2003 Flood Archive

Last updated 1:00 AM EST, January 5, 2004 by EKA
2003 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
                                       
298 USA Southern California - San Bernadino - Waterman Canyon, Devore Lytle Creek 25-Dec-03 26-Dec-03           2 15                         1   TsoCs              260               0.1   Heavy rain on San Bernardino Mountains deforested by forest fires in October produces debris flow mudslides and floods.
297 Turkey Southern Turkey - Antalya region, Antalya city, Doyran, Kumluca   24-Dec-03 26-Dec-03           3 6                         1   Cs           1,300               0.4   "Antalya received more than its average monthy rainfall in a single day" 5 drowned, several missing.
296 Bolivia Central Bolivia - Cochabamba province - Villa Tunari Chapare river, Espiritu Santo River  22-Dec-03 26-Dec-03           5 35    $           1,000,000                     1   Tsu           8,230               1.5   Heavy rains destroy Chapare bridge, houses and roads.
295 Tanzania Northern Tanzania - Same district, Makanya area, Kilimanjaro Region   20-Dec-03 21-Dec-03           2 0          2,000   Heavy rain                   1   Tpz              240               0.1   Heavy rains December 20 - 21 cause rare flooding in northern Tanzania. 500 houses destroyed.
294 Philippines Southern Leyte province - San Francisco, Liloan, Punta, San Ricardo. Panaon and Bohol islands
Mindanao Island - Provinces: Agusan Del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao Del Norte. Caraga region. Towns: Surigao city, Remedios Romualdez, Esperanza
Mindanao - Agusan River 19-Dec-03 7-Jan-04          20 200        97,500  $           3,000,000 Heavy rain                   1   Tpz          12,920               3.4   Days of heavy rain cause widespread landslides and floods in Southern Leyte. Landslides blamed on deforestation from illegal logging.
Flooding in northeastern Mindanao destroyed 62 houses and damaged 220. Flooding displaces 26,000 people in Caraga, in Agusan del Norte.
"The weather bureau said Friday's rainfall was 556 millimeters - more than the average for the whole month of December."
MODIS observation of high levels on the Agusan river on December 27, 31, January 5,7.
293 Malaysia Borneo Island - Sabah State - Kinabatangan district - Kampung Pengkalan, Buang Sayang, Muhibbah Hujung, Muhibbah Baru, Sinar Baru, Lokan and Sri Tanjung. Beluran District. Kota Marudu District. Sungai Kinabatangan 17-Dec-03 10-Jan-04          25            2,000   Heavy rain  Monsoonal rain                  1   Tpz          21,720               4.7   Seven villages in up to 1 meter of water since Sungai Kinabatangan flooded its banks on December 17.
Roads, bridges and crops destoyed in Kota Marudu.
1500 evacuated in Kinabatangan District.
292 Costa Rica Limon province - Matina area. Chirripo River 12-Dec-03 14-Dec-03           3 1          2,500   Heavy rain                   1   Tpo              770               0.3   Four days of persistent rains wipe out bridges and roads.
291 Tunisia Jandouba, Benzert   12-Dec-03 13-Dec-03           2 7     Heavy rain                   1   TsuCs           9,920               0.7   Heaviest rains in 30 years on December 12, more than 7 inches along the coast of of Tunisia. Flooding in valleys.
290 Indonesia Sumatra -
Jambi Province - districts of Jambi, Muaro Jambi, Batanghari and Sarolangan. Muara Tembesi.
Riau Province - Indragiri Hulu
South Sumatra - Musi Banyuasin
South Sulawesi Province - Majene district. Wajo, Soppeng and Sidrap regencies.
North Sulawesi - Manado area
Jambi Province - Batanghari River
North Sulawesi - Tondano River
10-Dec-03 23-Jan-04          45 148      350,000   Heavy rain   38               2   Tpz          79,400             21.5 20040050225Sulaw03.290M2.37
20040010540Sula03.290Ma2.39
20033630220Sula290M2.35
Biggest floods in Jambi since 1955. Batanghari River overflowed. "floods have destroyed about 40,000 units of houses dwelt in by 357,000 people, swept away 114 houses of worship and inundated 48 kilometers of national roads, along with 72 kilometers of provincial roads....  floods also submerged 39,268 hectares of plantations and 36,023 hectares of agricultur land"
11,000 houses inundated in Riau.
Floods and landslides in Majene, Sulawesi. South Sulawesi "Thousands of hectares of paddy fields and cacao plantations were damaged, while hundreds of livestock were washed away"
MODIS observation of flooding in Sulawesi Selatan around Singkang on December 29 and January 1, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19 and 23 in areas that were dry on December 13.
289 Thailand Southern Thailand -
Nakhon Si Thammarat - Lan Saka, Muang Phra, Phrome, Ron Phibun
Songkhla - Hat Yai.
other areas: Surat Thani, Phatthalung, Yala, Pattani, Krabi. Chumphon.
  10-Dec-03 15-Dec-03           6 6    $           1,400,000 Heavy rain   22               1   Tpz          23,690               2.8   Several days of heavy rain cause flash flooding. Flooding in Muang district reached levels not seen since 1988. 20,940 families "affected " by flooding in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
MODIS observation of Upper Ta Pi river in Surat Thani (which is normally not visible to MODIS) on December 13
288 Malaysia Kelantan state - districts: Jeli, Tanah Merah, Pasir Mas, Kota Baharu, Machang, Kuala Krai.
Terengganu state - districts: Dungun, Kemaman, Besut, Marang, Hulu Terengganu, Setiu, Kuala Terengganu.
Pahang state - districts: Kuantan, Pekan.
Kelantan - Golok, Kelantan, Galas, Lebir, Semerak.
Terengganu - Dungan, Pinang
Pahang - Sungai Pasir Kemudi, Sungai Pahang
30-Nov-03 18-Dec-03          19 5          3,000   Heavy rain                   1   Tpz          22,660               4.4   Monsoon Flooding in northern Malaysia. Rainy season usually lasts from October to March.
287 Dominican Republic - Tropical Storm Odette Southern Dominican Republic - provinces: Barahona, Pedernales and Baoruco. San Cristobal, Barahona, San Francisco de Macoris, Navarrete and Sosua. Santo Domingo.   6-Dec-03 8-Dec-03           3 8          1,000   Tropical Cyclone Heavy rain                 1   Tpo           7,220               0.9   Tropical Storm Odette - first named storm on record to form in the Caribbean Sea in December - dumps 7 inches rain on southern Dominican Republic.
286 Indonesia North Sumatra Province - Medan city - districts of Medan Maimoon, Medan Labuhan and Medan Sunggal. Deli River 5-Dec-03 10-Dec-03           6            1,000   Heavy rain                   1   Tpz              540               0.4   Hundreds of houses inundated along Deli River
285 Venezuela Northwest Venezuela - Zulia state Limon,  Paraguachon 2-Dec-03 6-Dec-03           5            6,000   Heavy rain                   1   Tpz          11,860               1.8   Three days of heavy rain cause Limon River to rise by nearly 8 meters and overflow, several villages inundated. "The region is home to hundreds of Wayu and Anu indigenous communities"
284 Indonesia Riau province - Kampar regency, Siak Hulu subdistrict: Tanjung Balam, Buluh Cina, Kampung Pinang, Lubuk Siam and Teratak Buluh. Tambang subdistrict. Kampar river 30-Nov-03 6-Dec-03           7            4,000   Heavy rain                   1   Tpz           3,600               1.2   5 villages inundated by Kampar river. 1,420 houses inundated.
283 Australia Victoria - Melbourne's north and eastern areas. Fairfield, Doncaster.   2-Dec-03 3-Dec-03           2 0              50  $         75,000,000 Brief torrential rain                   1   Cp              100               0.1   More than 100mm of rain fell in Melbourne's north and east in two hours - that is the entire December average rainfall. Worst storm in 100 years in Melbourne, and most expensive storm in 30 years. Flash flooding. Freak storm.
"Houses were damaged, contents destroyed and cars floated down streets like gondolas"
282 France Southern France - Rhone valley - Marseilles and Lyon areas. Bouches-du-Rhone region. Vacluse, Ardeche, Charlieu, Avignon, Orange. Herault, Gard, Arles, Ardeche.
Northeastern Spain - Barcelona area
France - Rhone river and tributaries, Herault river, Tarn river. Upper Loire river
Spain - Llobregat river
1-Dec-03 10-Dec-03          10 9        27,000  $         29,000,000 Heavy rain                   2   TsuCs          86,270             13.5 20033411055Loire282M2.30
20033381025Rhone282M2.29
20033411100Rhone282M2.26
200 mm rain in Rhone Valley and Marseilles area since Dec 1. Flood debris close 2 nuclear power plants in Ardeche and Drome regions. Marseille - France's second largest city - declared a natural disaster zone.
December 3 - Rhone river level was at 6.42 metres, its highest recorded level. Dike breach in Arles on December 4. December 5 - Floods recede in Marseille area but continue in Herault. December 8 - town of Arles still partially inundated.
MODIS observation of high levels in the lower Rhone river and delta on December 4, 7 and 9.
MODIS observation of high levels on the upper Loire river on December 7.
281 Columbia Northern Caribbean coast - Barranquilla, Cartagena   29-Nov-03 1-Dec-03           3 4     Heavy rain                   1   Tpo           5,590               0.8   "massive" floods and landslides.
280 Brazil Rio de Janeiro State - Rio de Janeiro city area. Baixada Fluminense region. Novalguazu, Duque de Caxias and Sao Joao de Meriti.    29-Nov-03 30-Nov-03           2 7          2,000   Heavy rain                   1   Tpo           3,340               0.4   Heavy downpour kills 7 people in the Baixada region. Flooding and landslides.
279 Honduras Caribbean Coast of Honduras - La Ceiba city and suburbs. Atlantida and Yoro Provinces. Locomapa, Guampa, Guaymas. 28-Nov-03 24-Dec-03          27 7          3,000  $         20,000,000 Heavy rain                   1          1,000 Tpo           5,300               2.4   40 neighbourhoods inundated in La Ceiba city. Goloson International Airport has been closed indefinitely. Flooding on the Lococmapa and Guamyas rivers and their tributaries destroys bridges, highways and aqueducts. December 24 - Three weeks of rain in Yoro province floods 40 villages along Guaymas and Guampa rivers.
278 Canada Ottawa - Britannia Village, Maniwaki and Gracefield Gatineau River
Ottawa River
24-Nov-03 2-Dec-03           9                15   Heavy rain  Dam/Levy, break or release  15               1   TsuCpSs**           1,045               0.7   Unusually high water levels of the Ottawa River. Flooding in Gracefield along the Gatineau River after Hydro-Quebec releases water from Baskatong Reservoir.
"I have lived here for 15 years and I have never seen the [Gatineau] river this bad"
277 Vietnam Central Vietnam - Quang Nam Province. Tay An.   24-Nov-03 26-Nov-03           3 3     Heavy rain                   1   Tpz           3,790               0.7   Flash flooding in Quang Nam. 2 killed in flooding in Tay An.
276 Indonesia East Java Province -  Malang district : Sumbermanjing Wetan, Tirtoyudo and Ndampit   22-Nov-03 24-Nov-03           3 3        12,000   Heavy rain                   1   Tpz              700               0.3   Heavy rains trigger landslides and floods in 7 villages. 37 houses destroyed. 3,000 families evacuated.
275 USA Maryland - counties: Baltimore, Montgomery. Baltimore, Germantown, Poolesville and Bethesda.
southwest Virginia - counties: Alleghany, Buchanan. Bluefield.
West Virginia - counties: Marion, Raleigh, Wyoming. Kanawha Valley. towns: Hinton, Rainelle, Ruppert, Richwood, Pax, Peterstown, Marlinton.
North Carolina - counties: Transylvania, Burke, Avery, Mitchell. towns: Linvillle, Elm Park, Crossnore, Green Valley.
western Pennsylvania - counties: Blair, Greene, Fayette. Pittsburgh area. Waynesburg.
eastern Tennessee - counties: Carter, Johnson. Stoney Creek, Hampton and Valley Forge.
Maryland - Gwynns Falls, Herring Run Creek
Virginia - Allegehany, Cowpasture, James
West Virginia - Kanawha, Potomac, Cherry, Greenbrier
North Carolina - French Broad River, Grassy Creek
Pennsylvania - Monongahela, Susquehanna
Tennessee - Doe, Watauga
19-Nov-03 22-Nov-03           4 9            250   Heavy rain   38               2   TsoCp        214,000             12.8   West Virginia - more than 1700 homes damaged or destroyed. Highest levels on Kanawha River since 1955. "Some of West Virginia's rivers crested at historic highs Thursday"
274 Morocco Northeastern Nador region, Beni Bufrah region, Zaio. Rift valley province of Al Hoceima    17-Nov-03 21-Nov-03           5 13     Brief torrential rain                   1   TsuCs          21,190