The London Beer Flood

On October 17, 1814, a massive vat containing over 135,000 imperial gallons of beer ruptured at the Meux and Company Brewery in London. The bursting vat triggered a domino effect, rupturing other vats and releasing a total of 388,000 gallons of beer. A 15-foot wave of beer smashed through the brewery wall and flooded the impoverished St. Giles district. The tsunami of beer demolished two houses and damaged the foundations of several others. Eight people drowned in beer or died from injuries caused by debris. Victims included Eleanor Cooper, a mother holding her infant at a wake, and several children. The brewery was taken to court, but the disaster was ruled an Act of God, and no one was held responsible. Rumor claims locals rushed into the streets with pots and pans to scoop up free beer, and some died from alcohol poisoning, though contemporary accounts don't confirm this. The brewery eventually rebuilt and operated until 1922. Today, the site is marked by a plaque.