Definition
Progressive flooding is the spread or continuation of water ingress beyond an initial breach, opening, or flooded space. As water reaches additional compartments or openings, buoyancy, freeboard, and stability can deteriorate.
Why it matters
Progressive flooding can turn an initially survivable breach or heel into a capsize or sinking. It is related to, but not identical with, downflooding: downflooding describes water entering through openings exposed by heel or trim, while progressive flooding describes the spread or continuation of flooding after water has entered.
Related concepts
Related incidents
The linked accident pages explicitly use or discuss progressive flooding. Their individual pages retain the case-specific evidence status.
- 2008-10-02: ROLLE (2008)
- 2019-09-26: Bourbon Rhode (2019)
- 2015-01-22: Nalani (2015)
- 2008-03-22: Neftegaz-67 (2008)
- 1983-02-12: Marine Electric (1983)
- 1975-11-10: Edmund Fitzgerald (1975)
- 2011-04-04: Mirach (2011)
- 1997-02-08: Leros Strength (1997)
- 2009-03-24: Lady Mary (2009)
- 1912-04-15: Titanic (1912)
- 2017-08-21: USS John S. McCain (2017)