Floods have been a perennial occurrence throughout history, but in recent times, not all of them have involved water. Around the world, numerous floods have occurred without a single drop of water involved. These non-water floods, caused by various liquids, have brought considerable discomfort to affected areas. Here, we’ll delve into ten such incidents and their impact on the surroundings.
1.Beer flooded the streets of London in 1814
In the tranquil London neighborhood of St. Giles, Bainbridge Street was home to the Henry Meux and Co. Brewing Company. Here, towering 22-foot-tall wooden vats, reinforced with iron hoops, contained fermenting black beer. Among those who worked there was George Crick, a storehouse clerk who had noticed a slipped iron hoop on one of the vats. Despite previous incidents of this nature, the brewery personnel did not perceive it as a significant risk.
However, pressure from the fermenting process continued to build inside the vats. At approximately 5:30 p.m. on October 17, 1814, disaster struck as the compromised vat finally burst. A staggering 570 tons of beer surged through the brewery, rupturing other casks and flooding the streets, invading nearby homes. Tragically, eight women and children lost their lives in this calamity, marking it as one of the most sorrowful accidents in British history.
2.Whiskey and fire flowed freely in the 1875 Dublin non-water floods
Known as the “Liberties Whiskey Fire of 1875,” this incident in Dublin, Ireland, resulted in a blaze that swept through the city’s oldest district. The fire originated at Malone’s malt house and bonded warehouse, where 1,800 large barrels of whiskey ignited, causing them to burst open. The scorching hot liquid flowed through the streets like molten alcohol.
The flames quickly spread throughout the neighborhood, fueled by the river of whiskey that extended two feet wide and six inches deep, stretching over 400 meters down one side of Mill Street. People resorted to using their hands, caps, and even boots to collect and consume the spilled whiskey. While there were no fatalities from the fire or smoke inhalation, tragically, 13 individuals died from alcohol poisoning as a result of the flood. The incident also affected animals in the vicinity.
3.Molasses resulted in one of the stickiest non-water floods in Massachusetts
On January 15, 1919, Commercial Street in Boston, Massachusetts, witnessed its first non-water flood. A 50-foot-tall steel tank containing 2.3 million gallons of sweet molasses suddenly burst open, unleashing a 15-foot-tall tidal wave of molasses racing down Commercial Street at over 35 miles per hour. Prior to the disaster, there had been observations of the tank groaning and leaking molasses onto the street, but no corrective measures were taken.
The flood resulted in injuries to 150 people, with 21 tragically losing their lives in the viscous substance. The owner of the tank, United States Industrial Alcohol, faced more than 100 lawsuits from those affected. Ultimately, they paid $628,000 in damages to victims and their families, equivalent to $8 million today.
4.The non-water floods in 1919 Brooklyn were delicious
On May 12, 1919, a fire erupted in the shipping department of Rockwood & Company’s chocolate complex on Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn. The blaze was triggered by a case of spontaneous combustion, quickly spreading to sacks of cocoa seeds, chocolate bars, and butter reserves. This fiery incident resulted in a mixture of butter and chocolate flooding the streets nearby. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the event, although the factory sustained significant damages estimated at $75,000, equivalent to about $1.3 million today.
5.Melted butter threatened the daily lives of people in Wisconsin in 1991
On May 3, 1991, a non-water flood known as the Wisconsin butter flood, or the “Butter River Fire,” occurred due to a malfunctioning forklift at Central Storage & Warehouse Co. in Madison, Wisconsin. The forklift’s short circuit caused flammable liquids to leak, ignited by high machine temperatures. The warehouse held over 10 million pounds of butter, which melted into a five-foot-deep river of grease that spilled into the streets.
Concerns arose that the butter might reach Starkweather Creek, leading into Lake Monona. Efforts were made to prevent dairy products from contaminating natural and artificial water sources, as they pose significant ecological risks to lakes. By the end of the incident, total damages amounted to $78 million.
6.The 2008 tragedy of Kingston’s fossil plant and fly ash flood
On December 22, 2008, the Kingston Fossil Plant slurry spill occurred at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee. A ruptured dike caused more than a billion gallons of toxic ash and sludge to pour into the Emory River. This sludge contained hazardous substances such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and radium, and it inundated over 20 homes.
The 5.4 million cubic yards of wet ash covered more than 300 acres of land surrounding the plant. This incident stands as the largest industrial spill in U.S. history, surpassing the size of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by nearly tenfold.
7.Toxic metals and red sludge invaded homes in Hungary in 2010
On October 4, 2010, the retaining wall of a caustic waste reservoir at the Ajka alumina plant in Hungary collapsed, releasing over one million cubic meters of highly alkaline red sludge. This disaster impacted seven towns in the region so severely that the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency to manage the crisis. The red sludge, known for causing chemical burns upon contact with skin, inflicted serious harm on both humans and animals in the affected area.
The incident resulted in 10 fatalities, more than 120 injuries, and the displacement of 390 residents who were relocated from the affected area. MAL Hungarian Aluminum, the operator of the plant, was handed a substantial fine of $647 million (472 million euros) for the extensive environmental damage caused by the spill.
8.The Mariana Dam disaster forever changed the landscape of Brazil
In Minas Gerais state, Brazil, the Fundão Dam, located in the municipality of Mariana, collapsed on November 5, 2015. This catastrophic event unleashed a massive wave of mud that surged down the valley towards the district of Bento Rodrigues. The dam had contained over 50 million cubic meters of tailings, residues from mining operations, causing widespread devastation in the town of Barra Longa.
Over the course of sixteen days, the tailings traveled through the Rio Doce Basin before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The disaster resulted in 19 fatalities, the destruction of entire villages, and left thousands homeless. This non-water flood stands as one of Brazil’s most severe environmental catastrophes.
9.The Russian town of Lebedyan got flooded by Pepsi fruit juices
On April 25, 2017, the roof of a Pepsi warehouse in Lebedyan, Russia, collapsed, causing significant damage to the large vats stored inside. This resulted in 28 million liters of various fruit juices—such as cherry, pineapple, tangerine, orange, and pomegranate—flooding the city streets, creating a sticky and chaotic situation.
Environmental experts expressed concerns about the juice potentially contaminating the nearby River Don, highlighting worries about pollution and its impact on aquatic ecosystems. Despite initial fears, studies later indicated that there was no lasting environmental damage caused by the incident.
Pepsi has chosen not to publicly address the situation or provide any comments regarding the aftermath.
10.The streets of this Portuguese town ran red with wine
On September 10, 2023, the streets of São Lourenço de Bairro, Portugal, were stained red with wine when two massive tankers from the Levira Distillery spilled their contents. Approximately 2.2 million liters of wine surged down the cobblestone streets, prompting residents to capture and share videos on social media.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, marking this incident as one of the less harmful non-water floods. However, local concerns arose about potential impacts on nearby farms, vineyards, and water sources due to the spilled alcohol. The company took responsibility by covering the cleanup costs and expressed gratitude to the local firefighters who successfully redirected the flow of wine.
