The 100-Year Flood Concept

The 100-year flood is a statistical term indicating a flood having a 1% chance of occurring in any given year. It doesn't mean such a flood happens only once every 100 years, but that, over time, there's a 1% annual risk. Often used for planning and insurance purposes, this concept helps communities prepare for unlikely, yet potentially severe flooding events. Actual floods exceeding this level can and do happen more frequently; the term simply describes the estimated rarity based on historical data.