List of non-water floods
Updated: 11/6/2025, 1:30:33 AM Wikipedia source
Most non-water floods (excluding mudflows, oil spills, or volcanic lahars) involve storage facilities suddenly releasing liquids, or industrial retaining reservoirs releasing toxic waste. Storage facility incidents usually cover a small area but can be catastrophic in cities. For example, a molasses tank failure in 1919 led to the Great Molasses Flood that killed 21 people in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Industrial retaining reservoirs are often used to store toxic waste, and when they fail they can flood a large area, causing physical and environmental damage. The 2010 failure of a reservoir at the Ajka alumina plant in Hungary flooded a small town and killed several, while the cleanup from the 2008 Kingston Fossil Plant spill in Tennessee, U.S. took several years and killed at least 40 workers involved.
Tables
List of non-water floods · List
London Beer Flood
London Beer Flood
Name
London Beer Flood
Date
17 October 1814
Composition of flood
Beer
Location
London, England
Dublin whiskey fire
Dublin whiskey fire
Name
Dublin whiskey fire
Date
18 June 1875
Composition of flood
Whiskey
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Great Molasses Flood
Great Molasses Flood
Name
Great Molasses Flood
Date
15 January 1919
Composition of flood
Molasses
Location
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Rockwood & Company shipping department fire
Rockwood & Company shipping department fire
Name
Rockwood & Company shipping department fire
Date
12 May 1919
Composition of flood
Molten chocolate and butter
Location
New York City, U.S.
Aberfan disaster
Aberfan disaster
Name
Aberfan disaster
Date
21 October 1966
Composition of flood
Mine spoil and water
Location
Aberfan, Wales, UK
Church Rock uranium mill spill
Church Rock uranium mill spill
Name
Church Rock uranium mill spill
Date
16 July 1979
Composition of flood
Uranium tailings
Location
Church Rock, New Mexico, U.S.
Wisconsin butter flood
Wisconsin butter flood
Name
Wisconsin butter flood
Date
3 May 1991
Composition of flood
Butter, cheese, and processed meat
Location
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Doñana disaster
Doñana disaster
Name
Doñana disaster
Date
25 April 1998
Composition of flood
Mine tailings
Location
Aznalcóllar, Andalusia, Spain
2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill
2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill
Name
2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill
Date
30 January 2000
Composition of flood
Mine tailings with cyanide
Location
Baia Mare, Romania
Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill
Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill
Name
Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill
Date
22 December 2008
Composition of flood
Coal byproducts mixed with water
Location
Kingston, Tennessee, U.S.
Ajka alumina plant accident
Ajka alumina plant accident
Name
Ajka alumina plant accident
Date
4 October 2010
Composition of flood
Bauxite residue mixed with water (caustic sludge, red in color)
Location
Ajka, Hungary
Mount Polley Mine
Mount Polley Mine
Name
Mount Polley Mine
Date
4 August 2014
Composition of flood
Mine tailings - nickel, arsenic, copper, lead and compounds thereof
Location
near Likely, British Columbia
Mariana dam disaster
Mariana dam disaster
Name
Mariana dam disaster
Date
5 November 2015
Composition of flood
Tailings mixed with water
Location
Mariana, Brazil
Pepsi fruit juice flood
Pepsi fruit juice flood
Name
Pepsi fruit juice flood
Date
25 April 2017
Composition of flood
Various juices
Location
Lebedyan, Russia
Levira Distiller wine flood
Levira Distiller wine flood
Name
Levira Distiller wine flood
Date
10 September 2023
Composition of flood
Red wine
Location
São Lourenço do Bairro, Portugal
| Name | Date | Composition of flood | Location |
| London Beer Flood | 17 October 1814 | Beer | London, England |
| Dublin whiskey fire | 18 June 1875 | Whiskey | Dublin, Ireland |
| Great Molasses Flood | 15 January 1919 | Molasses | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Rockwood & Company shipping department fire | 12 May 1919 | Molten chocolate and butter | New York City, U.S. |
| Aberfan disaster | 21 October 1966 | Mine spoil and water | Aberfan, Wales, UK |
| Church Rock uranium mill spill | 16 July 1979 | Uranium tailings | Church Rock, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Wisconsin butter flood | 3 May 1991 | Butter, cheese, and processed meat | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Doñana disaster | 25 April 1998 | Mine tailings | Aznalcóllar, Andalusia, Spain |
| 2000 Baia Mare cyanide spill | 30 January 2000 | Mine tailings with cyanide | Baia Mare, Romania |
| Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill | 22 December 2008 | Coal byproducts mixed with water | Kingston, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Ajka alumina plant accident | 4 October 2010 | Bauxite residue mixed with water (caustic sludge, red in color) | Ajka, Hungary |
| Mount Polley Mine | 4 August 2014 | Mine tailings - nickel, arsenic, copper, lead and compounds thereof | near Likely, British Columbia |
| Mariana dam disaster | 5 November 2015 | Tailings mixed with water | Mariana, Brazil |
| Pepsi fruit juice flood | 25 April 2017 | Various juices | Lebedyan, Russia |
| Levira Distiller wine flood | 10 September 2023 | Red wine | São Lourenço do Bairro, Portugal |
References
- The Collectorhttps://www.thecollector.com/the-great-molasses-flood/