This article is part of the series: Courts of England and WalesLaw of England and Wales
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Legal profession
Bar Council
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Solicitor advocatevt
Barristers in England and Wales are one of the two main categories of lawyer in England and Wales, the other being solicitors. Barristers have traditionally had the role of handling cases for representation in court, both defence and prosecution. (The word 'lawyer' is a generic one, referring to a person who practises in law, which could also be deemed to include other legal practitioners such as chartered legal executives.)
Origin of the profession
The work of senior legal professionals in England and Wales is divided between solicitors and barristers. Both are trained in law but serve differing functions in the practice of law.
Historically, the superior courts were based in London, the capital city. To dispense justice throughout the country, a judge and court personnel would periodically travel a regional circuit to deal with cases that had arisen there. From this developed a body of lawyers who were on socially familiar terms with the judges, had training and experience in the superior courts, and had access to a greater corpus of research material and accumulated knowledge on the interpretation and application of the law. Some would go "on circuit" with the court to act on behalf of those requiring representation. By contrast, solicitors were essentially local to one place, whether London or a provincial town.
Lawyers who practised in the courts in this way came to be called "barristers" because they were "called to the Bar", the symbolic barrier separating the public—including solicitors and law students—from those admitted to the well of the Court. They became specialists either in appearing in court to represent clients, or in the process of using the courts, which would include giving oral or written advice on the strength of a case and the best way to conduct it. For those who had the means and preference to engage a solicitor, it became useful, then normal and then compulsory, for the solicitor in turn to select and engage a barrister to represent the client before the courts. Likewise, it became either useful or normal (but not compulsory) to engage an appropriate barrister when highly specialist advice was required. Many barristers have largely "paper practices" and rarely or (in some cases) never make court appearances.
Historically, practising at the bar (or in court) was a more socially prestigious profession than working as a solicitor. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the bar was one of the limited number of professions considered suitable for upper class men; politics, the Army and Navy, the established clergy, and the civil and diplomatic services being the others. Many leading eighteenth and nineteenth-century politicians were barristers; few were solicitors. In the 20th century, solicitors closed the gap greatly, especially in terms of earnings, and by the early 21st century the social gap was far less important than formerly.
Key differences from the profession of solicitor
Until recently, the most obvious differences between the two professions was that, firstly, only barristers had exclusive and wide rights of audience (that is, a right to plead) in all courts in England and Wales, and secondly, only solicitors could be directly engaged by clients for payment. These differences have been eroded by recent deliberate changes, although in many fields of legal practice, the distinction is largely retained in practice.
Barristers have full rights of audience to appear in all courts, from highest to lowest. Solicitors, on the other hand, have traditionally been able to appear only as advocates in the lower courts (that is, the magistrates' and county courts) and tribunals. The bulk of such work continues to be handled by solicitors. Under section 17 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, solicitors with appropriate advocacy experience are entitled to acquire higher "rights of audience", enabling them to appear in the superior courts. Solicitors who attain these rights are known as solicitor-advocates. But, in practice the number of solicitor-advocates exercising their right to do so remains fairly small, and solicitors often continue to engage a barrister to undertake any required advocacy in court. Not only is this division traditional; in higher-value civil or more serious criminal cases, it is often tactically imperative to engage a specialist advocate (because if one side does not the other might).
Until 2004, barristers were prohibited from seeking or accepting "instructions" (that is, being hired) directly by the clients whom they represent. The involvement of a solicitor was compulsory. The rationale was that solicitors could investigate and gather evidence and instructions and filter them – according to the interests of the client – before presenting them to the barrister; in return the barrister, being one step removed from the client, could reach a more objective opinion of the merits of the case, working strictly from the evidence that would be admissible in court. In addition, being less involved in the current affairs of clients, including many matters that might never come to court, barristers had more time for research and for keeping up to date with the law and the decisions (precedent) of the courts.
Theoretically, this prohibition has been removed. In certain areas (but not crime or conveyancing), barristers may now accept instructions from a client directly ("Direct Access"). Only a solicitor, however, may undertake any work that requires funds to be held on behalf of a client.
A barrister is in principle required to act for any client offering a proper fee, regardless of the attractions or disadvantages of a case and the personal feelings of the barrister towards the client. This is known as the "cab-rank rule", since the same rule applies to licensed taxi-cabs. Modifying conditions include that the barrister is available to take the case and feels competent to handle the work. A barrister who specialises in, for example, crime is not obliged to take on employment law work if he is offered it. He is entitled (and, even, obliged) to reject a case which he feels is too complicated for him to deal with properly.
Manner of work
Barristers work in two main contexts: in self-employed practice (formerly known as "independent practice") or in "employed" practice (i.e. salaried).
Most barristers are in self-employed practice, but operate within the framework of a set of Chambers. Under a tenancy agreement, they pay a certain amount per month ("rent") or a percentage of their incomes, or a mixture of the two, to their chambers, which provides accommodation and clerical support (including the crucial function of booking, and sometimes of finding, work).  The Head of Chambers, usually a Queen's Counsel (also referred to as "QC" or "Silk") or a "senior junior", may exercise a powerful influence on the members, and members often offer informal help and guidance to each other. They are not liable for each other's business (as partners are). Members of the same set of chambers may appear on opposite sides in the same case. Each barrister remains an independent practitioner, being solely responsible for the conduct of his own practice and keeping what he earns. He does not receive a salary from anyone. A barrister in independent practice will be instructed by a number of different solicitors ("professional clients") to act for various individuals, government departments, agencies or companies ("lay clients").
By contrast, an "employed" barrister is a barrister who works as an employee within a larger organisation, either in the public or private sector. For example, employed barristers work within government departments or agencies (such as the Crown Prosecution Service), the legal departments of companies, and in some cases for firms of solicitors. Employed barristers will typically be paid a salary, and in most circumstances may do work only on behalf of their employer, rather than accepting instructions on behalf of third parties (such as their employers' customers). They remain subject to the Bar Council's Code of Professional Conduct, and their advice is entitled to professional privilege against disclosure.
New entrants to the employed bar must have completed pupillage in the same way as those in independent practice. The Bar Council produces exhaustive guidance regulating the way in which both groups operate, although in 2006 some of the regulatory authority was passed over to the independent Bar Standards Board.
In 2011 there were around 12,000 barristers in independent practice,[1] of which about ten per cent were QC. A further group (about 3,300)[2] were employed in companies as ‘in-house’ counsel, or by local or national government, or in academic institutions.
Appearance and forms of address
The appearance and form of address of a barrister is bound by a number of conventions.
A barrister's appearance in court depends on whether the hearing is "robed" or not. In England and Wales, criminal cases in the Crown Court are almost invariably conducted with the barristers' wearing robes, but there is an increasing tendency in civil cases to dispense with them. The vast majority of County Court hearings are now conducted without robes, although the traditional attire continues to be worn in High Court proceedings.
At a robed hearing, barristers wear a horsehair wig, an open black gown, dark suit and a shirt, with strips of white cotton called 'bands' or 'tabs' worn over a winged collar, instead of a tie. Female barristers wear either the same shirt, or a special collar which includes the bands and tucks inside a suit jacket. QCs wear slightly different silk gowns over short embroidered black jackets and striped trousers. Solicitors wear a black gown (of a distinct style), wing collar and band and a wig. The question of barristers' and judges' clothing in the civil courts was the subject of review, and there is some pressure to adopt a more "modern" style of dress, with European-style gowns worn over lounge suits. Guidance from the Bar Council has resulted in robes being worn for trials and appeals in the County Court more than formerly.[3]
In court, barristers refer to each other as "my learned friend".[4] When referring to an opponent who is a solicitor, the term used is "my friend" – irrespective of the relative ages and experiences of the two.
In an earlier generation, barristers would not shake hands or address each other formally. The rule against shaking hands is no longer generally observed, though the rule regarding formal address is still sometimes observed: at Gray's Inn, when toasting other barristers, a barrister will address another only by surname, without using a prefix such as 'Miss'.
Regulation
Beginning in January 2006, standards for admission to the bar and disciplinary proceedings are administered by the Bar Standards Board (BSB), a regulatory board of the General Council of the Bar. The BSB is not legally separate from the General Council of the Bar, but is set up so as to be independent of it.[5] Previously, barristers were governed by the General Council of the Bar and the individual Inns of Court. There are four Inns, all situated in the area of London close to the Law Courts in the Strand. Gray's Inn is off High Holborn, Lincoln's Inn off Chancery Lane, the Middle and Inner Temples, situated between Fleet Street and the Embankment.
The Inns provide a social and professional hub where barristers and jurists can meet. They comprise a grand hall where barristers dine and attend social functions, and include an extensive library. Several rooms are available for conferences, and a place for trainee barristers to engage in advocacy practice. Two of the Inns have chapels, and Middle Temple and Inner Temple share Temple Church. All four Inns are set in well-tended gardens, and are surrounded by chambers often organised in courtyards and squares.
Direct public access to barristers
Members of the public may engage the services of the barrister directly under the Public Access Scheme; a solicitor is not involved at any stage.
Barristers undertaking public access work can provide legal advice and representation in court in all areas of law (see the ) and are entitled to represent clients in any court or tribunal in England and Wales. Once instructions from a client are accepted, it is the barrister (rather than the solicitor) who advises and guides the client through the relevant legal procedure or litigation.
Before a barrister can undertake Public Access work, he or she must have completed a special course. At present, about 1 in 20 barristers has so qualified. 'Licensed Access' is a separate scheme available to certain nominated classes of professional client; it is not open to the general public.
It is an early 21st-century development to enable barristers to accept instructions directly from clients; it results from a change in the rules set down by the General Council of the Bar in July 2004. The Public Access Scheme has been introduced as part of a larger effort to open up the legal system to the public, and to make it easier and cheaper for individuals to obtain access to legal advice. It reduces the distinction between solicitors and barristers. The distinction remains, however, because a solicitor's role has certain aspects which a barrister is not able to undertake.
Education and training
A prospective barrister must first complete the academic stage of their legal education by obtaining a qualifying law degree. In lieu of a formal law degree, however, the individual may undertake a one-year law conversion course, formerly known as the CPE (Common Professional Examination) or PGDL (Postgraduate Diploma in Law), and now known simply as a GDL (Graduate Diploma in Law), having initially graduated in a subject other than law. The student joins one of the Inns of Court and takes the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) at one of the accredited providers.
It is still mandatory to "keep terms" before the student can be called to the bar. The student must participate in 12 qualifying sessions, which may include dining in the Hall of the Inn.[6] It used to be a prerequisite that 24 dinners were eaten before call, but the number has since been reduced to twelve. Dining credits are available for participating in specified training events (e.g., a weekend at Cumberland Lodge organised by one of the Inns credits attendees with three dinners). It is also possible to "double-dine" on various special occasions, by which the student is credited with two sessions.
The origins of this date from the time when both students and practitioners dined together; students learned elements of their education from their fellow diners and from readings given by a senior member of the Inn (Master Reader) after the meal. Generally, in order for the dinner to count towards the 12 required, the student must remain seated until after coffee has been served. Often moots (legal debates arguing for or against a point before a notional appellate court) are held in hall afterwards. At the successful completion of the BPTC (where continuous assessment as well as examinations are now the rule), and completion of the requisite number of dining nights, students are entitled, subject to various formalities, to be "called to the Bar" at a ceremony in their Inn. This is conducted by the Masters of the Bench, or Benchers, who are generally senior practising barristers or judges.
Once called to the bar, the new barrister has a choice whether or not to pursue a career in practice. As there are far more applicants for "tenancy" in barristers' "Chambers" (see below) than there are places, many barristers are unable to obtain a tenancy and choose to go into commercial or academic work. Those choosing not to practice continue to be recognised as 'barristers', although may not provide legal services under this label, and remain subject to some limited regulation by the Bar Standards Board.[7]
One who wishes to become a practising barrister must first obtain a "pupillage". This is a competitive process which involves some 4,000 students applying for some 300 places each year.[8] The online pupillage application system, Pupillage Portal (formerly known as OLPAS), enables applicants to submit their details to up to 12 barristers' chambers.[9] The Pupillage Portal system is used by most chambers to recruit their pupils; many, however, do not, and such chambers must be contacted directly by applicants. There is no limit to the number of non-OLPAS chambers that an applicant can contact. Such chambers' recruiting deadlines broadly mirror those of the Pupillage Portal sets.
Pupillage consists of a period of 12 months, where the pupil studies with and under a practising barrister of at least 5 years' experience. The time is traditionally served in two six-month periods under different pupil-masters (three-month periods are becoming increasingly common), usually in the same chambers. Traditionally, the pupil was paid nothing and could earn no fees until the second six-month period, when he or she was entitled to undertake work independently. All sets are now required to pay their pupils a minimum of £12,000 per year. Some pay considerably more than that, although others have applied for exemption and do not guarantee any income. The Bar is a highly varied profession, both in terms of the specialism (or otherwise) of individual sets of chambers, and in the financial rewards available. For sets doing predominantly publicly funded work, earnings are low for new practitioners. In more specialised areas serving private clients, such as commercial, tax, or chancery work, earnings are far higher, and at least comparable to those of similarly experienced solicitors in big city firms.
After pupillage, the new barrister must find a seat or "tenancy" in a set of chambers. Chambers are groups of barristers, and tend to comprise between 20 and 60 barristers. The members of a Chambers share the rent and facilities, such as the service of "clerks" (who combine some of the functions of agents, administrators and diary managers), secretaries and other support staff. Most chambers operate a system whereby the members contribute to these common expenses by paying a certain percentage of their gross income. However, there is no profit-sharing as in a business partnership. Individual barristers keep the fees they earn, beyond what they have to pay towards professional expenses.
The Bar remains a highly individualistic profession, and earnings vary widely – from some newly qualified (usually criminal) juniors who are lucky to earn £25,000 per year to the top Queen's Counsel (QCs or 'silks' as they are known, from their silk gowns) making well in excess of £1 million a year (with a handful of tax and commercial QCs reported to earn more than £2 million a year).[10]
Although not all barristers practise from the Inns (for reasons such as the limited amount of space available), the majority still practise from chambers. The names placed on boards at the entrances of many of the staircases of the buildings within the Inns are the names of the tenant barristers (and occasionally distinguished members now prominent in judicial or political life) practising from the chambers in those buildings.
Popular culture
Some of the principles and traditions that have given the profession its unique character have been caricatured in John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey tales and the television episodes based on them.  Novelist Caro Fraser also wrote a popular series of books about a fictional series of barrister's chambers called Caper Court.
In television the bar was popularised by actor John Thaw's portrayal of the title character in Kavanagh QC.  Peter Moffat (who created Kavanagh QC) also later created a further television series about barristers called Silk (in reference to the silk gowns of Queen's Counsel) and North Square.
See also
Barrister
Serjeant-at-law
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel Selection Panel

Further reading
Rogers, Justine. "Shadowing the Bar: Studying an English Professional Elite,"Historical Reflections (2010) 36#3 pp.39–57

Bar Council website:

 in England and Wales

How much do barristers earn on average in the UK?


This is a list of major floods.

List of Floods By Year

14th century
St. Mary Magdalene's flood occurred on the feast day on and around the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene, July 25, 1342. Following the passage of a Genoa low the rivers Rhine, Moselle, Main,      Danube, Weser, Werra, Unstrut, Elbe, Vltava and their tributaries inundated large areas. Even the river Eider north of Hamburg flooded the surrounding land. Many towns such as Cologne, Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Würzburg, Regensburg, Passau and Vienna were seriously damaged.  The affected area extended to Carinthia and northern Italy. The overall number of casualties is not known, but it is believed that alone in the Danube area 6000 people were killed.
15th century

The All Saints Day Flood of 1436 (German: Allerheiligenflut) on All Saints' Day (1 November) 1436 was a storm tide that hit the entire North Sea coast of the German Bight. In the North Frisian village of Tetenbüll alone 173 people died. Eidum on the island of Sylt was destroyed, its inhabitants left and founded the village of Westerland as a result. List on Sylt was also abandoned after the floods and rebuilt further west. Dykes burst along the river Oste and in Kehdingen. The island of Pellworm was separated from neighbouring Nordstrand, Germany and only diked again in 1550.
16th century
1530 St. Felix's flood
Mississippi River Flood of March 1543. The flooding reportedly lasted for 40 days. [1]
All Saints' Flood (1570)
17th century
The California Flood of 1605 was caused by heavy rains and covered many parts of California in water.[2]
The Burchardi Flood was a storm tide that struck the North Sea coast of North Frisia and Dithmarschen on the night between 11 and 12 October 1634. Overrunning dikes, it shattered the coastline and caused thousands of deaths (8,000 to 15,000 people drowned).
18th century floods
Christmas Flood of 1717 - Flood in Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia. 14,000 drowned.
Mississippi River Flood of December 1734 to June 1735. New Orleans was inundated by the flooding. [3]
New Hampshire Flood of 1740. The Merrimack River flooded in December. It is the first recorded flood in New Hampshire history. [4]
New Hampshire/Maine Flood of October 1785. In New Hampshire, a significant flood struck the Cocheco, Baker, Pemigewasset, Contoocook and Merrimack rivers on October 23 which established records at Lowell which held until 1902.[5]  The Androscoggin River flooded significantly, which destroyed many homesteads in what would become Bethel, Maine. Those that survived the flood moved uphill into less valuable, 100-acre (0.40km2) plots. Turner's first mill was destroyed during this inundation. [6]
Great Pumpkin Flood of October 1786. Central Pennsylvania flood. Received its name due to the pumpkins that were washed away in the flood on October 5. It was a major flood in the Susquehanna River basin.  [7]
Mississippi River Flood of July 1788. Severe flooding of the Mississippi River resulted from a hurricane landfall [8]
Storofsen Norway Flood of July 1789
19th century
Red River of the South Flood of 1800. According to the Caddo tribe, a "great flood" moved down the river and reinforced the "Great Log Raft" on the river.  This raft was a natural dam that increased water levels on some of the Red River tributaries.  This process formed Caddo Lake [9]
Mississippi River Flood of 1809. All of the lower Mississippi River was inundated by flooding. [10]
Mississippi River Flood of 1825. The flood of 1825 is the last known inundation of New Orleans due to spring flooding [11]
Great Mississippi River Flood of 1844. The largest flood ever recorded on the Missouri River and Upper Mississippi River in terms of discharge. This flood was particularly devastating since the region had few if any levees at the time. Among the hardest hit were the Wyandot who lost 100 people in the diseases that occurred after the flood. The flood also is the highest recorded for the Mississippi River at St. Louis. After the flood, Congress in 1849 passed the Swamp Act providing land grants to build stronger levees. [12]
Great Mississippi River Flood of 1851. The flood occurred after record-setting rainfalls across the U.S. Midwest and Plains from May to August, 1851. The State of Iowa experienced significant flooding extending to the Lower Mississippi River basin. Historical evidence suggest flooding occurred in the eastern Plains, from Nebraska to the Red River basin, but these areas were sparsely settled in 1851. Heavy rainfall also occurred in the Ohio River basin. In June, major flooding on the Mississippi River was experienced. [13]
The Great Flood of 1862 struck the west coast of North America in December 1861 and January 1862. An atmospheric river from the tropics brought 43 days of rain to the U.S. states of California, Utah and Oregon as well as the Mexican state of Sonora. It was the worst disaster ever to strike California; the state's California was effectively an inland sea for months afterwards. State government temporarily moved to San Francisco because the capital, Sacramento, was under 10 feet (3.3 m) of water; the damage and the ensuing shortfall in tax revenues nearly bankrupted the state.
The 1872 Baltic Sea flood was a storm surge that affected the Baltic Sea coast from Denmark to Pomerania on the night of 12/13 November 1872. The flood cost the lives of at least 271 people on the Baltic Sea coast; 2,850 houses were destroyed or at least badly damaged and 15,160 people left homeless as a result.
Great Mississippi River Flood of 1874. Heavy spring rains caused the Mississippi River to overflow, breaching levees and flooding enormous swathes of the Lower Mississippi Valley. The flooding began in February and only began to recede on May 20th. According to the New Orleans Daily Picayune of May 3rd, thirty-one of Louisiana's fifty-three parishes (home to some 375,000 people) were entirely or partially underwater. The Picayune also reported that breaches at Hushpakana[sic.] and Bolivar, Mississippi, had "transformed the Yazoo Valley into an inland lake."[14] Mayor Louis A. Wiltz of New Orleans published a circular on May 30th addressed to "the Mayors of thirty-four large American cities" seeking contributions of cash and provisions for relief efforts. In the circular, the Flood of 1874 was described as the highest on record. It also included the observations of former U.S. Surveyor General for Louisiana William J. McCulloh, who estimated that a total of 12,565,060 acres had been flooded across Louisiana (8,065,000), Mississippi (2,500,000), and Arkansas (2,000,000). [15]
Mississippi River Flood of 1882. Intense spring rain storms beginning on February 19, 1882, led to a rapid rise of the Ohio River and flooding along the river from Cincinnati to St. Louis. The effects were much more devastating in the Lower Mississippi Valley, with an estimated 20,000 people made homeless in Arkansas alone. Such was the devastation that, in its wake, Southern Democrats and Midwestern Republicans in Congress hailing from those states afflicted by the flooding made common cause to increase appropriations for the Rivers and Harbor Act to $19 million, $5.4 million of which was earmarked for internal improvements and federal aid to the flooded areas. While not opposed to internal improvements on principle, President Chester A. Arthur nonetheless vetoed the Act on August 1, 1882. Congress overrode his veto the following day. [16]
In 1889, the South Fork Dam broke, causing the massive Johnston Flood of 1889 that took 2,209 lives in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
20th century
1900s
On September 8, 1900, in Galveston, TX, the storm made landfall, leaving about 7,000 to 12,000 dead. It remains to the present day the deadliest single day event in US history.[17]
1910s
In 1910, large areas of Paris were flooded when the river burst its banks.
In 1920, The Great Flood of Tokyo, when 3700 houses, were swept away, 2200, partially destroyed and nearly 400,000 damaged.
The Great Flood of 1913, which included the Great Dayton Flood,  killed 650people and destroyed 20,000 homes in the United States. It also damaged historic photographic plates belonging to Wilbur and Orville Wright. It ended canal transportation in Ohio.
The 1916 Clermont, Queensland flood was the worst flood in Clermont history.
The Hatfield Flood of San Diego, United States, of 1916 destroyed the Lower Otay Dam,[18] damaged the Sweetwater Dam,[19] and caused 22 deaths and $4.5million in damages.
1920s
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was one of the most destructive floods in United States history and the impetus for many later Flood Control Acts.
The Great Vermont Flood of 1927 which destroyed over 1200 bridges in Vermont, and one of the biggest floods in its history.
1930s
The 1931 Yellow River flood caused between 800,000 and 4,000,000 deaths in China, one of a series of disastrous floods on the Yellow River. It was one of the worst floods in history.
The Ohio River flood of 1937 occurred in late January and February 1937, causing damage along the Ohio River and several smaller tributaries from Pittsburgh, Illinois, to Cairo, Illinois. This flood left close to one million people homeless, 385 dead, and $50,000,000 worth of damage.
The Los Angeles flood of 1938 occurred from late February to early March 1938, causing the Los Angeles River and the Santa Ana River to overflow, causing $40,000,000 worth of damage and causing 115 lives to be lost.
The Great Hanshin flood of 1938 occurred in July 1938 in Kobe area in Japan, causing 925 lost lives as exceptionally heavy seasonal raining caused landsides at Rokko mountains.
1950s
The Lynmouth flood of 1952 killed 34people, more than any other British flood up to then, it was also very destructive and destroyed over 80 buildings in the town of Lynmouth, Devon, United Kingdom.
The North Sea Flood of 1953 caused over 2,000 deaths in the Dutch province of Zeeland and the about 50 in the United Kingdom (the coastlines of East Anglia and Lincolnshire were worst hit) and led to the construction of the Delta Works in the Netherlands and the Thames Barrier in London.
1953 North Kyushu Flood killed at least 759 and the killed and missing amounted to 1,001 in the northern Kyushu area of Japan.
On 15 October 1954, Hurricane Hazel struck Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The resulting rainfall flooded the city, killing 81 people, destroying 20 bridges, and leaving over 2000people homeless.[20]
The Hunter Valley floods of 1955 in New South Wales (Australia) destroyed over 100 homes and caused 45,000 to be evacuated.
In 1957, the storm surge from Hurricane Audrey flooded southwest Louisiana, killing about 400people.
In 1957, the Great flood of Valencia in Spain.
In 1959, the Río Negro flooded the central region of Uruguay, with disastrous consequences.
1960s
In 1960, flooding from a tsunami (caused by the Great Chilean earthquake) affected the towns of Riñihue, Riñihuazo, Los Lagos, Antilhue, Pishuinco, and Valdivia (all in Chile).
The North Sea flood of 1962 killed almost 330 people along the coasts of southeastern England, Germany, and southern Denmark. 318 of the deaths occurred in Hamburg, Germany, and many millions of pounds' worth of damage was done.
In 1965, Hurricane Betsy flooded large areas of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, for up to 10days, drowning around 40people.
In 1966, the flood of the Arno River killed dozens of people and damaged or destroyed millions of masterpieces of art and rare books in Florence, Italy.
1970s
On the night of 9 June 1972 the people of Rapid City, South Dakota in the United States were struck by a deadly flood that lasted two days. It took 238 lives and caused millions of dollars in damage.
In 1974, the dying cyclone Wanda triggered major flooding in Brisbane, Australia killing 6 people and leaving hundreds homeless.
In 2 July 1975, many areas of Romanian Cuverture Charpatinas (e.g. Buzau, Prahova County), were struck by major flooding.
In August 1975, the Banqiao Dam in China breaks apart under excess rainfall and damage from Typhoon Nina, drowning about 26,000 and caused the lives of another 140,000 in resulting epidemics.
1980s
Yes
1990s
1992–3
January 1992 saw severe floods in South America, most notably Brazil.
In Alaska, United States, from May to September 1992 it was unusually wet, causing the 100 year flood. Snow melt only made the floods worse.
The Great Flood of 1993 was one of the most destructive floods in United States history.
March 1993 the "No Name" storm, silently brought major flooding to Citrus County, Florida.
The summer of 1993 was unusually wet for the United States, causing flooding in the southwest.
1994–5
1994 South Georgina floods
On 8 May 1995, severe floods caused extensive damage in Louisiana, United States.
1996–7
A dying typhoon hit Kyushu, Japan, in September 1996, causing severe floods in that region.
July 1996 saw severe floods in Central Honshū, Japan.
In August 1996, 86 people died due to a flood in Las Nieves camping, in Biescas, Spain.[21][22]
1997 Central European flood, the worst flood in Polish history hits the country in July 1997, killing 65 and causing extensive damage to Wroclaw and Opole.
The Red River Flood of 1997 (also called the Red River of the North Flood of 1997 in the United States) occurred in April and May 1997 along the Red River of the North in North Dakota, Minnesota (United States) and Manitoba. It was the most severe flooding of the river since 1826, causing so much water or camping down water or not draining it all.
1998–9
Bangladesh was flooded in 1998, with millions of people affected and hundreds killed.
The 1998 Yangtze River Floods left 14million people homeless, killed hundreds, and left billions of pounds' worth of damage.
The 1999 Pentecost flood (German: Pfingsthochwasser) was a 100-year flood around the Pentecost season in 1999 that mostly affected Bavaria, Vorarlberg and Tirol. It was caused by heavy rainfall coinciding with the regular Alpine meltwater. These were caused because of the low-lying area and they are replacing concrete with soil which affects the flow of water and can cause flash flooding.
21st century
2000s
2000–1
The 2000 Mozambique flood, caused by heavy rains followed by a cyclone, covered much of the country for three weeks, killing thousands, leaving the country devastated for years afterwards.
In June 2001, floods from Tropical Storm Allison killed over 30people in the Houston, Texas, area.
2002–3
In 2002, the 2002 Glasgow floods hit Glasgow, Scotland, causing severe damage.
In 2002, the 2002 European floods hit Central Europe, causing major damage.
2004–5
The 2004 Boscastle flood on the 16 August in the village of Boscastle, Cornwall, United Kingdom, caused much damage to buildings in the Valency river valley. Further flooding took place in surrounding valleys, and in the town of Camelford.
In January 2005, flooding on the rivers Eden, Kent, Derwent, Greta and Cocker as well as others in Cumbria, England, flooded around 2,000 properties and caused in excess of £250million of damage. At the time, it was the worst flood in Cumbrian history, but has since been overtaken by the Cumbria flooding of November 2009.[23]
One of Canada's most devastating floods occurred in southern Alberta in June 2005. The flooding affected many major metropolitan areas including Calgary. 4 deaths resulted from the three-week flood.
Flooding in Mumbai, India, in July 2005 left over 700 dead. Some areas went under 5m of water.
Eighty percent of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, was flooded due to the failure of several levees in August 2005 during Hurricane Katrina. 1,076people also died because of the hurricane.
Record rain across eastern Europe in August 2005 caused very severe flooding.
In November 2005, in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, many villages were isolated due to heavy rains caused by low-pressure areas in the Bay of Bengal.
2006–7
Korea (both North Korea and South Korea) saw one of its worst floods ever in May 2006.
The Mid-Atlantic States flood of 2006 in the eastern United States is considered to be the worst in that region since the flooding caused by Hurricane David in 1979.
Ethiopia saw one of its worst floods ever in August 2006.
Surat a 5 million populated city of India witnessed huge flood in its history during 4 to 10 August 2006. 10 lac cusec water discharge for 30 hours from Ukai dam flooded city. 1 Lac evacuated on first day, many human and animal lost their lives.
Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Sabah suffered floods between December 2006 and January 2007. It killed hundreds and forced 100,000 people to be evacuated in Johor alone. Floods hit the country's capital Kuala Lumpur in January 2007, killing 80. It was the worst flood in Malaysia for over 100 years.
The 2007 Hunter Floods inundated large areas of the cities of Maitland and Newcastle in Australia in June 2007, claimed 11 lives and forced the evacuation of 4,000people in Central Maitland.
Between late May 2007 and early August 2007, severe flash floods hit most of the United Kingdom, with the most affected area in the country being Yorkshire. The city of Sheffield (in Yorkshire) was the worst affected city in the country, a month's worth of rain fell on the city in just 18 hours on 25 June 2007, bursting the banks of the River Don in that city. There were also fears that the Ulley Reservoir in Sheffield would fail, if it did it would have killed hundreds. 6 people were killed across the country.
The 2007 Africa Floods was one of the worst and most destructive floods in recorded history on the continent of Africa with 14 countries affected.
In November 2007, Cyclone Guba, a slow moving storm caused deadly flooding in Papua New Guinea.
The 2008 Indian floods affected several states in India between July 2008 and September 2008 during an unusually wet monsoon season. The floods caused severe damage, and killed an estimated 2404 people.
2008–9
2008 Santa Catarina floods
2008 the biggest flood ever to hit southern part of Indiana.
2009 Brazilian floods and mudslides
In June 2009, minor flooding hit parts of Sheffield City Centre in Sheffield, England. Waters reached only about half a foot deep as the River Don broke its banks, but considerable damage was still caused.
In November 2009, record-breaking amounts of rain were dumped on Cumbria, England and Cork, Ireland, causing minor floods in Cork and major floods in Cumbria. During the floods, waters reached a UK record 8ft deep in Cockermouth, Cumbria.
2008 Severe flood in the Kosi river catchment area due to breach in Kusha dam region in Bihar India
2010s
2010
January 2010 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslides
Rio de Janeiro had its worst ever flood that killed over 250 people in April 2010.
2010 northeastern Brazil floods
Between June 2010 and August 2010, flooding in China affected more than 230 million people – with 15.2 million people evacuated and thousands dead.
On 26 July 2010, heavy monsoon rains flooded most of Pakistan in the 2010 Pakistan floods.
On 4 August 2010, at 9:25 am EST a major thunderstorm producing large hail and winds in excess of 60mph (97km/h) advanced at the leading edge of a cold front moving across the American Midwest, causing a flash flood that struck Louisville, Kentucky, and portions of the surrounding Kentuckiana region.
In November 2010, many areas of Cornwall, UK, were struck by floods. The worst hit area was the town of Par.
The November 2010 Colombia floods and associated landslides killed 138 people. 1.3 million were left homeless.
The November 2010 Thailand floods and 2010 north Malaysian floods.
The 2010–11 Queensland floods are some of the worst the country of Australia has ever seen.
2011
The January 2011 Brazil floods are considered the worst in the country's history. As of 18 January 2011, the floods had taken about 700 lives and 14,000 people were homeless mainly due to landslides.
The Mississippi River floods in April and May 2011 were among the largest and most damaging recorded along the U.S. waterway.
In June 2011, flooding in China affected more than 4.8 million people, with 100,000 evacuated and 54 reported dead.
In late July, the 2011 Thailand floods spread through the provinces of Northern, Northeastern and Central Thailand along the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins and persisted in some areas until mid-January 2012.
In August–September 2011, there was floods in Khammouane Province in Laos, and then in northeastern Thailand, then came to Cambodia, and was drained via Mekong river to Vietnam then South China Sea.
On 18 October 2011, Pulau Tioman of Malaysia was flooded in Kampung Tekek, and the jungle near the village, then came up to Salang on 23 October 2011, the drain was started in November.
Around November 2011, northern part of Malaysia was flooded, and then to Narathiwat Province in Thailand.
2012
In July 2012, heavy torrential rains caused floods in Kyushu, Japan, leaving 32 people dead or missing.
In 2012 Great Britain and Ireland floods caused many floods in the United Kingdom, in April floods and gales hit most of England causing flooding and power outages, on the 28 June 2012 there were two severe supercell thunderstorms which traveled across the West Midlands causing flash flooding, on 6 July 2012 heavy rainfall brought floods to the South West of England with the Met Office issuing red rain warnings, flooding later returned to the UK on 21 November 2012, as heavy persistent rainfall fell in South West England which caused rivers to burst their banks, the rain later pushed into the Midlands overnight causing more flooding, on 24 November 2012 another band of rain pushed into South West England, The Environment Agency issued three severe flood warnings for the South West England and 90 flood warnings, the following day the Environment Agency issued 110 flood warning for the Midlands, most of which were for the River Avon and the River Severn.
2013
The 2013 North India floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall. The floods struck the state of uttarakhand. These floods killed 5,700 people.
The 2013 European floods.
2013 Alberta flood — On 20 June 2013, widespread flooding in southern Alberta caused major damage in Canmore, Calgary and High River when the Cougar Creek, Highwood River, and other rivers and creeks overflowed caused by extensive rainfall.[24][25] Other communities in the area were also affected, or were expected to be, by floods.[26] Flooding also caused power outages and the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 1A, as well as many other highways and roads.[27][28] A man and a woman were reported missing after a mobile home was swept into the Highwood River near the town of Black Diamond; the man was later rescued, but the woman remained missing.[29]
The 2013 Southwest China floods.
The 2013 Afghanistan–Pakistan floods.
2013 Colorado floods. At least four dead after floods in Colorado.
On 18 November 2013 the heavy flood caused by Cyclone Cleopatra killed 18 people in the Italian island of Sardinia.[30]
2014
Many parts of the United Kingdom experienced flooding at the start of this year. In January and then again in February the River Thames breached its banks resulting in severe flooding to many homes and properties in heavily populated parts of the Thames Valley area.[31]
In early April 2014, Cyclone Ita caused disastrous flooding across the Solomon Islands, killing at least 21 people.
Between April 2 and April 30, 2014, flood events in the United-States, caused by an important tornado outbreak.
In May 2014, multiple floods affected a large area of Southeastern Europe.  A low-pressure area named "Yvette" brought flooding from 14–16 May.  Bosnia, Serbia and Romania were hit by the biggest flood in their modern history.  Several cities were left behind without fresh water or food.[32]
In June 2014, a flash flood in the Baghlan province of Afghanistan killed at least 73.[33]
2014 Alberta floods — On 18 June 2014 the city of Claresholm, Alberta awoke to find its city streets flooded, and states of emergency were declared for many areas in southern Alberta including the Blood Reserve, Cardston, Claresholm, Coaldale, Crowsnest Pass, Lethbridge County, Medicine Hat, and Willow Creek.[34]
2014 India–Pakistan floods- In September 2014, an estimated 557 people died in India and Pakistan as a result of flooding, which was caused by intense rainfall in the area. [35]
2014 New York flood — Record setting rainfall creating 60 days of precipitation fell near New York, New York.[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43]
2015
2015 Northern Chile floods and mudflow
2015 Tbilisi flood
2015 Missouri floods
2015 South Indian floods
2015 Poland Flood
2015 Myanmar Flood
2016
2016 São Paulo flood and mudslide
April 18 – 2016 Houston floods
2016 Ethiopia flood
2016 European floods
2016 Oklahoma floods[44][45]
2016 Maryland flood[46][47]
2016 Niger flood[48][49][50][51]
2016 Louisiana floods[52][53]
2016 Johannesburg flood
2017
2017 Southern Thailand floods[54][55][56]
2017 Peru flood[57][58]
Quebec Floods
2017 Hurricane Harvey
2017 Hurricane Irma
2018
2018 East Africa floods
2018 Japan floods
2018 Kerala floods
2018 Vietnam floods
2018 North Korean floods
2018 European floods
2018 Kerala flood
Floods by region
Africa
The 2000 Mozambique flood, caused by heavy rains followed by a cyclone, covered much of the country for three weeks, killing thousands, leaving the country devastated for years afterwards.
Ethiopia saw one of its worst floods in August 2006.
The 2005 African floods hit over 14 countries in Africa, affecting 2.5 million people and 250 deaths.
The 2007 Mozambican flood affected 121,000 people and resulted in between 29 and 40 deaths.
The 2008 Namibia floods affected 250,000 people, killing 42.
The 2008 Benin floods affected 150,000 people in Benin.
The 2009 Angola, Namibia and Zambia floods affected some 445,000 people across three countries and resulted in the deaths of at least 131 people.
The 2009 West Africa floods affected close to one million people across twelve countries, and caused the deaths of at least 193 people.
The 2011 in Rwanda of the Nyabugogo River causing 5 death and five million Rwandan francs
The 2010 Rwandan flood of the Mwogo River  affected two hundred people across nyanza district, and causing the loss of six million of Rwandan francs.
The 2015 Southeast Africa Floods
The 2015 Accra floods in Ghana affected thousands of people in the city, killing about 200.
The 2016–17 Zimbabwe floods
The 2018 East Africa floods
Asia
East Asia
China

The 1887 Yellow River Flood caused between 900,000 and 2,0000,000 deaths in China. One of the most deadliest floods ever.
The 1911 Yangtze river flood. Killed upto 100,000 in China
The 1931 Yellow River flood caused between 800,000 and 4,000,000 deaths in China, one of a series of disastrous floods on the Yellow River.
The 1935 Yangtze river flood. Killed 145,000 in China
The 1939 Tianjin River flood
1948 Fuzhou River flood
1951 Manchuria River flood
The 1954 Yangtze River Floods
The 1983 Yellow River Flood left 900,000~2 million people dead and more than 2 million people homeless.
The 1998 Yangtze River Floods left 14million people homeless.
The 2010 China Floods affected more than 230 million people – with 15.2 million people evacuated and thousands dead.
2011 China floods
The 2013 Southwest China floods.
On 23 May 2015, at least 57 people were killed in floods in six provinces.[59] Among the dead were two schoolchildren on an overloaded bus that plunged into a pond.[60]
2016 China floods
2017 China floods
Hong Kong
Hong Kong Typhoon of 1906
Great Hong Kong Typhoon of 1937
Japan

In July 2012, heavy torrential rains caused floods in Kyushu, Japan, leaving 32 people dead or missing. Later in August incessant rains and storm caused floods in Kinki region, causing one casualty.
In July 1996 a flood hit Central Honshū and 48people died.
On 21 September 1996, a typhoon hit Kyushu causing flooding along the coasts as huge waves crashed onshore and flooding onshore when the typhoon dumped lots of rain on the area.
In 1953, the 1953 North Kyushu Flood killed 759 people and the killed and missing amounted to 1,001 in the northern area of Kyushu of Japan.
The Great Hanshin flood of 1938 occurred in July 1938 in Kobe area in Japan, causing 925 lost lives as exceptionally heavy torrential raining caused landsides at Rokko mountain.
2018 Japan floods
North Korea
North Korea saw one of its worst floods ever in May 2006.
South Korea
South Korea was also flooded at the same time but its floods continued through to the end of June 2006.
South Asia
Bangladesh
Bangladesh has been victim of numerous floods throughout the years, the major ones being in 1954, 1955, 1970, 1985, 1988, 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2012.
India
Assam has been suffering floods regularly since 1998.
Flooding in Mumbai in July 2005 left over 700 dead. Some areas went under 5m of water.
The 2008 Indian floods affected most of India throughout 2008.
In October 2009, flooding occurred across many parts of South India. It was one of the worst flood in the area in the last 100 years, killing at least 299 people and making 500,000 homeless.
The Leh floods occurred on 6 August 2010 in Leh, the largest town in Ladakh, a region of the northernmost Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. At least 193 people are reported to have died, five of whom were foreign tourists, after a cloudburst and heavy overnight rains triggered flash floods and mudslides. A further 200 people were reported missing and thousands more were rendered homeless after the flooding caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure.
The 2013 North India floods in Uttarakhand which destroyed many things and landslides caused by heavy rainfall.
The 2014 South India floods in Visakhapatnam which destroyed many things and landslides caused by heavy rainfall and thousands more were rendered homeless after the flooding caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure.
The floods that occurred in Chennai due to the heavy rain fall of northeast monsoons in 2015 is considered one of the major disasters in the state of Tamil Nadu.It occurred from November end till the mid of second week of December.
2017 Gujarat flood
August 2017 Nepal and Darshan India floods
The flood occurred in Kerala in 2018 late August causing tremendous damage of equipment. More than 448 deaths of people were recorded and a loss of more than 4 billion was recorded.
Pakistan

In 2003, Sindh province was badly affected due to monsoon rains causing damages in billions.
In 2007, Cyclone Yemyin submerged lower part of Balochistan Province in sea water killing 380 people. Before that it killed 213 people in Karachi on its way to Balochistan.
In 2009, Karachi was flooded. (see 2009 Karachi floods)
In 2010, from Mid-July till Mid-August – Pakistan's four provinces (Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Southern Punjab and Sindh) were badly affected during the monsoon rains when dams, rivers and lakes overflowed, killing at least 1,750 people, injuring 2,500 and affecting 23 million people. The flood is considered the worst in Pakistan's history, affecting people of all four provinces and Asad Jamu and Kashmir Region of Pakistan.[61] (see 2010 Pakistan floods)
The 2013 Afghanistan–Pakistan floods.
Southeast Asia
2014 Southeast Asian floods.
Indonesia
Jakarta suffered floods that killed 80 people in January 2007.[62]
Malaysia
Floods in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sumatra in December 2006 and January 2007 were considered to be the worst in the area for 100 years, resulting in evacuation of over 100,000people in the worst-hit state of Johor at its peak.
The 2010 north Malaysian floods.
The 2014–15 Malaysia floods.
The 2015 East Malaysian floods.
Philippines
2009 Philippine Flood
2010–11 Philippine floods
2012 Metro Manila flooding
2012 Luzon southwest monsoon floods
2016 Philippine southwest monsoon floods
2017 Visayas and Mindanao floods
Thailand

The 2010 Thailand floods.
2011 Thailand floods started from July 2011 until January 2012 resulted in a total of 815 deaths, 13.6 million people affected, 65 provinces were declared flood disaster zones, over 20,000 square kilometers of farmland was damaged and 7 industrial estates was temporarily shut down causing over US$45.7 billion (1.4 trillion Baht) of over all damage.[63]
Europe

The North Sea Flood of 1953 caused over 2,000 deaths in the Dutch province of Zeeland and the United Kingdom and led to the construction of the Delta Works and the Thames Barrier.
The North Sea flood of 1962 killed 318people and damaged parts of the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Germany, but mainly Hamburg, Germany.
Record rain across central Europe in August 2005 caused very severe flooding.
A series of floods in Ireland, Italy and France in 2011 causes several deaths across all three countries.
Czech Republic
The 1997 Central European flood affected the Czech Republic, resulting in 50 deaths there and damage estimated at 63 billion CZK.[64]
The 2002 European floods affected the Czech Republic, where 17 people died and an estimated 73 billion CZK of damage was caused.[64]
The 2009 European floods affected the Czech Republic, where 13 people died and more than 5.6 billion CZK of damage was caused.[64]
The 2010 Central European floods caused a state of emergency to be called in the Zlín Region and Moravian-Silesian Region.[65]
France
One of France's worst floods of the 20th century occurred in 1910. The end of 1909 and early 1910 saw a period of heavy rain and snow fall over a period of 3 months. The level of the Seine began to rise rapidly from January 18 to 20, rising to a maximum of 8.62meters above normal on the 28th. Some 4billion cubic meters of river water, contaminated with river sediment and municipal sewage, flooded over 5 square kilometers of Paris. There were over 150,000 casualties and over 20,000 buildings flooded.[66]
Germany
All Saints' Flood (1304)
Italy
On 3 November 1844, the Arno river flooded Florence, Tuscany, and the Mugello region, Tuscany.
On 22 October 1951, there were numerous casualties due to floods in the neighbourhoods of Benevento, Campania.
On 14 November 1951, the Po river delta was hit by floods; there were 84 casualties and 180,000 people lost their homes.
From 24 to 28 November 1959, rivers flooded under excess of rainfall causing hundreds people homeless and storm tide destroyed houses in Metaponto. One person death drowned in Policoro. Heavy rainfall caused also landslides in Pisticci.[67]
On 9 October 1963, the Vajont Dam, near Longarone, Veneto, experienced a landslide into an artificial lake, triggering a seiche wave and a megatsunami; 1,917 people were killed and many towns in the Piave river valley were obliterated.
On 4 November 1966, the 1966 Flood of the Arno River in Florence, Tuscany, killed 34 people and damaged or destroyed millions of masterpieces of art and rare books in Florence.
On 18 July 1985, near Tesero, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, the Val di Stava dam collapsed; an artificial reservoir breached the dam, killing 286 people.
In the summer 1987, heavy precipitation caused the Valtellina disaster in the Valtellina valley in Lombardy, killing 53 people and inflicting serious damage to infrastructures, landscape, towns and economy.
On 6 November 1994, the southern part of Piedmont was hit by floods from the Po and Tanaro rivers; there were 70 casualties and 2,226 people lost their homes.
On 19 June 1996, the areas of Versilia and Garfagnana in Tuscany were hit by flash floods; there were 14 casualties.
On 5 May 1998, Sarno, Campania, was hit by a flash flood that triggered a mudslide; there were 160 casualties.
On 9 September 2000, a camping place near Soverato, Calabria, was wiped out by a flash flood; there were twelve casualties and one missing person.
From 13 to 16 September 2001, there were floods in most of the Po river basin; there were 23 casualties, 11 missing people and 40,000 evacuees.
On 18 November 2013 the heavey flood caused by Cyclone Cleopatra killed 18 people in Sardinia.[30]
Poland
The 1934 flood in Poland was the biggest flood in the history in Poland (then the Second Polish Republic) with 55 people killed.
Portugal
In February 2010, severe floods and mudslides hit the Portuguese island of Madeira, killing at least 50.[68]
Spain
13–14 October 1957, in Valencia, torrential rain results in a devastating flood, at least 81 people lose their lives.[69]
In 1982, the river Jucar (Valencia, Spain) broke the Tous Reservoir causing a flood that killed 30 people.[70]
United Kingdom
The North Sea flood of 1953 was one of the most devastating natural disasters ever recorded in the UK.
The 2015 Great Britain and Ireland floods
England
Great Sheffield Flood – Deadliest flood in the history of the UK, caused by the failure of the Dale Dike Reservoir. Affected Sheffield in 1864, 270 dead
1928 Thames flood
Lynmouth flood of 1952– 34 people were killed, with a further 420 made homeless. Over 100 buildings were destroyed.
Flooding from snowmelt March 1947 in England including the 1947 Thames flood
Floods in July and September 1968 in England
Autumn 2000 flooding in England
Boscastle flood of 2004– Boscastle in Cornwall was heavily damaged due to flash floods.
Eden, Kent, Derwent, Greta and Cocker as well as other Cumbrian Rivers flooded in January 2005 damaging around 2000 properties and causing over £250million of damage.[23]
2007 United Kingdom floods – 6 people killed. Whole country affected, with Yorkshire the worst hit county. Yorkshire suffers many road and rail closures, power cuts and evacuations with Sheffield the worst hit place in the country.
November 2009 Great Britain and Ireland floods– heavy rain falls on much of the British Isles, but Cumbria worst affected. 2 people killed by the flood
2012 Great Britain and Ireland floods
North Sea flood of 2013
Winter storms of 2013-2014 in the United Kingdom– A continuous stream of major storms and heavy rain falls primarily on the southern British Isles, Somerset Devon and Cornwall worst affected. Loss of large areas of agricultural land, many flood records broken.  Main Railway line to Cornwall severed at Dawlish.
Scotland
2002 Glasgow floods– 200 people immediately evacuated, but the water supply of 140 thousand people was affected.
Wales
December 2015– Flooding of Conwy River.

North America
Canada

In May 1950, the Red River, also known as Red River of the North, reached its highest level since 1861 and flooded most of the Red River Valley. Winnipeg, Manitoba, was inundated on 5 May, also known as Black Friday to some residents, and had to be partially evacuated.
On 15 October 1954, Hurricane Hazel struck Toronto, Ontario, killing 81people, destroying 20 bridges, and leaving over 2,000people homeless.
On 14 July 1987, a series of strong thunderstorms crossed the Island of Montreal, between the noon hour and 2:30p.m. causing the Montreal Flood of 1987. Over 100 millimetres (3.9 inches) of rain fell during this very short period of time. The sewer systems were overwhelmed by the deluge and the city was paralyzed by the flooded roads.  Autoroute 15, a sunken highway also known as the Decarie Expressway, soon filled with water trapping motorists. Some 350,000 houses lost electricity, and tens of thousands had flooded basements. Two people died, one in a submerged car and another who was electrocuted.[71]
On 19 July 1996 The worst flood in the Quebec province, in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean
One of Canada's most devastating floods occurred in southern Alberta in June 2005. The flooding affected many major metropolitan areas including Calgary. Four deaths resulted from the three-week flood.
2013 Alberta floods — On 20 June 2013, widespread flooding in southern Alberta caused major damage in Canmore, Calgary and High River when the Cougar Creek, Highwood River, and other rivers and creeks overflowed caused by extensive rainfall.[24][25] Other communities in the area were also affected, or were expected to be, by floods.[26] Flooding also caused power outages and the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 1A, as well as many other highways and roads.[27][72] A man and a woman were reported missing after a mobile home was swept into the Highwood River near the town of Black Diamond; the man was later rescued, but the woman remained missing.[29]
2014 Alberta floods — On 18 June 2014 the city of Claresholm, Alberta awoke to find its city streets flooded, and states of emergency were declared for many areas in southern Alberta including the Blood Reserve, Cardston, Claresholm, Coaldale, Crowsnest Pass, Lethbridge County, Medicine Hat, and Willow Creek.[34]
United States

In 1889, the South Fork Dam broke, causing the  massive Johnstown Flood that took 2,209 lives in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
The Great Dayton Flood of 1913 killed 360people and destroyed 20,000 homes in the United States. It also damaged historic photographic plates belonging to Wilbur and Orville Wright. It caused the end of canal transportation in Ohio.
The 1916 Hatfield Flood of San Diego, California, destroyed the Sweetwater and Lower Otay Dams, and caused 22 deaths and $4.5million in damages.
The Vermont flood of 1927 is probably the worst flood in Vermont history doing $30 million in damages, which would be $270 million today, killed over 83 people and left 9,000 homeless.[73][74]
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was one of the most destructive floods in United States history.
The Ohio River flood of 1937 took place in late January and February 1937. With damage stretching from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois, one million were left homeless, with 385 dead and property losses reaching $500 million.
In 1957, storm surge flooding from Hurricane Audrey killed about 400people in southwest Louisiana.
In 1965, Hurricane Betsy flooded large areas of New Orleans, Louisiana, for up to 10days, drowning around 40people.
In 1972, the Black Hills flood killed 238people and caused $160million of damage in western South Dakota.
In 1983, the Pacific Northwest saw one of their worst winter floods, And some of the Northwest states saw their wettest winter yet. The damage was estimated at $1.1billion.
In Alaska from May to September 1992 unusually wet conditions, plus snow melt, caused the 100 year flood in areas of Alaska.
The Great Flood of 1993 was one of the most destructive floods in United States history.
On 8 May 1995, a flood hit Louisiana and caused extensive damage.
The Red River Flood of 1997 occurred in April and May 1997 along the Red River of the North in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba (Canada). It was the most severe flooding of the river since 1826.
In October 1998, San Marcos, Texas, experienced flooding that had rain totals of 15 to 30 inches in a short period of time.[75]
In June 2001, floods from Tropical Storm Allison killed over 30people in the Houston, Texas, area.
Eighty percent of New Orleans, Louisiana, was flooded due to the failure of several floodwalls in August 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 1,076people also died because of the hurricane.
The Mid-Atlantic States flood of 2006 in the eastern United States is considered to be the worst in that region since the flooding caused by Hurricane David in 1979.
The May 2010 Tennessee floods were 1,000-year[76] floods in Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, South Central and Western Kentucky and northern Mississippi as the result of torrential rains on 1 and 2 May 2010. The Cumberland River crested at 51.86 feet in Nashville, a level not seen since 1937.[77]
2013 Colorado floods
Between April 27 and April 30, 2014, flood events in Arkansas/Missouri and Mobile–Pensacola, caused by an important tornado outbreak.
2014 New York flood — Record setting rainfall creating 60 days of precipitation fell near New York, New York.[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43]
2015 Missouri flood
2016 Oklahoma floods[45][44]
2016 Louisiana floods[52][53]
2017 Texas floods
2018 Ohio river floods voluntary evacuations were issued from Pittsburgh, PA to Wheeling, WV
Oceania
Australia

1893 Brisbane flood
1940 saw severe floods in Queensland, Australia.
The Hunter Valley floods of 1955 in New South Wales (Australia) destroyed over 100 homes and caused 45,000 to be evacuated.
Floods hit Victoria in 1998 causing considerable damage and flooding in the Australian capital, Canberra.
The 2007 Hunter Floods inundated large areas of the cities of Maitland and Newcastle, in June 2007 claimed 11 lives and forced the evacuation of 4,000people in Central Maitland alone.
The Gulf floods caused by Cyclone Charlotte isolated Karumba and Normanton with flood waters in January 2009.
Flooding in Queensland in 2010 and 2011 was one of the worst flood events in Australia's history, 38 people were killed and entire towns, such as Grantham were severely damaged.
Severe floods also occurred in Victoria in the years of 2010–2011.
In January 2013, areas hit by flooding just a few years before were inundated again due to rain caused by Cyclone Oswald.
Fiji
The 2009 Fiji floods are responsible for at least 16 deaths in the islands
New Zealand
The 1858 Hutt River flood kills 14 people
The 1878 of the Clutha River
The 1897 flooding at Clive in Hawke's Bay kills 12 people
Severe flooding badly affected the city of Dunedin in 1929
In 1938, a flash-flood at a railway workers' camp at Kopuawhara kills 21 people
The 1978 flood of the Clutha River, known as the "Hundred years flood" hit one day before the 100th anniversary of the great flood of 1878
The 1984 Southland flood
In 1988, extensive flooding is caused in several parts of the North Island due to Cyclone Bola
The 2004 Manawatu flood inundated the town of Feilding
Solomon Islands
On early April 2014, the Cyclone Ita caused disastrous flooding across the Solomon Islands, killing at least 21 people.
Papua New Guinea
In November 2007, Cyclone Guba, a slow moving storm caused deadly flooding in Papua New Guinea.
South America
Brazil
In January 1992, Brazil saw severe floods.
2008 Santa Catarina floods
2009 Brazilian floods and mudslides
January 2010 Rio de Janeiro floods and mudslides
Rio de Janeiro had its worst ever flood that killed over 250 people in April 2010.
2010 northeastern Brazil floods
The floods of January 2011 in Brazil were considered the worst in the country's history. As of January 18, the floods had taken about 700 lives and 14,000 people were homeless mainly due to landslides.
2016 São Paulo flood and mudslide
Chile
The Great Chilean earthquake was followed by a tsunami that flooded the settlements of Riñihue, Los Lagos, Antilhue, Pishuinco and Valdivia
The 2015 Northern Chile floods and mudflow
Peru
The 2017 Peru flood was a natural disaster in Peru in which more than 100 000 homes were demolished, over 100 bridges washed out, and multiple roadways rendered inoperable.[57]  Over 70 people have lost their lives as a result of the flooding.[58]
Uruguay
The 1959 flood in Uruguay was provoked by an overflow in the Río Negro. The consequences were disastrous for an already stagnant economy.
See also
Floods by country
Floods in the United States before 1901
Floods in the United States: 1901–2000
Floods in the United States: 2001–present
List of droughts
List of flash floods
List of historic tropical cyclone names
List of tropical cyclones

What was the largest recorded flood in the 20th century?


The Nimrod, built in the United Kingdom by Ferranti for the 1951 Festival of Britain, was an early computer custom-built to play a computer game, one of the first games developed in the early history of video games. The twelve-by-nine-by-five-foot (3.7-by-2.7-by-1.5-metre) computer, designed by John Makepeace Bennett and built by engineer Raymond Stuart-Williams, allowed exhibition attendees to play a game of Nim against an artificial intelligence. The player pressed buttons on a raised panel corresponding with lights on the machine to select their moves, and the Nimrod moved afterward, with its calculations represented by more lights. The speed of the Nimrod's calculations could be slowed down to allow the presenter to demonstrate exactly what the computer was doing, with more lights showing the state of the calculations. The Nimrod was intended to demonstrate Ferranti's computer design and programming skills rather than to entertain, though Festival attendees were more interested in playing the game than the logic behind it. After its initial exhibition in May, the Nimrod was shown for three weeks in October 1951 at the Berlin Industrial Show before being dismantled.
The game of Nim running on the Nimrod is a candidate for one of the first video games, as it was one of the first computer games to have any sort of visual display of the game. It appeared only four years after the 1947 invention of the cathode-ray tube amusement device, the earliest known interactive electronic game to use an electronic display, and one year after Bertie the Brain, a computer similar to the Nimrod which played tic-tac-toe at the 1950 Canadian National Exhibition. The Nimrod's use of light bulbs rather than a screen with real-time visual graphics, however, much less moving graphics, does not meet some definitions of a video game.
Development
In the summer of 1951, the United Kingdom held the Festival of Britain, a national exhibition held throughout the UK to promote the British contribution to science, technology, industrial design, architecture, and the arts and to commemorate the centenary of the 1851 Great Exhibition.[1] British engineering firm and nascent computer developer Ferranti promised to develop an exhibit for the Festival. In late 1950, John Makepeace Bennett, an Australian employee of the firm and recent Ph.D. graduate from the University of Cambridge, proposed that the company create a computer that could play the game of Nim. In Nim, players take turns removing at least one object from a set of objects, with the goal of being the player who removes the last object; gameplay options can be modeled mathematically.[2] Bennett's suggestion was supposedly inspired by an earlier Nim-playing machine, "Nimatron", which had been displayed in 1940 at the New York World's Fair.[2][3] The Nimatron machine had been designed by Edward Condon and constructed by Westinghouse Electric from electromechanical relays, and had weighed over a ton.[4] Although Bennett's suggestion was a game, his goal was to show off the computer's ability to do mathematical calculations, as Nim is based on mathematical principles, and thus showcase Ferranti's computer design and programming skills rather than to entertain.[2]

It may appear that, in trying to make machines play games, we are wasting our time. This is not true as the theory of games is extremely complex and a machine that can play a complex game can also be programmed to carry out very complex practical problems.
Pamphlet accompanying the Nimrod sold to Festival of Britain attendees.[5]

Ferranti began work on building the computer on 1 December 1950, with engineer Raymond Stuart-Williams adapting the design by Bennett into a working machine. Development was completed by 12 April 1951, resulting in a device twelve feet wide, nine feet deep, and five feet tall. The majority of the volume was taken up by vacuum tubes and the light bulbs that displayed the state of the game, with the actual computer taking up no more than two percent of the total volume of the machine.[2] The Nimrod took the form of a large box with panels of lights, with a raised stand in front of it with buttons corresponding with the lights, which in turn represented the objects the player could remove.[3]
The player would sit at the stand and press the buttons to make their moves, while one panel of lights showed the state of the game, and another showed the computer's calculations during its move.[3] The computer could be set to make its calculations at various speeds, slowing down so that the demonstrator could describe exactly what the computer was doing in real time.[5] A visual guide attached to the Nimrod explained what the computer was doing during its turn, as well as showing possible game states and how they would be represented by the lights.[3] Signs stating which player's turn it was and whether one or the other had won would light up as appropriate during gameplay.[5]
Presentation

On 5 May 1951, the Nimrod computer was presented at the Festival as the Nimrod Digital Computer, advertised as "faster than thought" and an "electronic brain".[2] It exclusively played the game of Nim; moves were made by players seated at the raised stand, with the demonstrator sitting on the other side between the stand and the computer. Nimrod could play either the traditional or "reverse" form of the game.[3] A short guidebook was sold to visitors for one shilling and sixpence explaining how computers worked, how the Nimrod worked, and advertising Ferranti's other developments. It explained that the use of a game to demonstrate the power of the machine did not mean that it was meant for entertainment and compared the mathematical underpinnings of Nim with modeling the economics of countries.[5] Players of the Nimrod during the Festival included computer science pioneer Alan Turing.[6]
Although it was intended as a technology demonstration, most of the onlookers at the Festival of Britain were more interested in playing the game than in the programming and engineering logic behind it. Bennett claimed that "most of the public were quite happy to gawk at the flashing lights and be impressed." BBC Radio journalist Paul Jennings claimed that all of the festival attendees "came to a standstill" upon reaching the "frightful" "tremendous gray refrigerator".[2]
After the Festival, the Nimrod was showcased for three weeks in October at the Berlin Industrial Show, where it also drew crowds, including the West Germany economics minister Ludwig Erhard. Afterwards, however, as it had served its purpose the Nimrod was dismantled.[2] As the Nimrod was not intended as an entertainment product, it was not followed up by any future games, and Ferranti continued its work on designing general purpose computers.[3]
The Nimrod was created only four years after the 1947 invention of the cathode-ray tube amusement device, the earliest known interactive electronic game, and one year after a similar purpose built game-playing machine, Bertie the Brain, the first computer-based game to feature a visual display of any sort.[2][7][8] The Nimrod is considered under some definitions one of the first video games, possibly the second. While definitions vary, the prior cathode-ray tube amusement device was a purely analog electrical game, and while the Nimrod and Bertie did not feature an electronic screen they both had a game running on a computer.[9] The software-based tic-tac-toe game OXO and a draughts program by Christopher Strachey were programmed a year later in 1952 and were the first computer games to display visuals on an electronic screen rather than through light bulbs.[3][8][10]