Eastern United States flooding of June 2006

Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006

The Delaware River overspilled its banks and overtook U.S. Highway 46 in Columbia, N.J.
Date	June 25–July 5
Location	Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, DC
Deaths	16
Property damage	$1 billion

The Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006 was a significant flood that affected much of the Mid-Atlantic region of the eastern United States. The flooding was very widespread, affecting numerous rivers, lakes and communities from upstate New York to North Carolina. It was widely considered to be the worst flooding in the region since Hurricane David in 1979. It was also one of the worst floodings in the United States since Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. At least 16 deaths were related to the flooding.

The flooding was attributed to several weather factors that all came together over the region.

The primary factor was the stalling of the jet stream just to the west of the Appalachian Mountains. That, combined with the Bermuda High over the Atlantic Ocean, blocked any systems from moving inland or offshore. The influence of a tropical low (which nearly became a tropical storm but did not attain a full surface circulation) off the North Carolina coast allowed a constant stream of tropical moisture to enter the Mid-Atlantic region. The resulting heavy and prolonged rains overflowed the banks of many rivers, lakes, and streams, leading to the flooding.

A senior National Weather Service meteorologist declared that rain events of this size take place in the region only every 200 years.

Considerable flooding occurred in much of Delaware, particularly in Sussex County, where Governor Ruth Ann Minner declared a state of emergency. The hardest hit community was Seaford, where 40 families were temporarily homeless and many homes and businesses were damaged.