A Flood like No Other
by Ark Encounter on September 18, 2025Recent floods have reminded us all of the devastating effects they unleash on the communities they hit. But as horrific as they can be, they only give us a small taste of what went on during the global flood of Noah’s day—a dark period in history when the world and everything in it was destroyed except that which was contained inside the ark.
Today’s floods can destroy communities, leaving behind such overwhelming destruction and debris that it takes years to recover from. The floodwaters can last for weeks, the cleanup can take months, and the rebuilding can last years.
But the global flood was different.
In the account of the global flood and Noah’s ark, God marks the passage of time using Noah’s age, months of the year, and the length of days. When we add all of this information together, we learn that Noah and his family were aboard the ark for about one year.
| Timeline (days) | Duration | Month/Day | Description | Bible Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Initial start point | 600th year of Noah's life: 2nd month, 17th day of the month | The fountains of the great deep broke apart and the windows of heaven were opened; it began to rain. This happened on the 17th day of the second month. Noah had entered the ark seven days prior to this. | Genesis 7:4 and 7:11 |
| 40 | 40 days and nights | 3rd month, 27th day of the month | Rain fell for 40 days, and then water covered the earth's highest places by over ~20 feet (15 cubits) and began the next stage of flooding until the 150-day milestone. | Genesis 7:11–20 |
| 150 | 150 days inclusive | 7th month, 17th day of the month | The water rose to its highest level (covering the whole earth) sometime between the 40th and 150th day, and the end of these 150 days was the 17th day of the seventh month. On the 150th day, the springs of the great deep were shut off, and the rain from above ceased, and the water began continually receding. Sometime after day 150, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. | Genesis 7:24–8:5 |
| 224 | 74 days more | 10th month, 1st day of the month | The tops of the mountains became visible on the 10th month, first day. | Genesis 8:5 |
| 264 | 40 days more | 11th month, 11th day of the month | After 40 more days, Noah sent out a raven. | Genesis 8:6 |
| 271 | 7 days more | 11th month, 18th day of the month | The dove was sent out seven days after the raven. It had no resting place and returned to Noah. | Genesis 8:6–12 |
| 278 | 7 days more | 11th month, 25th day of the month | After seven more days, Noah sent out the dove again. It returned again but this time with an olive leaf in its beak. | Genesis 8:10–11 |
| 285 | 7 days more | 12th month, 2nd day of the month | After seven more days, Noah sent out the dove again, and it did not return. | Genesis 8:12 |
| 314 | 29 days more | 601st year of Noah life: 1st month, 1st day of the month | Noah removed the cover of the ark on the first day of the first month. The surface of the earth was dried up, and Noah could verify this to the extent of what he could see. | Genesis 8:13 |
| 370 | 56 days more | 2nd month, 27th day of the month | The earth was dry, and God commanded Noah's family and the animals to come out of the ark. From the first day of the year during the daylight portion, there were 29.5 more days left in the month plus 26.5 more days left in the second month until the exit. | Genesis 8:14–17, Genesis 7:11 |
Learn more in “How Did the Events of Noah’s Flood Unfold?”.
Noah and his family had a lot of work to do while they were on the ark. They had a lot of animals to care for, along with themselves. Curious how many animals were on the ark, and how just eight people could care for all of them?
Learn more with a visit to the Ark Encounter. Plan your visit today!
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