[Claud]

If the flood wasn’t world-wide and supernatural in origin, then Genesis isn’t true.

There's some debate among theologians whether the flood was geographically universal or anthropologically universal. It could have submerged all the areas that humankind lived at the time without being global in scope. The Hebrew word used (eretz, I think?) is like English "land", and can refer to the whole earth or a portion thereof.

[Bernard Marx]

Noah's flood is clearly based on a much earlier account, the Assyrian Epic of Gilgamesh. Who knows what story it was based on?

It's clear the Med region has experienced a great many flood-like events, from tsunamis caused by volcanic eruptions (Santorini) to prehistoric "global warming" when the Pleistocene ice sheets melted and raised sea levels. Untangling the very complex past from current-day geological clues is a difficult and very long-term project.

[PasorBob]

It could have submerged all the areas that humankind lived at the time without being global in scope.

Then the whole animals on the ark thing was unnecessary