Floods in the United States (2000–present) is a list of flood events which were of significant impact to the country during the 21st century, since 2000. Floods are generally caused by excessive rainfall, excessive snowmelt, storm surge from hurricanes, and dam failure.
2000s November 2000 Hawaii floods
Tropical Storm Paul formed on October 25 from the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) to the southwest of Mexico, and it dissipated four days later without becoming a significant tropical cyclone. The remnants of Paul reached the Hawaiian Islands in early November 2000, and interacted with an upper-level low, dropping very heavy rains from November 1 to 3.
Tropical Storm Allison floods in Louisiana and Texas – June 2001
The remains of the tropical cyclone sat and spun over eastern Texas for several days before moving eastward just inland of the Gulf coast. Heavy rains fell along the western Gulf coast that week, with storm totals of nearly near Houston and west of Beaumont. Damage from the storm was estimated near US$6 billion (2001 dollars), and 41 perished from the flood.Department of Commerce. Service Assessment: Tropical Storm Allison Heavy Rains and Floods Texas and Louisiana June 2001. Retrieved on November 30, 2006.
Los Angeles County Flood of 2005
Hurricane Katrina (2005) storm surge – Louisiana and Mississippi
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the southeast tip of Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane after reaching its peak intensity as a Category 5 hurricane on August 28. The strong northerly flow behind Katrina caused breaks and failures in the levees that protected the lower Ninth Ward and along other canals in New Orleans, flooding 80 percent of the city for nearly a month. The mouth of the Mississippi River saw breaks in its levee system due to storm surge. In Mississippi, a massive storm surge destroyed most structures along the coast including floating casinos, and preliminary figures show that the storm surge was higher than in Hurricane Camille of 1969.NOAA. Service Assessment: Hurricane Katrina August 25–31, 2005. Retrieved on October 30, 2006. There were 1,836 fatalities, mostly from flooding.
Mid-Atlantic and New England Flood – October 2005
The combination of a moisture fetch set up by Subtropical Depression 22 and Tropical Storm Tammy, as well as an additional tropical disturbance that rode up a stationary frontal zone, set up excessive rains from coastal sections of the Mid-Atlantic states through southern New England. In New Hampshire, the Monadnock region was affected, with Alstead among the hardest hit as of rain fell within 30 hours, allowing this month to be the wettest in the history of the Granite State. It was considered a once-in-500-year flood event.NewHampshire.com. NH Flood Information. Retrieved on May 5, 2007.
Ka Loko Reservoir – March 2006
Prolonged rainfall fell across Hawaii between February 19 and April 2, 2006, as upper-level cyclones kept closing off northwest of the archipelago, virtually eliminating their normal trade winds, and bringing some of the wettest conditions seen in the state since March 1951. Four of the cyclones were kona lows. The heavy rain event of March 1 to 3 brought severe flooding to the east-facing slopes of the Koolau Range in Oahu, with falling in two days at Punalu'u. During the next rain event from March 8 to 11, many of the larger islands received significant amounts of rainfall. Flash flooding occurred in Maakua Stream, and severe inundation affected communities from Laie to Kahana. As much as of rain fell over north Kauai, forcing the closure of Kuhio Highway at the Hanalei Bridge for the second time in 24 hours. of rain fell upon the southeast-facing slopes of the Big Island causing numerous road closures in Hilo. North and east Kauai received of rain over a 3-day period. Mount Waialeale recorded over during this 4-day period. The Kauai Marriott Resort suffered significant damage due to the overflow of Keonaawanui Stream during the early morning hours of March 11. The third significant rain event between March 13 and 18 was too much for Ka Loko Dam in northeast Kauai, which failed in the early morning of March 14. The wall of water swept away homes and structures and resulted in 3 confirmed deaths and 4 persons missing. Repeated thunderstorms and heavy rains produced numerous road closures from flooding and inundated many properties.National Weather Service Office, Honolulu, Hawaii. Unprecedented Extended Wet Period across Hawaii. Retrieved on October 30, 2006.
Mid-Atlantic Flood – June 2006
A stalled frontal boundary, a tropical connection, and a developing tropical disturbance led to heavy rains across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, particularly in central Maryland and Pennsylvania during late June. Rainfall amounts ranged up to during the several days of heavy rain. There was the threat of dam failure around an earthen dam around Lake Needwood in eastern Montgomery County, Maryland, due to the deluge.
Western Gulf Coast flood – October 2006
A trio of heavy rainfall events, on October 14–17, October 18–19,National Weather Service Office, Lake Charles, Louisiana. Sam Shamburger and Montra Lockwood. Too Much of a Good Thing. Retrieved on October 28, 2006. and again from October 26–27 set the stage for moderate to significant flooding across portions of eastern Texas, Louisiana, as well as portions of Arkansas and Mississippi.National Weather Service Office, Lake Charles, Louisiana. Sam Shamburger. Water, Water Everywhere. Retrieved on October 28, 2006. This was the wettest spell for the region since T.S. Allison of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season.National Weather Service Office, Shreveport, Louisiana. October 15–19, 2006 Heavy Rainfall Events. Retrieved on October 28, 2006. Two of these events were fed by tropical cyclones from the 2006 Pacific Hurricane Season, Norman and Paul, which affected western Mexico. Each rainfall event led to localized maxima in excess of , and helped break a dry spell across the region. Localized totals ranged up to near Kountze, Texas during the 13-day period from October 14 through October 27.
Washington State Flood – November 2006 Severe flooding in Washington state closed Mount Rainier National Park and damaged several mountain towns, including North Bend.
2007 Midwest flooding – August 2007
A stalled frontal boundary stretching from Iowa to Ohio was the focus for several rounds of heavy rainfall resulting in flash flooding the week of August 18 – August 25, 2007. Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio were the states hardest hit. Across the six states, 18 counties were declared federal disaster areas. Numerous rainfall records, both for most rain in the month of August as well as 24-hour rainfall totals were recorded. Over of rain was recorded in some locations during this week. At least $100 million in damages has been reported in Minnesota and Wisconsin alone, and 18 people were killed.
2007 Oregon and Washington floods – December 2007
Flooding occurred in Oregon and Washington along with high winds. Interstate 5 was both closed and damaged.
2008 Midwest flooding – Spring 2008
Flooding occurred in the midwest part of the United States.
June 2008 Midwest Flood
Extensive flooding is occurring or has occurred on the Wabash, White, Zumbro, Kickapoo, Wisconsin, Baraboo, Cedar, Crawfish, Fox, Iowa, Rock, and Des Moines rivers, as well as the upper Mississippi River, leading to extensive flooding in Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, and Missouri.
July–August 2008 Alaska Flood
Spring 2009 Red River Flood
In 2009, a record flood caused extensive damages along the Red River of the North, affecting the areas of Fargo-Moorhead, Wahpeton-Breckenridge, and Grand Forks between the Minnesota–North Dakota border, as well as Winnipeg and its surroundings in Manitoba, Canada.
September 2009 Southern Flood
A major rain event from September 16 through 22, which brought over ten inches of rain to the Atlanta, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Athens areas as well as other parts of the states of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. As of September 22, 2009, in Atlanta, 9 people had been killed due to the floods.Associated Press. Kate Brumback. 9 Southeast storm deaths as floodwaters linger. Retrieved on September 22, 2009.
2010s
March 2010 Southern New England Flood A major rainfall event which lasted from March 1–30 which brought twelve inches of rain and flooded the Pawtuxet River, Blackstone River and numerous other ocean, lakes, ponds and streams in Rhode Island. The flooding was the worst in Rhode Island history, as the Pawtuxet River crested over 69 feet—12 feet above flood stage, shattering the previous record by several feet. The rainstorm, which occurred during the cool, dry season, added 8.79" to an already rainy March. At 16.34" of rain, it was the wettest month on record for Rhode Island. A seasonal high tide led to severe coastal flooding in Bristol, Rhode Island; four of Rhode Island's counties were declared emergency disaster zones. The Warwick Mall in Warwick was flooded with 20 inches of water, leaving hundreds of employees out of work. A sewage treatment plant in the area failed, contaminating the rainwater with raw sewage. Hundreds of homes in Warwick, Cranston and Johnston were flooded with over a foot of contaminated water. Many towns in Southeastern Massachusetts were also affected by the flood.
May 2010 Tennessee floods
The May 2010 Tennessee floods were 1000-year floods in Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, south-central and western Kentucky and northern Mississippi as the result of torrential rains on May 1–2, 2010. Floods from these rains affected the area for several days afterwards, resulting in thirty-one deaths and widespread property damage totaling $2.3 billion.
September 2010 Minnesota/Wisconsin Flood
Flash floods put towns underwater and forced evacuations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. A strong system caused the heavy rain and flash flooding in the Upper Midwest. Some of the worse flooding came a week after the flood. Near record stage on the Minnesota River in New Ulm, Mankato, St Peter, Jordan, Shakopee, Savage, and breaking records in Henderson. Records were also broken on the Cannon River and the Zumbro River.
2011 Missouri River Flood
The 2011 Missouri River floods was a flooding event on the Missouri River in the United States, in May and June that year. The flooding was triggered by record snowfall in the Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming along with near-record spring rainfall in central and eastern Montana. All six major dams along the Missouri River released record amounts of water to prevent overflow which led to flooding threatening several towns and cities along the river from Montana to Missouri; in particular Bismarck, North Dakota; Pierre, South Dakota; Dakota Dunes, South Dakota; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Sioux City, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska; Council Bluffs, Iowa; Kansas City, Missouri; Jefferson City, Missouri, as well as putting many smaller towns at risk. According to the National Weather Service, in the second half of the month of May 2011, almost a year's worth of rain fell over the upper Missouri River basin. Extremely heavy rainfall in conjunction with an estimated 212 percent of normal snowpack in the Rocky Mountains contributed to this flooding event.
Spring 2011 Mississippi River Floods