Monsoon Floods in Northeast India

Monsoon rains regularly swell rivers in northern India, but in 2008, the Kosi, a tributary of the Ganges and a major river in its own right, did something different. It burst through its banks to flow into a channel it had abandoned more than 200 years ago.
Floods Cover Bihar, India
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Floods Cover Bihar, India

Standing on the ground, it is impossible to gauge the full scope of a disaster the size of the Kosi River floods in northeastern India. On August 18, 2008, the river, swollen with monsoon rains, burst through an embankment into an old channel. By September 2, the river’s course still took it over populated land that had not been prone to flooding in the past. To grasp the full extent of this flood, you need the view from space.

Published Sep 6, 2008

Image of the Day Land Life Floods