Last updated 9:00 PM EST, February 21, 2006 by ERG | |||||||||||||||||||||
1996 Global Register of Major Flood Events - Scroll Down and Look For Links to Maps In The Country Column | |||||||||||||||||||||
DFO # | Country | Detailed Locations |
Rivers | Began | Ended | Duration (days) | Dead | Displaced | Damage (USD) | Main cause | Secondary cause | Recurrence Interval (anecdotal) | Severity Class* | Hectares flooded | Hayden Code | Affected Region ( sq km) | Flood Magnitude** | MODIS flood
inundation limit file names*** |
Notes and Comments | ||
98 | United States | Oregon, Washington, Idaho | Chehalis, Tualatin, Cowlitz, Skokomish, Willapa, Skookumchuck, Deschutes, White, Nisqually | 26-Dec-96 | 3-Jan-97 | 9 | 10 | 50 | $ 125,000,000 | Rain and snowmelt | 1 | 272,700 | 11.5 | Flooding and mudslides. Tualatin River 3 ft above flood level. Highest snowfall in 60 years. | |||||||
97 | Malaysia - Tropical Storm Greg | Borneo: Sabah state | 26-Dec-96 | 28-Dec-96 | 3 | 200 | 7,000 | $ 52,000,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 73,240 | 3.0 | Tropical Storm Greg. Millions of dollars in losses of infrastructure and agriculture. |
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96 | Spain, Portugal | Southern Spain Provinces: Seville, Cadiz | Tigus, Guadalate | 22-Dec-96 | 26-Dec-96 | 5 | 3 | 1,800 | $ 4,000,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 36,920 | 3.1 | 1,800 forced from their homes in southern Spain, 2,000 stranded in northern Portugal. $4 million worth of crops destroyed. | |||||||
95 | France | Southern France: Beziers, Aude, Eastern Pyrenees | Orbe, Rhone | 5-Dec-96 | 10-Dec-96 | 6 | 50 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 26,320 | 2.9 | Train tracks flooded, cutting off transport between Narbonne and Perpignan. Dozens evacuated by helicopter from Bezier's Bas du Faubourg quarter. Orbe river rose to 12.4 meters. | |||||||||
94 | Venezuela | Costal areas | 3-Dec-96 | 5-Dec-96 | 3 | 10,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 181,900 | 4.7 | |||||||||||
93 | Greece, Bulgaria | Northern Greece: Thrace, Eastern Macedonia Southern Bulgaria |
Kosthinos, Nestos | 1-Dec-96 | 4-Dec-96 | 4 | 5 | 300 | Heavy Rain | 1 | see notes | 23,590 | 2.1 | 900 buildings flooded. 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) of farmland flooded, cotton, tobacco and produce destroyed. | |||||||
92 | Albania | Northwest Albania: Lezha area | Drini | 19-Nov-96 | 21-Nov-96 | 3 | 0 | 50 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 4,000 | 1,120 | 0.4 | Dozens of farmers lost homes and livestock. Railways flooded. | |||||||
91 | Dominican Republic - Tropical Storm Marco | Northern Provinces: Santiago, Peurto Plata | Yuna, Yaque | 17-Nov-96 | 23-Nov-96 | 7 | 3 | 3,000 | Tropical Cyclone | 17 | 1 | 6,750 | 1.6 | Tropical Storm Marco.
Major loses of rice and livestock. Thousands homeless. Highest reservoir levels since Hurricane David in 1979. |
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90 | Haiti | Le Borgne | 13-Nov-96 | 17-Nov-96 | 5 | 18 | 160 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 1,040 | 0.5 | 40 houses destroyed, 100 more damaged. | |||||||||
89 | Egypt | Provinces: Aswan, Sohag, Asyut, Minya, Qena | Nile | 13-Nov-96 | 25-Nov-96 | 13 | 23 | 1,050 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 37,940 | 5.0 | Thousands of acres of land flooded. 260 houses destroyed. | ||||||||
88 | Iran | Mazandaran province | 9-Nov-96 | 13-Nov-96 | 5 | 5 | 12,000 | $ 20,000,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | see notes | 16,760 | 2.1 | 10,000 houses, 239 development projects, and 4,500 hectares of agricultural land were heavily damaged. | |||||||
87 | Iceland | Vatnajoekull glacier | 6-Nov-96 | 7-Nov-96 | 2 | 0 | $ 12,000,000 | Snowmelt | see notes | 1 | 5,680 | 0.5 | Flooding caused by melt waters from a large volcanic eruption
under the Vatnajoekull glacier in southeastern Iceland. Billions of cubic yards of water melted
from the glacier during an eruption in October were released. Severe damage to roads and bridges. |
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86 | India | Andhra Pradesh State: East and West Godavari districts | 6-Nov-96 | 10-Nov-96 | 5 | 2,500 | 140,000 | $ 1,000,000,000 | Tropical Cyclone | 19 | 2 | 742,000 | 21,450 | 4.7 | Over 742,000 hectares of crops - including rice, coconut and
fruit orchards - flooded, amounting to $857 million. 350,000 houses washed away. Worst cyclone since 1977. |
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85 | Somolia | Central Somolia: Jowhar | Shabelle | 6-Nov-96 | 10-Nov-96 | 5 | 0 | 2,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 2,000 | 64,920 | 4.1 | Heavy rains in Ethiopian highlands caused the Shabelle River to overflow in Somalia. 1,800 hectares (4,860 acres) of maize, beans, sorghum and rice destroyed. 500 families homeless. | |||||||
84 | Sudan | Bahr el-Ghazal State: Bor, Tonj | Nile | 22-Oct-96 | 26-Oct-96 | 5 | 102 | 8,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 69,800 | 4.3 | |||||||||
83 | India | States: Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu (Madras) | 21-Oct-96 | 25-Oct-96 | 5 | 326 | 100,000 | $ 128,500,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | see notes | 177,500 | 6.8 | 1.7 million hectares of crops damaged. Heavy rains caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal. | |||||||
82 | Indonesia | Java: Central Java Province - Banyumas, Cilacap, Kebumen, capital city Semarang | 20-Oct-96 | 22-Oct-96 | 3 | 13 | 5,000 | $ 300,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | see notes | 11,940 | 1.2 | 4,000 hectares of rice fields and 4,000 of soybeans destroyed. | |||||||
81 | United States | Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania | Muddy | 19-Oct-96 | 23-Oct-96 | 5 | 5 | 700 | Heavy Rain | 21 | 2 | 67,010 | 8.3 | Nor'easter. 320 evacuated in Massachusetts, hundreds in New Jersey. Multiple rainfall records broken: up to 18 inches. 5 ft of water on some Maine roads. Worst flooding in Manville, New Jersey in 21 years. |
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80 | Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama - Tropical Storm Lili | Honduras: Provinces - Olancho Costa Rica: Provinces - Guanacaste, San Jose, Puntarenas, Cartago, Limon |
Chamelecon, Ulua, Tempisque | 14-Oct-96 | 18-Oct-96 | 5 | 11 | 10,500 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 272,800 | 8.4 | Tropical Storm Lili. | ||||||||
79 | Mexico | Eastern States: Tampulipas, Durango, Coahuila | 6-Oct-96 | 10-Oct-96 | 5 | 9,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 366,800 | 9.7 | |||||||||||
78 | Thailand | Central Provinces: Kanchanaburi, Bangkok | Chao Phrya | 3-Oct-96 | 28-Oct-96 | 26 | 60 | Monsoonal rain | 1 | 18,000 | 116,500 | 11.1 | Chao Phrya River over 6 ft above sea level | ||||||||
77 | Vietnam | Southern Provinces: An Giang, Dong Thap, Tien Giang | Mekong | 1-Oct-96 | 13-Nov-96 | 44 | 162 | 200,000 | $ 50,000,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 10,000 | 22,610 | 5.7 | 200,000 homes flooded and 600,000 tons of rice threatened. | ||||||
76 | Bosnia | Central and Northern Regions: Bihac, Odzak | Bosna, Sava | 20-Sep-96 | 24-Sep-96 | 5 | 1 | Heavy Rain | 20 | 2 | 24,390 | 5.0 | Worst flooding in decades. Damage to multiple bridges. | ||||||||
75 | China - Typhoon Willie | Provinces: Guangdong (Liezhou Peninsula), Hainan Island | Niandu | 20-Sep-96 | 1-Oct-96 | 12 | 38 | $ 100,000,000 | Tropical Cyclone | 10 | 1 | 155,000 | 36,470 | 4.7 | Typhoon Willie. Up to 15 in of rain. 110,000 hectares of rice crop affected, 6,000 hectares of sugarcane toppled, 4,000 hectares of mangos and 35,000 hectares of bananas destroyed. Total agricultural losses reached 581 million yuan (70 million dollars). 300 hectares of shrimp farms inundated totalling 140 million yuan (16.9 million dollars) in losses. Strongest typhoon in Hainan in past 10 yrs. |
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74 | United States | Texas Panhandle: Perryton | Wolf Creek | 18-Sep-96 | 20-Sep-96 | 3 | 0 | Brief Torrential Rain | 1 | 5,540 | 0.8 | 6 inches of rain overnight. Highway bridge ripped away. | |||||||||
73 | Canada - Hurricane Hortense | Nova Scotia: Cape Breton, Halifax, St. Paul's Island, Bedford | 15-Sep-96 | 18-Sep-96 | 4 | 0 | Tropical Cyclone | 21 | 2 | 47,110 | 6.0 | Hurricane Hortense. Winds over 100 mph. Over 5.4 inches of rain. First hurricane to hit the region since Blanche in 1975. | |||||||||
72 | Mexico - Hurricane Fausto | Baja California: Todos Santos, San Jose del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas | 13-Sep-96 | 14-Sep-96 | 2 | 1 | 300 | Tropical Cyclone | 1 | 9,300 | 0.7 | Hurricane Fausto. Several hundred evacuated. Up to 12 inches of rain. | |||||||||
71 | Cambodia, Laos | Cambodia Provinces: Phnom Penh, Ratankiri,
Kratie, Prey Veng, Kampong Cham, Steung Treng, Pursat, Battambang, Siem Reap,
Kompong Thom Laos Provinces: Savannakhet, Champasak, Pakse |
Tonie Sap, Mekong, Bassac | 27-Sep-96 | 4-Oct-96 | 8 | 46 | 1,000 | $ 5,100,000 | Monsoonal rain | 18 | 1 | 120,000 | 232,600 | 10.0 | Worst floods in Cambodia since 1978. 296,516 acres (120,000 hectares) of rice fields destroyed. | |||||
70 | Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti - Hurricane Hortense | Puerto Rico: Mayaguez, San Juan, St.
Croix, Ponce, Guayama, Loiza, Punta Diamante, Arecibo Dominican Republic: Hispaniola, Samana Peninsula |
La Plata | 11-Sep-96 | 19-Sep-96 | 9 | 24 | 10,000 | $ 155,000,000 | Tropical Cyclone | 1 | 11,200 | 2.3 | Hurricane Hortense. 18 inches of rain in Puerto Rico. Floodwaters up to 5 ft. $128 million worth of crops lost. | |||||||
69 | Sudan | Khartoum province | Nile | 10-Sep-96 | 15-Sep-96 | 6 | 0 | 800 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 10,690 | 1.9 | At least 200 homes destroyed. | ||||||||
68 | Nepal | Northern Nepal | 6-Sep-96 | 13-Sep-96 | 8 | 20 | 1,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 8,000 | 1.9 | Bridge on the Arniko highway, linking Kathmandu to the northern border, was destroyed. | |||||||||
67 | United States - Hurricane Fran | Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Washington D.C. | Shenandoah, Potomac, Dan, James, Rappahannock, Nuese | 5-Sep-96 | 13-Sep-96 | 9 | 34 | 4,000 | $ 2,000,000,000 | Tropical Cyclone | Heavy Rain | 1 | 293,700 | 11.9 | Hurricane Fran. | ||||||
66 | Pakistan | Punjab province | 2-Sep-96 | 7-Sep-96 | 6 | 119 | 100,000 | Heavy Rain | 20 | 2 | 400,000 | 203,000 | 16.1 | 3,000 villages inundated -
18,000 houses in 19 districts. 1 million acres of crops damaged. 181 head of
cattle killed. Worst flooding in
Punjab in two decades. |
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65 | Sudan | Provinces: Khartoum, Omdurman | Nile | 2-Sep-96 | 6-Sep-96 | 5 | 17 | 4,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 107,500 | 5.3 | More than 1,000 homes destroyed in the state of Khartoum. | ||||||||
64 | North Korea, South Korea | North Korea Provinces: Hwanghae, North
Phyongan, Kangwon South Korea Provinces: Kangwon |
Amnok | 25-Jul-96 | 30-Aug-96 | 37 | 205 | 535,000 | $ 2,353,000,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 100,900 | 11.5 | Up to 800 mm of precipitation.
26,900 head of cattle and poultry killed. 290,000 hectares of crops
flooded in North Korea. 3,200 hectares of farmland inundated in South
Korea. |
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63 | Bangladesh | Districts: Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Dinajpur, Sherpur | Mahananda, Padma, Ganges | 26-Aug-96 | 7-Sep-96 | 13 | 20 | 100,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 26,910 | 4.2 | Damage to rice crops. | ||||||||
62 | Vietnam | Provinces: Vinh Phu, Lai Chau, Son La, Lao Cai | Red | 18-Aug-96 | 25-Aug-96 | 8 | 55 | 90,000 | Monsoonal rain | Dam/Levy, break or release | 25 | 2 | 84,500 | 12.1 | Dike on the Red River burst north of Hanoi. Railroad lines and
highways flooded. Worst flooding in Hanoi since 1971. |
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61 | Ethiopia | Western and Central Ethiopia regions: Gambella, Wondji, East-Shoa, Oromo, Afar | Baro, Guilo, Akobo, Awash | 12-Aug-96 | 30-Aug-96 | 19 | 30,000 | Heavy Rain | Dam/Levy, break or release | 60 | 2 | 2,000 | 468,900 | 40.3 | Thousands of acres of farmland destroyed including fruit,
cotton, and 17,290 acres of sugar cane. Wondji floods aggravated by release
from the Awash river's Koka dam to prevent it from breaking. Worst floods on Awash river in 60 yrs. |
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60 | Mongolia | Ulan Bator | Tuul, Selbe | 9-Aug-96 | 11-Aug-96 | 3 | 6 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 4,370 | 0.7 | Destruction to cattle and buildings. | |||||||||
59 | Spain | Pyrenees: Huesca Province, Las Nieves campsite | Gallego | 7-Aug-96 | 9-Aug-96 | 3 | 85 | 800 | Heavy Rain | Avalanche related | 1 | 3,510 | 0.7 | Flooding and mudslides. | |||||||
58 | Turkey | Istanbul | 7-Aug-96 | 11-Aug-96 | 5 | 2 | 180 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 2,205 | 0.8 | 45 houses flooded. | |||||||||
57 | China - Typhoon Kirk | Provinces: Fujian, Guangdong | 6-Aug-96 | 10-Aug-96 | 5 | 266 | 100,000 | $ 200,000,000 | Heavy Rain | 30 | 2 | 58,000 | 138,200 | 12.0 | Typhoon Kirk. Flooded more than 70,000 houses and 58,000 hectares of farmland, and destroyed 15,000 water conservation facilities. Worst flooding in more than 30 years in Shandong. |
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56 | Russia | Far East Provinces: Primorye (Dalnerechensk), Khabarovsk | 1-Aug-96 | 25-Aug-96 | 25 | 4 | 14,000 | $ 140,000,000 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 2,600,000 | 524,900 | 23.3 | Floods have downed power lines, destroyed nearly 9,000 hectares (22,000 acres) of crops, inundated around 200 kilometers (125 miles) of roads, damaged 29 bridges, and destroyed 3,444 homes. | |||||||
55 | Philippines - Typhoons Gloring (Gloria) and Huaning (Herb) | Luzon Provinces: Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Bataan | 22-Jul-96 | 3-Aug-96 | 13 | 89 | 40,000 | $ 53,700,000 | Heavy Rain | Dam/Levy, break or release | 1 | 23,200 | 3.9 | Typhoons Gloring (Gloria) and Huaning (Herb). Floodwater up to 4
ft. $46 million worth of agriculture
products and infrastructure projects destroyed by Gloring, $7.7 million in
infrastructure destroyed by Huaning.
Over 10,000 families forced to evacuate. A 5.8 earthquake on 7/31 in Pampanga caused a dike in the Gumain River in Dinalupihan to collapse, releasing water from the typhoons and flooding adjacent villiages. |
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54 | China | Guangxi Province: Guigang, Guiping, Pingnan, Tengxian, Cangwu, Wuzhou | Xijiang | 19-Jul-96 | 25-Jul-96 | 7 | 0 | 0 | Heavy Rain | 1 | 17,020 | 2.5 | Highest flood peak on xijiang river surpassed without suffering deaths or major economic losses - due to huge flood control efforts (dikes, reservoirs, sandbags) 2 yrs prior. | ||||||||
53 | Nepal | Sindhupalchok District: Tatopani | Bhairav Kunda | 20-Jul-96 | 23-Jul-96 | 4 | 61 | 72 | Monsoonal rain | 1 | 3,250 | 0.8 | 18 houses destroyed by flash flooding. | ||||||||
52 | Bangladesh | Central and Southern Districts: Manikganj, Dhaka, Munshiganj, Rajbari, Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur | Brahmaputra, Ganges, Meghna, Buriganga | 19-Jul-96 | 2-Aug-96 | 15 | 50 | 2,300,000 | $ 15,000,000 | Monsoonal rain | 1 | 65,000 | 69,100 | 7.1 | 590,000 families affected, 73,000 houses destroyed and 161,000 damaged. 86,000 acres (34,400 hectares) of crops destroyed and 164,000 acres (65,600 hectares) of farmland affected. | ||||||
51 | Canada | Southern Quebec: Saguenay-Lac St. Jean region | Saguenay, Chicoutimi | 19-Jul-96 | 22-Jul-96 | 4 | 10 | 12,000 | $ 750,000,000 | Heavy rain | Dam/Levy, break or release | 1 | 52,910 | 3.2 | Torrential rains. 1500-2000 houses completely destroyed. | ||||||
50 | United States | Western Pennsylnvania | Ohio | 18-Jul-96 | 21-Jul-96 | 4 | 2 | 115 | $ 20,000,000 | Heavy rain | 40 | 2 | 53,520 | 6.4 | 8 bridges swept away and 22 others submerged. Over 750 homes damaged and 9
destroyed. More than 4 inches of
rain. |
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49 | Thailand - Typhoons Gloria and Frankie | Northern and Central Provinces: Chumphon, Chiang Rai, Nan, Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Rayong, Ranong | 18-Jul-96 | 21-Aug-96 | 35 | 29 | 343,386 | $ 13,500,000 | Tropical cyclone | 1 | 314,300 | 19.9 | Typhoons Gloria and Frankie. 46 of 76 provinces hit. 6909 hectares of farmland damaged and 1,720 farm animals killed. | ||||||||
48 | India | Bihar state: Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Saharsa districts | Gandak, Kosi, Sone, Bagmati, Andhwara | 17-Jul-96 | 10-Aug-96 | 25 | 74 | 4,000,000 | $ 980,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 171,900 | 13.3 | Affected: 3,634 villages in 18 districts, 5.435 million people. Damaged: property worth over 32.9 million rupees ( 0.98 million us dollars), 24,330 houses. | |||||||
47 | Liberia | Monrovia | 15-Jul-96 | 18-Jul-96 | 4 | Brief torrential rain | 1 | 18,260 | 1.9 | Flooding over 1 meter deep. | |||||||||||
46 | India | West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam | Brahmaputra | 10-Jul-96 | 24-Jul-96 | 15 | 82 | 3,000,000 | $ 85,000,000 | Monsoonal rain | 1 | 129,000 | 9.7 | Tens of thousands of hectares of Assam farmland flooded. | |||||||
45 | Iran | Provinces: East and West Azerbaijan | 12-Jul-96 | 16-Jul-96 | 5 | 25 | $ 15,000,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 19,000 | 101,600 | 5.1 | 400 homes and 9,000 hectares of agricultural fields damaged. 2,000 livestock killed. Unseasonal torrential rain. | ||||||||
44 | Indonesia | Northern Sumatra: Band Aceh | 5-Jul-96 | 10-Jul-96 | 6 | 0 | 18,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 10,100 | 1.8 | 40-75 cm of flood water. | |||||||||
43 | Venezuela | Southern Amazon: Amazona state | Orinoco | 1-Jul-96 | 20-Jul-96 | 20 | 15,000 | Heavy rain | 3000 | 3 | 179,100 | 38.0 | Thousands of members of the
ancient Yanomami tribe homeless and lacking food. 'We've lived here thousands of years and
this never happened,'' Fermin Irayawe, a Yanomami Indian and Upper Orinoco
Municipality council member. Floods have submerged one-third of the 184,000-square kilometer (110,000-square mile) state. Up to 10 meters of water. The normal depth of the Orinoco is 40 meters (132 feet). It has risen to 50.9 meters (168 feet). Last major flooding was in 1976 when the river rose to 52.2 meters (172 feet). |
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42 | Russia | Siberia: Irkutsk Region | 3-Jul-96 | 7-Jul-96 | 5 | 220,000 | $ 266,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 6,000 | 614,600 | 12.6 | 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) of crops damaged. | ||||||||
41 | China | Provinces: Zhejiang, Anhui | Tianxi, Qingyijiang, Shuiyangjiang | 30-Jun-96 | 8-Jul-96 | 9 | 43 | 271,200 | $ 450,000,000 | Heavy rain | 50 | 2 | 100,000 | 236,700 | 21.4 | Zhejiang: 4.51 million
people affected, 6,507 villages and 290,000 hectares of farmland
flooded. Tianmu: 200 mm of rain in 24 hrs. Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou plain: over 200 mm of rain in 24 hrs. Heaviest rains in 50 yrs, flooding forced closure of Zhejiang's West Lake tourist attraction for the first time in 50 yrs. |
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40 | Bangladesh | Northern and Western Districts: Jamalpur, Sherpur, Khagrachari, Sirajganj, Netrakona, Gaibandha, Rangamati | Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Bhogai, Someswari, Maharashi, Ganges, Dharala | 27-Jun-96 | 9-Jul-96 | 13 | 6 | 72,000 | Monsoonal rain | 1 | 59,270 | 6.2 | Rice crops damaged. 16 of 64 districts flooded. Up to 5 in of rain in one day. | ||||||||
39 | India | Rajasthan state | Ruprel, Fanali | 10-Jun-96 | 30-Jun-96 | 21 | 63 | 20,000 | Monsoonal rain | 1 | 328,700 | 17.5 | 5,000 homes collapsed. | ||||||||
38 | Italy | Regions: Toscana, Veneto, Lombardia, Emilia Romagna | Tagliamento, Seveso, Lambro | 19-Jun-96 | 23-Jun-96 | 5 | 17 | 300 | $ 1,000,000,000 | Heavy rain | 20 | 1 | 66,760 | 4.2 | Heaviest rainstorm since 1966. Flooding and mudslides. Hundreds evacuated. | ||||||
37 | China | Provinces: Guizhou, Guangdong (Yanxi, Yanjiang, Daling) | Pearl | 17-Jun-96 | 20-Jun-96 | 4 | 100 | 40,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 233,500 | 6.7 | 20 in rainfall in Yangi. 2,000 hectares of farmland flooded. | ||||||||
102 | United States - Tropical Storm Alfred | Maryland, Pennsylvania | Patapsco | 17-Jun-96 | 23-Jun-96 | 7 | 5 | 50 | Heavy rain | 40 | 2 | 18,340 | 5.3 | Tropical
Storm Alfred - record rainfalls: 2.25 in 6/18 in Pittsburgh, PA, breaking the
daily record of 1.56 in set in 1932. 4.65 in 6/18 in Erie, breaking the 1957
daily record of 2.8 in. ''I was born in this house and never have seen anything this bad" - Jesse Springer, 37, Emmitsburg, MD. Dozens in Western MD forced from their homes, hundreds stranded. Up to 13 in of rain. 10.7 in of rain in Gettysburg, PA in 6 hrs. |
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101 | Yemen | Central and Eastern Yemen Provinces: Shabwa, Maarib, Abyan, Hadramut, Al-Jawf | 13-Jun-96 | 25-Jun-96 | 13 | 340 | 37,770 | $ 1,200,000,000 | Heavy rain | 2 | 191,000 | 22.4 | 1,274 homes destroyed. 80% of farmland flooded. Thousands of hectares of crops and thousands of cattle lost. | ||||||||
36 | Somalia | Beledweyne | Shabelle | 13-Jun-96 | 14-Jun-96 | 2 | 3 | 400 | Heavy rain | Dam/Levy, break or release | 1 | 300 | 4,530 | 0.5 | Dozens of animals drowned after the nur farah water dam collapsed following 24 hrs of rain. 300 hectares of farm lands growing maize, sesame, sorghum and beans destroyed. 30 km affected. | ||||||
100 | China | Jiangxi province (Fuzhou, Yichun, Ji'an, Yifeng) | Fuhe, Ganjiang | 30-May-96 | 2-Jun-96 | 4 | 0 | 22,800 | Heavy rain | 1 | 150,100 | 5.4 | 150,000 hectares (370,500 acres) of cultivated land damaged, 5,700 houses to collapsed, and 472 kilometers (295 miles) of highway affected. | ||||||||
35 | Ethiopia | Eastern Ethiopia Regions: Afar, Somali | Awash, Wabe Shebele | 29-May-96 | 10-Jun-96 | 13 | 40 | 50,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 355,400 | 15.3 | 6 weeks of unusually heavy rains. 4,000 hectares (9,880 acres) of agricultural land destroyed when the Wabi River overflowed. | ||||||||
34 | Indonesia | West Java: Kedung Badak, Kebun Pedas | Cipakancilan | 16-May-96 | 20-May-96 | 5 | 4 | Heavy rain | 1 | 870 | 0.5 | ||||||||||
33 | Yemen | Western Yemen: Hudayda and Taiz regions | 14-May-96 | 18-May-96 | 5 | 7 | 5,000 | $ 10,000,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 19,290 | 2.2 | 139 houses destroyed and 150 damaged. Also damage to roads and drainage systems. | ||||||||
32 | United States | West Virginia, Kentuckey (Pike County), Ohio | Guyandotte, Big Sandy | 13-May-96 | 20-May-96 | 8 | 3 | 2,500 | Heavy rain | 1 | 63,660 | 5.2 | 6.5 in of rain. Guyandotte River crested 6 ft above flood stage. Big Sandy River crested at 13 ft above flood stage. 2500 forced to evacuate in West Virginia. | ||||||||
31 | Czech Republic | North Moravia - Bruntal, Lichnov | Vltava, Berounka, Elbe | 10-May-96 | 14-May-96 | 5 | 1 | 60 | $ 36,000,000 | Heavy rain | 51 | 2 | 9,860 | 3.2 | Worst flooding in Bruntal area since 1945. | ||||||
30 | Australia | Southern Queensland (Brisbane), Northern New South Wales (Grafton) | 2-May-96 | 9-May-96 | 8 | 4 | 120 | $ 80,000,000 | Heavy rain | 22 | 2 | 330,400 | 23.9 | Most severe flooding in Grafton area since 1974 - 150 mm of rain in one week. | |||||||
99 | United States | Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois | White, Wabash | 28-Apr-96 | 2-May-96 | 5 | 6 | 3,000 | Heavy rain | 30 | 2 | 394,900 | 20.2 | Up to 9 in
of rain in 3 days, thousands forced to leave their homes. Indiana: Evansville received a record 7 in of rain in 24 hrs. Southern Indiana - worst flooding in nearly 30 years. 6 counties declared emergencies. Wabash River at its highest since 1994. |
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29 | Algeria | Eastern Algeria: Annaba | 23-Apr-96 | 30-Apr-96 | 8 | 5 | Heavy rain | 1 | 101,900 | 6.6 | Worst flooding was around the port city of Annaba. | ||||||||||
28 | Brazil | Pernambuco state: Recife | Beberibe, Capibaribe | 23-Apr-96 | 30-Apr-96 | 8 | 53 | 3,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 18,680 | 2.8 | Floods and landslides. | ||||||||
27 | Afghanistan | Southwestern, Western, Northern Provinces: Faryab, Faizabad-Badakhshan | 9-Apr-96 | 23-Apr-96 | 15 | 115 | 120,000 | Heavy rain | Snowmelt | 1 | 227,000 | 12.9 | 7 provinces hit, worst flooding in several years. Faryab was hardest hit: 2,800 houses, 930 acres of agricultural land, 3,350 cattle, 28 flour mills, 12 mosques and 5 schools destroyed. | ||||||||
26 | Kenya | Nyanza province: Kano, Lower Nyakach, Karachuonyo, Kisumu district (West Nyakach), Homa Bay district (East Karachuonyo) | 8-Apr-96 | 11-Apr-96 | 4 | 0 | 1,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 12,430 | 1.5 | ||||||||||
25 | Ukraine | Districts: Luhanska, Rivnenska, Khmelnitska, Belovodski, Starobelski, Swatovski, Markovski, Kremenski, Ivanofrankovsk, Kolomyisky, Snyatovsky | Prypyat, Deikun | 10-Apr-96 | 22-Apr-96 | 13 | 0 | 10,000 | Snowmelt | 1 | 592,500 | 19.7 | Over 2,000 homes flooded. Tens of thousands of farm animals evacuated. Melting of winter snowfall that was twice the normal amount. | ||||||||
24 | Indonesia | South Sumatra: Ulu Musi district - Lahat Regency (Galang, Tanjung Agung) | Air Betung | 27-Mar-96 | 31-Mar-96 | 5 | 20 | 506 | $ 430,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 67,730 | 4.2 | 14 hrs of torrential rain. | |||||||
23 | Iran | Provinces: Khuzestan, Lorestan, Hamadan (Saveh), Ilam (Abdanan, Shirvan, Qhardaval, Zarin Abad) | Karoun, Khorramabad, Jarahi, Karkhe | 28-Mar-96 | 1-Apr-96 | 5 | 22 | $ 7,930,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 24,000 | 121,600 | 5.6 | Khuzestan: rain and mudslides, 24,000 hectares (59,300 acres) of
farmland damaged and 1,840 farm animals killed. Saveh: 250 livestock killed. |
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22 | Indonesia | Java: Pekalongan District | 1-Mar-96 | 3-Mar-96 | 3 | 0 | 18,584 | Heavy rain | 1 | 15,780 | 1.4 | Over 10,000 homes in Pekalongan inundated and 18,584 people evacuated. Rains caused rivers to overflow their banks. | |||||||||
21 | Mozambique - Cyclone Bonita | Central and Southern Provinces: Zambezia, Gaza (Xai Xai, Chokwe), Maputo, Inhambane | Limpopo, Incomati, Pungue, Zambezi, Save, Olifants | 13-Feb-96 | 29-Feb-96 | 17 | 11 | 200,000 | $ 14,500,000 | Tropical Cyclone | Heavy rain | 1 | 100,000 | 264,700 | 14.6 | Flooding following Cyclone Bonita. 100,000 hectares of crops destroyed, 150,000 cattle left without grazing land. Gaza Province: Limpopo up to 12 kilometres (7.44 miles) wide, over 3000 hectares of crops destroyed in Chibuto County. |
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20 | Brazil | Provinces: Rio de Janeiro (Itaguai, Vidigal, Rio das Pedras, Rocinha, Sao Conrado, Barra da Tijuca, Jacarepagua), Sao Paulo | 13-Feb-96 | 15-Feb-96 | 3 | 87 | 10,000 | Heavy rain | 100 | 3 | 142,900 | 12.5 | Worst rainstorms in Rio de Janeiro's history - 30 cm in 2 days. Flooding and mudslides. | ||||||||
19 | South Africa | Provinces: Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Free State, North West, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern | Vaal, Queens, Crocodile, Limpopo, Olifants, Klein Letaba, Mogolo | 9-Feb-96 | 19-Feb-96 | 11 | 66 | 3,000 | $ 6,860,000 | Heavy rain | 38 | 2 | 582,300 | 36.6 | Thousands homeless and dozens missing. Olifants River at highest level in 38 years | ||||||
18 | United States | Oregon, Idaho (Counties: Benwah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone, Nez Perce Indian Reservation), Washington, Montana | Willamette, Columbia | 7-Feb-96 | 13-Feb-96 | 7 | 7 | 24,900 | $ 500,000,000 | Heavy rain | Snowmelt | 1 | 482,600 | 13.5 | Willamette 10 ft above
flood stage. Columbia 11 feet above
flood stage. 22,000 evacuated in Oregon, 1,000 in Montana, 7,000 in Washington, 1,200 in Idaho. |
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17 | Indonesia | Jakarta | 9-Feb-96 | 13-Feb-96 | 5 | 20 | 30,000 | $ 434,800,000 | Heavy rain | 54 | 2 | 1,190 | 1.1 | Rainfall 5 times the normal levels, worst flooding since 1942. Tens of thousands of people left homeless, 565,000 people affected. | |||||||
16 | Costa Rica | Provinces: Cartago (Turrialba), Limon (Siquirres, Limon), Heredia | 7-Feb-96 | 14-Feb-96 | 8 | 9 | 100,000 | $ 10,000,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 7,450 | 1.8 | 15-20 percent of its banana
exports lost. $10 million in damages to houses, roads, and bridges. |
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15 | South Africa | Northern province: Giyani district, Mapayeni Village, Kruger Park | Ritavi | 6-Feb-96 | 10-Feb-96 | 5 | 1 | 100 | Heavy rain | 1 | 5,000 | 1.1 | |||||||||
14 | Mozambique | Province: Gaza (Chokwe) | Incomati, Limpopo | 27-Jan-96 | 29-Jan-96 | 3 | Heavy rain | 1 | 12,620 | 1.2 | 100 mm of rain for 3 days. | ||||||||||
13 | France | Languedoc-Roussillon Province - Herault region: Beziers, Puisserguier, Cassenon, Agde, Serignan, Puissalicon, Magalas | Orb, Libron, Herault | 27-Jan-96 | 30-Jan-96 | 4 | 4 | 600 | $ 6,000,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 2,140 | 0.6 | $6 million in damage to roads, schools, and buildings - not including private property. | |||||||
12 | South Africa | Durban, Ladysmith, Tokoza | Klip | 24-Jan-96 | 27-Jan-96 | 4 | 4 | 1,200 | Heavy rain | 9 | 1 | 91,480 | 4.2 | Wettest summer since
1987. 300 homes evacuated in Ladysmith. |
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11 | Morocco | South: Provinces - Essaouira, Azilal, Settat, Taroudant; Region -
Chichaoua. North: Provinces - Tangiers, Chefchaouen, Kenitra; Region - Gharb. Center: Provinces - Khemisset, Sidi Kacem, Safi; Region - Casablanca. |
Lihoud | 21-Jan-96 | 1-Feb-96 | 12 | 23 | 2,400 | Heavy rain | 1 | 172,800 | 280,200 | 13.2 | Region of Gharb: 90,000
hectares (222,000 acres) of agricultural land under water, 600 families
homeless. El Jadida province: 3,550 hectares of crops submerged. Tetouan province: 17,000 hectares of crops damaged. Sidi Kacem province: 26,000 hectares of farmland flooded. Kenitra province: 36,250 hectares of farmland submerged. Several rivers flooded. |
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10 | Canada | Chateauguay, Quebec (town of Hinchinbrooke) | Chateauguay | 19-Jan-96 | 25-Jan-96 | 7 | 0 | 12,000 | Ice jam/break-up | 1 | 1,270 | 0.7 | Record snowfalls in late November and early December followed by unseasonably warm temperatures and rain. | ||||||||
9 | Zimbabwe | Gokwe, Musampakaruma | Gunguwe | 16-Jan-96 | 22-Jan-96 | 7 | 0 | Heavy rain | 45 | 2 | 18,900 | 5.4 | Rainfall up to 150 millimeters in 24 hrs in some areas. Crops, huts, roads, and livestock lost. | ||||||||
8 | United States | New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, New Jersey | Ohio, Delaware, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Allegheny, Monongahela, Neversink, Conhocton, Canisteo | 15-Jan-96 | 21-Jan-96 | 7 | 35 | 200,000 | $ 532,000,000 | Snowmelt | Heavy rain | 24 | 1 | 136,100 | 7.2 | Record snowfall 1/7 and 1/12 followed by rapid melting and rains. Damage to over 50,000 homes, 28 sewage treatment plants. In hardest hit areas of PA, worst flooding since Hurricane Agnes 1972 | |||||
7 | Panama | Regions: Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Panama, Cocle | 14-Jan-96 | 16-Jan-96 | 3 | 6 | Heavy rain | 1 | 31,010 | 1.9 | |||||||||||
6 | Mozambique | Maputo province | Maputo | 12-Jan-96 | 15-Jan-96 | 4 | 0 | 5,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | see notes | 9,870 | 1.4 | 400 hectares of crops flooded. | |||||||
5 | Philippines | Mindanao: Surigao del Sur province (San Miguel) | 6-Jan-96 | 12-Jan-96 | 7 | 0 | 2,000 | see notes | Heavy rain | 1 | 4,870 | 1.4 | Millions of pesos of crops and infrastructure destroyed. | ||||||||
4 | Indonesia | Jakarta | Ciliwung | 6-Jan-96 | 9-Jan-96 | 4 | 10 | 28,000 | Heavy rain | 20 | 1 | 5,000 | 1,175 | 0.5 | Floodwaters up to 7 meters. | ||||||
3 | Brazil | Central and Southern Brazil: Sao Paulo, Sao Jose dos Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Bauru, Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul | Tiete | 25-Dec-95 | 8-Jan-96 | 15 | 100 | 30,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 1,408,000 | 32.1 | Floods and landslides. | ||||||||
2 | Romania | North: Transylvania, Moldova, Maramures, Cluj, Neamt Central: Mures, Alba, Hunedoara, Bacau South: Arad |
Bistritza, Aries, Somesh, Cris | 28-Dec-95 | 7-Jan-96 | 11 | 2 | 19,000 | $ 12,000,000 | Heavy rain | Snowmelt | 25 | 2 | 70,000 | 187,000 | 20.7 | Heaviest snowfall since 1970 followed by melting and rain. 170,000 acres of farmland flooded, also 220 villiages and 300 miles of road. Property damage and losses exceeding those of the 1970 flood disaster in Romania. 4,000 houses in northwestern Romania washed away, thousands in southern Romania taken to safer areas. 75% of the country affected. |
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1 | South Africa | Kwazulu Natal province - Pietermaritzburg | Msunduze, Slangspruit | 25-Dec-95 | 2-Jan-96 | 9 | 157 | 2,000 | $ 600,000,000 | Heavy rain | 1 | 26,830 | 3.6 | 70 mm of rain in less than 30 min on 12/25. Entire squatter camps washed out. |
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Yearly Totals or Averages: | 9 | 6210 | 12,798,803 | $ 12,198,866,000 | 4,673,100 | 13,295,550 | |||||||||||||||
An archive number is assigned to any flood that appears to be "large": significant damage to structures or agriculture, long intervals since the last similar event, and/or fatalities | |||||||||||||||||||||
*Severity Class | |||||||||||||||||||||
Class 1: large flood events: significant damage to structures or agriculture; fatalities; and/or 1-2 decades-long reported interval since the last similar event. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Class 2: very large events: greater than 20 yr but less than 100 year recurrence interval, and/or a local recurrence interval of at 10-20 yr. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Class 3: Extreme events: with an estimated recurrence interval greater than 100 years | |||||||||||||||||||||
**Flood Magnitude = ln(duration) * severity class * sqrt(affected region)/100 {if duration=1, then duration is set at 1.1 for this calculation.} | |||||||||||||||||||||
*** Available on request | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dartmouth Flood Observatory Homepage | |||||||||||||||||||||
Causes | |||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Heavy rain | ||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Tropical cyclone | ||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Extra-tropical cyclone | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Monsoonal rain | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Snowmelt | ||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Rain and snowmelt | ||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Ice jam/break-up | ||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Dam/Levy, break or release | ||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Brief torrential rain | ||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Tidal surge | ||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Avalanche related | ||||||||||||||||||||