain and snowfalls raised their level again. Significant resources were mobilised to fight the waters and their effects. Medical teams toured most areas of the country warning people not to drink polluted water (many drinking water installations were destroyed) and inoculating all citizens aged 2 to 55 against typhoid fever. Thousands of soldiers and civilians worked around the clock to build miles of new dikes and reinforce old ones. Political ramifications and international response The floods had political ramifications as well. General Secretary Nicolae Ceaușescu took personal direction of some emergency measures in the Brăila and Galați areas, particularly sensitive because their heavy industry and grain shipping centres are near the Danube, Prut and Siret, all three of which were swollen and which merge four miles (6 km) upstream from Galați. On May 22, wearing a black turtleneck sweater, workman's cloth cap and farmer's jacket, Ceaușescu and high Romanian Communist Party leaders spent hours superintending the completion of a five-mile (8 km)-long earth and timber dike at Brăila. In foreign policy, the floods offered him an opportunity to continue Romania's independent foreign policy, which sought to keep its distance from the Soviet Union. While at the height of the floods, he made a sudden trip to Moscow, followed a week later by Prime Minister Ion Gheorghe Maurer, this worried Romanians and Ceaușescu then toured the country, saying over and over in speeches to flood victims that his policy remained unchanged—national independence and sovereignty, noninterference in the internal affairs of other states, equality between governments and between Communist parties, and the right of each party to shape its own policies. The provision of foreign aid also reflected this independent course. The single largest relief payment, the equivalent of $400,000, came from the People's Republic of China, then embroiled in the Sino-Soviet split. The first relief plane came from Israel; Romania was the only Eastern Bloc country to have relations with Israel at the time. Aid from the United States and the Netherlands soon followed, but a week passed before the USSR sent a message and an offer of aid. Moreover, Western companies offered to repair or replace damaged industrial equipment they had furnished: the Galați iron and steel plant (Romania's largest) was built with Western expertise and equipment against Soviet opposition. Over a dozen countries, including France and Yugoslavia, gave aid. British aid organisations promised 50 tons of food, children's clothing and medicine, while West Germany sent a number of mobile water-purification units. A special fund was set up in Bucharest to assist flood victims; money poured in from factory groups throughout Romania. In one Bucharest institute, 100 donors a day gave blood, while scores of foreign diplomats gave clothing and household items. Aftermath Reflecting a drive for development and modernisation, the regime embarked upon a national land-improvement programme following the floods, covering drainage, irrigation, soil erosion, navigation, power, research and training in a comprehensive approach that departed from mere reliance upon control structures. Not only did Romania cope with the floods; it brought in specifically designed alleviative and preventive measures. The floods were mentioned in at least one literary work: Marin Sorescu's 1976 play Matca ("The Matrix"). During the rains, a woman gives birth to her child while her father is dying in an adjacent room. As the waters close in on her, her sole thought is to raise the baby above her head in an effort to save it. The main goal of building the Stânca-Costești Dam, completed in 1978, was to protect villages down the Prut river from floods. Notes Floods in Romania 1970 natural disasters 1970s floods 1970s floods in Europe 1970 disasters in Romania

18691905

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great%20Flood%20of%201968

Great Flood of 1968

The Great Flood of 1968 was a flood caused by a pronounced trough of low pressure which brought exceptionally heavy rain and thunderstorms to South East England and France in mid-September 1968, with the worst on Sunday 15 September 1968, and followed earlier floods in South West England during July. This was likely the severest inland flood experienced in the Home Counties during the last 100 years. The areas worst hit were Crawley, East Grinstead, Horley, Lewisham, Petersfield, Redhill, Tilbury, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge. On 15 September 1968, the 9:50 Charing Cross to Hastings was diverted along the Edenbridge line, but was surrounded by flood water at Edenbridge railway station. 150 passengers spent 12 hours stuck on the train. France In the first seven hours of 15 September 1968 three inches of rain fell on Nice. In Toulon a cyclist was killed by an electricity cable that had fallen into the flooded road. The wine harvest was seriously damaged. See also 1947 Thames flood July 1968 England and Wales dust fall storms, severe storms in July Chew Stoke flood of 1968, July flooding event in Somerset. References External links Met Office, Southeast England floods 1968 The Great Floods Of 1968 Floods in England 1968 natural disasters 1968 in England 1968 in France 20th-century floods in the United Kingdom 1968 disasters in the United Kingdom 1960s floods in Europe Floods in France September 1968 events in Europe September 1968 events in the United Kingdom 1968 disasters in Europe

18699358

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%20Tanana%20Valley%20flood

2008 Tanana Valley flood

The 2008 Tanana Valley flood or the 2008 Fairbanks flood was a flood in late July and early August 2008 that affected several rivers in the central portion of the American state of Alaska. The city of Fairbanks, Alaska saw high water levels, while the towns of Nenana, Salcha, and Old Minto received heavy damage. The Salcha River and Tanana River reached their second-highest levels since record-keeping began (the highest was during the 1967 Tanana Valley Flood), while the Chena River, which bisects Fairbanks, was kept below flood stage by the use of the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project. Several hundred homes were inundated by the flood in Fairbanks, Salcha, unincorporated Fairbanks North Star Borough, Nenana, and smaller villages, but due to early warnings from the National Weather Service, volunteer fire departments, and the borough's emergency contact system, no one was injured. The area affected by the flood was declared a state disaster area, making residents whose homes were flooded eligible for state aid. The long-term effects of the flood, including its effect on the salmon spawning season, are as yet unknown. Background The summer of 2008 was an unusually wet one for central Alaska. In June, the National Weather Service recorded of precipitation at the Fairbanks International Airport—the most in that month since June 1994, and above average. By July 27, 1.47 inches of rain had fallen in July. This was slightly below the average for the month at that time (1.49 inches), but the year-to-date rainfall total was still one and two-thirds inches above normal. The next day, July 28, 1.14 inches of rain fell in Fairbanks, setting a single-day Fairbanks rainfall total for that date, with heavier amounts measured east of the town. Scattered locations between Salcha and Delta Junction received up to four inches of precipitation. On the 29th, another 0.77 inches of rain fell in Fairbanks—another record for the date—and again, locations outside of the town received greater amounts. Just 0.14 inches of rain fell on the 30th, but on the 31st, 0.6 inches fell. This amount was not a record for the date, but it brought the overall rainfall total in Fairbanks for the month of July to 4.12 inches—more than double the normal average of of rain. At Eielson Air Force Base, which lies to the southwest of Fairbanks, 7.30 inches of rain were recorded as having fallen in July, making it the rainiest July ever recorded and the second-rainiest month ever recorded at the base. Though more rain fell on August 1 and afterward, the Tanana, Salcha, and Chena rivers had already crested. Flood Salcha By the evening of July 28, the record-breaking rainfall that had fallen to that point caused the National Weather Service to issue a flood warning for the tributaries of the Tanana River east of Fairbanks. On the 29th, the continued rain forced the expansion of the flood warning to cover the entire Tanana and Salcha River basins between Salcha and Nenana, a stretch of land long. The rising Salcha River forced home evacuations on the 29th and caused the Old Richardson Highway to be closed in several locations as the Salcha overflowed its banks and covered the road near the town of Salcha. An emergency shelter was set up to handle refugees from the Salcha River's flooding, and forecasters predicted the river would continue to rise. On the 30th, the Salcha River crested at 16.8 feet—almost three feet above flood stage—where it crosses the Richardson Highway. This was the sixth-highest crest since measurements began in the first half of the 20th century. The last time the river reached that height was October 15, 2000, when the river crested at . More than 100 homes were at least partially underwater, and nearly two dozen Salcha town residents took advantage of the emergency shelter that had been set up at Salcha Elementary School the day before. High water remained in Salcha through the 31st, though the crest of the flooding had passed. Water continued to cover roads in and around Salcha, and water-borne debris accumulated under several local bridges, causing impromptu dams. By August 1, the Salcha River had begun to recede to a noticeable extent. Though some roads remained underwater and falling trees knocked out power to areas of the town, residents began to pump out basements and begin recovery efforts. By early afternoon on the first, the Old Richardson Highway had been cleared of water and the National Weather Service canceled its flood warning for the Salcha area. Fairbanks The first effects of the flood began to be felt in Fairbanks late on the 29th, as the Tanana River overflowed its banks and covered low-lying areas of South Fairbanks. Thought was given on that date to closing the floodgates of the Moose Creek Dam, located on the Chena River as part of the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project, but the Chena's rise was not as rapid as that of the Tanana, which lies to the south of the town, and no action was taken on the 29th. Engineers also considered lowering the gates on the 30th, but the flow of the Chena River had not reached a level where computer models mandated the closing of the gates to protect Fairbanks. The Tanana River, which is not controlled by the flood project, meanwhile reached a crest of 26.60 feet at Fairbanks on the 30th. This amount was more than two feet above flood stage and was the highest level seen since August 1967, when the river crested at during the great 1967 Fairbanks flood. The height of the water caused flooding in the Rosie Creek and Chena Pump neighborhoods west of Fairbanks, and caused some residents to evacuate. Residents who remained were placed under a boil-water order for fear that floodwater had contaminated the public drinking water system. In response to the continuing spread of the flood, Fairbanks and Fairbanks North Star Borough authorities opened an emergency operations center to handle the response to the flood and answer residents' questions. Residents of the Rosie Creek neighborhood were awakened in the early morning hours of the 31st by borough warnings and volunteer firefighters, who instructed them to evacuate. High water had surrounded the residents' homes, causing many to flee to a shelter set up at a nearby elementary school. No residents were injured in the evacuation, something many of them credited to prompt and efficient warnings. The continued high water of the Tanana River caused overflow to flood into the nearby Chena, normally a tributary of the Tanana. Despite that unusual flow, engineers at the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project decided not to close the project's floodgates, forecasting that the Chena would not rise above flood stage, even with the increased flow. By the morning of August 1, the Tanana River had begun to fall in Fairbanks, just as the Salcha River had begun to recede in Salcha. Though isolated roads continued to wash out from heavy water flow and residents were not allowed to return to their homes, the water level of the river continued to fall. Due to this fact, the opening of Fairbanks' Tanana Valley Fair—scheduled for August 1—was not delayed. Despite the falling water level in the Tanana, the Chena River continued to rise due to the differing water levels in the two rivers. This fact caused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to close the floodgates of the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project at 3:30 a.m. on August 1. They remained closed throughout the day before being reopened at 5:30 a.m. on August 2. Nenana Though Nenana also received heavy rain from the storm system that began the flood, its position further downstream on the Tanana River meant that it did not receive the first effects of the flood until the 30th, when Alaska Railroad officials suspended operations south of Nenana due to track damage caused by rising water. On July 31, the Tanana River began to overflow its banks in Nenana. Water flooded the rails of the Alaska Railroad in town, caused an evacuation of the town's clinic, and flooded low-lying areas throughout the town. By August 1, the entire town was at least partially flooded, with most basements and other low-lying areas being completely filled by floodwater. The flooding of the Alaska Railroad track in town forced a halt to all passenger and freight operations between Anchorage and Fairbanks, effectively cutting off Fairbanks from rail traffic. On August 2, the Tanana River at Nenana crested at 14.64 feet. This total was more than four feet above flood stage and was the third-highest water level ever recorded, falling short of a 15.9-foot mark in 1948 and the record 18.9-foot mark recorded during the flood of 1967. The town shipyard was submerged under three feet of water, and the town's clinic was moved from its interim location in the fire station to the town airport after floodwater threatened the station. Town leaders encouraged residents to evacuate to higher ground until the flood receded. Nenana High School was saved from flooding by just eight inches of elevation. Water lapped around the school's base, but did not enter the school itself due to that small margin. High water lingered in the town until August 3, when a National Weather Service forecaster felt confident enough to say, "The worst is over." Aftermath On the morning of August 1, the mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Jim Whitaker, issued a disaster declaration for the drainage area of the Tanana River. In the declaration, he appealed for help from state and federal governments in the recovery process, saying, "substantial damage is occurring due to high water and river current on the Tanana River, the Salcha River and the Chena River, resulting in damage to over 500 private residences with an estimated 1,000 inhabitants and to the road networks" maintained by the borough and the state. The next day, the Alaska commissioner of military and veterans affairs and the state director of homeland security and emergency management toured the flooded areas by helicopter. On August 4, Alaska governor Sarah Palin visited Fairbanks to officially sign the disaster declaration and tour the flooded area. By the middle of August, the total damage from the flooding was estimated to be more than $10 million. In late September, President Bush approved a federal disaster declaration for the affected area, allowing federal aid to be spent on reconstruction efforts for damaged homes and buildings. Some Alaska subsistence fishermen feared the floods could exacerbate an already poor salmon fishing season by disrupting the spawning season for king salmon. References External links Fairbanks Daily News-Miner gallery of images from the flood. Tanana Valley flood 2008 in Alaska Natural disasters in Alaska Pacific Northwest storms Tanana Athabaskans Tanana Valley flood Tanana Valley flood

18807076

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%20Indian%20floods

2008 Indian floods

The 2008 Indian floods were a series of floods in various states of India during the 2008 monsoon season. The floods mostly affected the western regions of Maharashtra state and Andhra Pradesh as well as northern Bihar. In India, the monsoon season generally lasts from June to September. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (India)'s disaster management unit, the countrywide death toll from floods in various states was 2,404 between June and September. Early monsoon Earlier, during the start of the monsoon season, West Bengal and Orissa were hit with heavy rains, creating a flood-like situation in the two states. The monsoon killed 100 people, mostly in the country's east and north-east. In Andhra Pradesh alone, 42 people died in a matter of two days because of sudden, heavy rains. August flooding In August, the Konkan region of Maharashtra experienced heavy monsoon rains, placing lives in jeopardy. Many inter-city trains between Mumbai and Pune were cancelled. Heavy waterlogging had been reported from Chiplun, Rajapur, Khed and Mahad in Maharashtra. On 10 August 2008, a major landslide caused extensive damage to a three-story building at the Sinhgad Technical Education Society's (STES) academic campus in Lonavla. A large number of passengers were reportedly stranded at various railway stations across western Maharashtra as Central Railways canceled many trains. Vehicular traffic on the Mumbai-Pune expressway was also affected due to heavy rainfall and was diverted. In Mumbai, heavy rains lashed the city and its suburbs, affecting traffic and disrupting rail services on the days of 10–11 August. In Andhra Pradesh 119 relief camps were set up in the state, most of them in the Guntur and Krishna districts. Hyderabad, Krishna district, and the East and West Godavari districts were the worst affected areas due to floods. The situation in Andhra Pradesh was more deadly as 53 people reportedly died due to floods. In Hyderabad alone 14 people were killed, when they were crushed by the collapsing roofs of their homes. Bihar The nexus of the Bihar flood is the Kosi River's immense alluvial fan, extending some 185 km from the river's exit from the Himalayas and foothills in Nepal, down to its confluence with the Ganges in Bihar. The laws of geology and physics cause rivers to course back and forth across such fans in ephemeral channels lasting decades at most, but for flood control reasons man-made embankments endeavored to contain the Koshi within a channel along its fan's western edge. On 18 August, heavy monsoon rains caused the river to break out of this channel. It started flowing through an old channel much further east, inundating cropland and towns and villages with 1.2 million inhabitants, mostly in Bihar. Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar met India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek his help in dealing with the "catastrophe". The worst affected districts included Supaul, Madhepura, north Bhagalpur, Araria, Purnia (all by the Kosi) and West Champaran (by Gandak). Relief work was carried with Indian Air Force helicopters dropping relief materials in the worst hit districts. The district magistrate of Madhepura has ordered the inhabitants of the town of Madhepura to evacuate because the water level continued to rise. Relief work was carried with Indian Air Force helicopters dropping relief materials (including 600 food packets per day) from Purnia in the worst hit districts where nearly two million persons were entrapped. It is not possible to assess the magnitude of deaths or destruction, because the affected areas are totally inaccessible. Even mobile phones had stopped working, because entrapped persons cannot get their batteries charged. 150 persons were washed away in a single incident (Dainik Hindustan, Darbhanga edition). Another report says 42 people have died in the flood in Bihar. The Government of Bihar has constituted a technical committee, headed by retired engineer-in-chief of the water resource department, Nilendu Sanyal, to manage the restoration work and closure of the breach in the East Koshi afflux embankment. Indian authorities were working to prevent further widening of the breach and channels would be dug to direct the water back to the main river bed. However, Dainik Hindustan (Darbhanga edition) reported on Aug 28 that Indian officials were chased away by anti-social elements from the breach site in Nepal. Nepal's Defence Minister has made a statement that Nepal will repair the breach on its own, although it was not made clear when this work will be started. Dainik Hindustan (Darbhanga edition) later sent its reporter to the site of the Kushaha breach, who reported with photographs on Sep 5 that all earlier claims by government officials of repairing the breach and of Nepalis chasing away Indian officials were utterly false reports by Indian officials, because there were thick forests on the embankment and it was not possible to reach the site before the end of August. Forest on the embankment proves that these parts of Kosi embankments were not even visited for decades. Its maintenance was the responsibility of Indian, especially Bihar's officials. The life of these embankments elapsed over two decades ago, but no effort was taken to even survey their conditions, although the Bihar government spends huge sums on the maintenance of embankments each year. A high-level Government of Nepal team that inspected areas devastated by the flood in the Koshi River has held India responsible for the havoc. Media reports stated The devastation took place as the Indian side did not carry out repair and maintenance work on the Kosi barrage and the embankment along the river, thereby violating the Nepal-India Koshi agreement. As per the bilateral agreement of 1954 India is entirely responsible for repair and maintenance work and operation of the barrage. There was no effort by Indian officials to repair the breach in time, although the Kosi took 15 days to make the breach. On the other hand, Indian engineers say that anti-social elements in Nepal did not allow them to repair the embankment (Dainik Hindustan, Darbhanga edition, Aug 28). These so-called "anti-social" elements are the victims of the Kosi embankments who have been forced to bear tsunami-like floods every year; they are happy that the river wants to change its course. Kosi embankments are designed to contain the Kosi in the channel of the Tilyuga River, while the old course of the Kosi lies far to the east in Purnia district. Later, Dainik Hindustan reported on Sep 5 that Indian officials could not reach the site of breach as there were forests on the embankment which were cleared in early September, hence Indian officials were lying about being prevented to repair the breach: they had not visited the site for decades due to forests in the way. The New York Times reported that it is the worst flood in the area in 50 years, prompting Manmohan Singh to declare a “national calamity” on 28 August. The government earmarked US$230 million in aid for the region. The Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and non-governmental organizations operated the biggest flood rescue operation in India in more than 50 years. Death tolls rose from Indian floods as more than 65 people had been killed in monsoon rains. Villagers ate raw rice and flour mixed with polluted water in Bihar, amid hunger and diseases. Supaul district was the worst-hit by floods and surging waters swamped of farmlands, destroying wheat and paddy crops. September flooding In September, even as the Bihar floods had not receded completely, the north-eastern state of Assam faced floods with rising waters from the Brahmaputra River. Kaziranga National Park, which has the highest density of rhinos in the world, was 90% submerged in water. Also, Pobitra national park in Assam was flooded. Two rhinos have died in these floods. A tiger has killed one rhino calf. In addition, four deer and one elephant have also failed to survive. The flood situation has affected estimated 2.1 million people and caused 24 deaths so far. Worst affected districts are Dhubri, Jorhat, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Morigaon. Thousands of people are staying in makeshift shelters with the government providing food and other essentials to the displaced people, besides healthcare facilities. Indian officials say that the flooding situation could cause an epidemic, because refugees are consuming unclean water and food in shelters. Breaches in embankments have caused these floods in Assam. Four embankments on the Puthimari River, one constructed just three months ago, were breached causing the calamity. Waters have breached embankments at total 54 vital locations, and water levels are dangerously high in about 10 points. The Irish government is sending €350,000 (Rs. 22.3 million) in aid to the victims of the floods. Eastern Orissa state and most populous northern state Uttar Pradesh were flooded heavily causing more than 150 deaths from September 19 to September 22. Army has reached in UP to rescue at least a quarter million people and food packets have been supplied to the rescued. References Floods Indian floods Floods in India Floods in Nepal

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood%20Control%20Act%20of%201917

Flood Control Act of 1917

The Flood Control Act of 1917 ("Ransdell–Humphreys Flood Control Act of 1917", Ch 144, , enacted March 1, 1917) is an Act of Congress enacted in response to costly floods in the lower Mississippi Valley, the Northeast, and the Ohio Valley between 1907 and 1913. Legislative provisions It was enacted to control floods on the Mississippi River, the Ohio River, and the Sacramento River, not to exceed in the aggregate $45,000,000, with not more than $10,000,000 during any one fiscal year. All money appropriated under the act was expended under the direction of the Secretary of War in accordance with the plans, specifications, and recommendations of the Mississippi River Commission as approved by the Chief of Engineers. It included surveys and estimates to determine the cost of protecting the Mississippi River basin from floods. It also provided for the salaries, clerical, office, traveling, and miscellaneous expenses of the Mississippi River Commission. Local interests protected thereby were to contribute not less than one-half of the cost of construction. At the completion of any levee building, the levees were to be locally maintained with the Federal Government retaining control. No money was to be expended for any right of way for any levee which may be constructed in cooperation with any State or levee district under authority of this Act, but all such rights of way shall be provided free of cost to the United States. Other watercourses connected with the Mississippi River could, in the discretion of the commission, also be improved. Upon the completion of any levee constructed for flood control under authority of this Act, the levee was to be turned over to the levee district protected for maintenance; but for all other purposes the United States retained control upon completion. The act also required comprehensive studies of the watersheds as to the extent and character of the area to be affected by the proposed improvement, the probable effect upon any navigable water or waterway, possible economical development and utilization of water power, and other uses properly related to or coordinated with the project. All reports on preliminary examinations authorized, together with the report of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors were to be submitted to the Secretary of War by the Chief of Engineers and transmitted to the House of Representatives. See also For related legislation which sometime also implement flood control provisions, see also the following: Rivers and Harbors Act Water Resources Development Act Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954 References (1954): Prescribing rules and regulations relating to the administration of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act 1917 in the environment 1917 in American law 1917