To start with, let us reflect on what took place during the days of Noah. A large number of Bible believers hold the view that the flood was worldwide rather than limited to a particular region. When an event covers the entire earth, it is best described as a natural disaster of great magnitude.
Flooding, by nature, is a natural occurrence. However, not all floods happen purely by natural causes. Some are local and result from human actions—for example, when a dam fails due to poor design or weak construction materials, leading to the destruction of nearby communities. In such situations, the disaster is considered man-made because it originates from human error.
This does not apply to the flood in Noah’s time. There were no dams or human-built systems that could have caused such destruction. Therefore, whether one sees the flood as local or global, it should still be understood as a natural disaster. For those who believe it was global, it highlights the scale and seriousness of the event.
The Bible gives further insight in Genesis 7:11, which states that in the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, “the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the windows of heaven were opened.” This portrays a massive outpouring of water from beneath the earth and from the sky, sustaining a flood that wiped out all living things except those inside the ark.
From a scientific perspective, this description can be linked to processes within the earth, such as tectonic plate movements. When these plates shift or break, they can trigger earthquakes and other large-scale natural events, which may help explain the intensity and widespread impact of the flood.
Thanks for reading.
