Here are five of the most-notable floods to hit the U.S.
Hurricane Camille Flooding of 1969
Hitting Virginia, just south of Washington D.C., Hurricane Camille was among the deadliest hurricanes in recorded history. Smashing into the state on August 19, 1969, Camille struck as a Category 5 hurricane – the strongest classification possible. At the time experts hypothesized that Camille triggered the most rain “theoretically possible.” More than two feet of water fell in just eight hours.
In all, Camille claimed 113 lives in Virginia with damages totaling $116 million.
Before swinging up to Virginia, Camille made landfall elsewhere. It first hit Mississippi and Louisiana, leading to 150 deaths and 24-foot storm surges.
Mississippi River Flood of 1927
Often considered the most dangerous river flood ever, the flooding of the Mississippi River in April 1927 filled more than 23,000 square miles with up to 30 feet of water. More than 630,000 people were affected. The damage spread throughout Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. The water did not subside until August. In total, an estimated 500 people died, although the actual number of casualties could have been anywhere between 250 and 1,000. The flood caused repairs costing at least $250 million.
Heavy rains in the region caused a failure of a levee on the Illinois shore followed by the levee at Mounds Landing.
Hurricane Katrina Flooding of 2005
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina, a Category 3 hurricane with winds of up to 140 miles per hour, made landfall in Louisiana.
While damage occurred across Texas and Arkansas as well, the city of New Orleans suffered the most. As many homes throughout the region were set below sea level, the levees in place were not adequate to stop the flow of water. With storm surges more than nine feet high, an estimated
80% of the city was at least partially submerged.
While many individuals managed to evacuate or take up refuge in the Superdome, 1,833 lives were lost and repair costs totaled $108 billion.
Johnstown Flood of 1889
After a long period of heavy rains, Johnstown, Pennsylvania's South Fork Dam gave way on May 31, 1889, leading to the deaths of 2,209 residents. Approximately 16 million gallons of water were released when the dam broke. This created a great force of water that wiped out everything in its path. One viewer described it as a ball of debris 40 feet high and half a mile across.
The American Red Cross spearheaded disaster relief efforts, with assistance coming from all U.S. states and 18 foreign countries. The damage caused by the flood accounted for approximately $17 million at the time.
Galveston Flood of 1900
The most devastating hurricane to hit Texas – Harvey included – was the Category 4 storm that crushed Galveston on September 8th, 1900. Suffering winds of up to 145 miles per hour and storm surges up to 15 feet, Galveston was virtually destroyed in full as the hurricane swept through. Flooding displaced families and destroyed more than 3,600 homes. The fatalities due to the hurricane are still unknown, with numbers between 6,000 and 12,000 estimated. The repair costs exceeded $20 million at the time.
As one of the most hazardous natural disasters, floods can destroy homes, possessions and businesses in a wide area. While floods of historic significance are quite rare, flood damage can happen in many areas, wreaking havoc. Flood insurance offers families and businesses a way to start over by rebuilding homes and businesses to carry on.