Great California Flood 1861-62

From late 1861 into early 1862, California endured 43 straight days of rain, fueled by a weather phenomenon known as atmospheric rivers. The deluge transformed the Central Valley into a 300-mile-long, 20-mile-wide, 30-foot-deep inland sea. Sacramento disappeared beneath 10 feet of debris-filled water, and even telegraph poles vanished below the floodline.

The disaster killed thousands of people, destroyed towns, bankrupted the state government, and temporarily relocated California's capital. Historians warn that such "mega-floods" historically occur about every 200 years, meaning the Great California Flood may not remain a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Previous Fact Next Fact