Word of the Day: diluvial

Here's a little excerpt from my upcoming book -- if I ever get a free weekend to finish it up.

diluvial (adjective)

Pertaining to floods; brought about by a flood

"Moreover the Indian Ocean lies within the region of typhoons; and if, at the height of an inundation, a hurricane from the south-east swept up the Persian Gulf, driving its shallow waters upon the delta and damming back the outflow, perhaps for hundreds of miles up-stream, a diluvial catastrophe, fairly up to the mark of Hasisadra's, might easily result."
--Thomas Henry Huxley, "Hasisadra's Adventure"

Thank heavens I've never had to deal with the consequences of an actual flood. The toilet backing up is enough of a diluvial disaster for me. I live in the "Heights" of Jersey City -- essentially atop a cliff -- and it never really floods here, despite the occasional hurricane that blows through, like today's "frankenstorm". Meanwhile, the more upscale downtown section of the city is waterlogged. Time to bail, yuppies and hipsters.