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|
Catastrophe Report 9
February 24th – July 25th 2006 |
Flood - USA
| Territory: |
|
United States |
| Region: |
|
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Washington DC. |
| Date: |
|
25 June – 1 July 2006 |
| Event: |
|
Flood |
| Impact: |
|
Widespread flooding across Virginia, Washington
DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and New York
State, led to tens of thousands of buildings being damaged and
hundreds of thousands of people being temporarily displaced.
On the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, 200,000 people were
evacuated as the river exceeded its flood stage, but were allowed
to return when levees successfully held the flood crest conditions.
In New York State, eastern and central areas were worst affected,
including the city of Binghamton on the Susquehanna, where more
than 15,000 were evacuated. Property damage in the state is
estimated at ~ US$100 million. In New Jersey, Trenton on the
Delaware suffered major flooding, as the river burst its banks
and flood waters reached close to 2 m depth. Six thousand residents
were forced to flee and thousands of homes were inundated. In
Montgomery County, Maryland, 2,000 people were forced out by
rising floodwaters on the Susquehanna, while in Washington DC,
many highways and government buildings were flooded, including
the Justice and Commerce departments and the IRS, which was
expected to remain closed for a month. The Washington Metro
was disrupted, and Amtrack services halted, while tens of thousands
lost power across the region. The final death toll is estimated
at 16, with economic losses due to the flooding set at around
US$1 billion. Insured loss data are not currently available. |
| Summary: |
|
Between June 22nd and the 28th, the Mid-Atlantic
and North Eastern states of the US experienced exceptionally
heavy precipitation. The cause was a mass of tropical air from
the Atlantic pushing north-westwards into a stationary front
located over the region. The result was four or five days of
severe thunder storms, many of which continually reformed to
repeatedly dump torrential rain across the same areas. In places,
rainfall exceeded 25 cm, breaking many records and leading to
widespread flooding across the greater Washington DC area, in
Virgina and Maryland, and northwards in parts of Pennsylvania,
Delaware, New Jersey and New York. In Washington and Columbia
(Maryland), 15 – 22 cm of rain fell within 24 hours, closing
federal buildings and dozens of roads in the capital and carrying
vehicles away in flash floods. At least 10 cm of rain fell across
most of the Delaware River Basin, with up to 32 cm in places.
Near record flood conditions occurred along the Delaware River
on June 28th and 29th. In Pennsylvania, more than 20 cm of rain
led to the Susquehanna River reaching dangerous levels, and
required the opening of floodgates to prevent uncontrolled overtopping
of the banks. River levels were above their flood stages in
many places, including Wilkes-Barre, Danville, and Harrisburg
on the Susquehanna, and Phillipsburg and Trenton on the Delaware.
The Susquehanna River was reported at one point to be nearly
5 m above flood level, with the Delaware around 10 m above flood
level in places. |
| Data sources: |
|
Dartmouth Flood Observatory
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/
Delaware River Basin Commission
http://www.state.nj.us/drbc/Flood_Website/2006/summary7-17.pdf
|
| Additional sources:
|
|
NOAA North East River Forecast Center
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/nerfc/
|
Image:
|
|
Precipitation over the north eastern United States
in the seven days to June 28th 2006. Courtesy NOAA.
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/2006/jun/northeastrainfall.gif
|
|
|
