The earliest of which any record is extant happened in and about Narasapur in 1614. The account of an English merchant, quoted in Sir H. Montgomery's report, says: 'In August there happened a greater overflow than had been seen in twenty-nine years. The whole Salt Hills, Towns, and Rice were drove away and many thousand men and cattle were drowned; the Water rising three Yards above the high way.'
The damage done by floods in later years to various parts of the anicut system has already been briefly noticed in Chapter IV.
The flood of July 1875, 'the greatest fresh that has occurred in the Gódávery since the extraordinary floods of 1862 and 1863,' did no great damage to the crops, though there were three breaches in the embankment of the Vasishta Gódávari.
That of August 1878, however, breached the head-sluice of the Bobbarlanka canal and submerged a large extent of land in the Amalápuram taluk. That taluk was 'mostly flooded and was at one time in imminent danger, so much so that it was considered advisable to remove the people to the high lands. But the timely action taken by the Department of Public Works saved the people and their property.' The crops suffered much less than was expected, and only Rs. 8,000 had to be remitted.
In June 1882 a destructive flood in the river inundated a large tract of country in Amalápuram and Nagaram, and did much harm to villages and crops. In Nagaram six villages were entirely, and eight partly, submerged. On the Kistna side of the river the damage was even greater. The engineers again exerted themselves to the utmost to save life and property, and the loss of crop was not very large.
In August 1883 a breach in the Vasishta Gódávari caused considerable damage to the crops in Narasapur.
A dangerous flood occurred in the Gautami Gódávari in August 1884. Some 300 houses valued at Rs. 11,500 were washed away; other property worth Rs. l8,200 was destroyed in the villages of Pillanka and Mallavaram in the Rámachandrapuram taluk; and 23 villages were submerged between the river and the Injaram canal. The damage to crops was estimated at Rs. 30,000, and serious breaches were made in the Kótipalli road.
The highest flood on record occurred in August 1886. The river was 14.5 feet deep on the anicut on the night of the 19th. By noon of the 20th it had risen to l6'2, and by 5 A.M. on the 2lst to l6'9 feet, above the anicut, or 1½ feet higher than any previously recorded flood. By 10 that night it had fallen to l6'5, by 6 A.M. on the 22nd to 16, and to I4'6 on the following
