During June 1972 Tropical Storm Agnes released record amounts of rainfall on the watersheds of most of the major tributaries of Chesapeake Bay. The resulting floods, categorized as a once-in-100-to- 200-year occurrence, caused perturbations of the environment in Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s greatest estuary. This volume is an attempt to bring together analyses of the effects of this exceptional natural event on the hydrology, geology, water quality, and biology of Chesapeake Bay and to consider the impact of these effects on the economy of the Tidewater Region and on public health.