| 1993 Perth flood | |
| Affected: | Perth, Scotland |
The 1993 Perth flood (also known as the Great Tay Flood) was caused by the River Tay, Scotland's longest river, rising to 6.48m (21.26feet) above its normal level, with a flow of 2268m3/s. It occurred on 17 January 1993, in Perth, Scotland, after heavy snowfall, from blizzards experienced six days earlier, had melted.[1] The flood almost broke the record for the height of the Tay's waters (set in 1814, when it rose 7m (23feet) above normal).[2] A flood had occurred three years earlier, in February 1990, but the peak flow of the 1993 event was estimated to have been around 30% higher.[3]
An estimated of farmland was flooded, along with large-scale damage to residential and commercial properties. Over 1,500 people had to abandon their homes.[4] The flood caused damage amounting to around £10 million.[5] The city installed flood defences, which were completed in 2001, at a cost of around £25 million.[6]