deluge |ˈdel(y)oōj|
noun
a severe flood.
• ( the Deluge) the biblical Flood (recorded in Genesis 6–8).
• a heavy fall of rain : a deluge of rain hit the plains.
• figurative a great quantity of something arriving at the same time : a deluge of complaints.
verb [ trans. ] (usu. be deluged)
inundate with a great quantity of something : he has been deluged with offers of work.
• flood : the country was deluged with rain.
ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French, variant of diluve, from Latin diluvium, from diluere ‘wash away.’

Thesaurus
deluge
noun
1 homes were swept away by the deluge flood, torrent, spate.
2 the deluge turned the field into a swamp downpour, torrential rain; thunderstorm, thundershower, rainstorm, cloudburst.
3 a deluge of complaints barrage, volley; flood, torrent, avalanche, stream, spate, rush, outpouring, niagara.
verb
1 homes were deluged by the rains flood, inundate, submerge, swamp, drown.
2 we have been deluged with calls inundate, overwhelm, overrun, flood, swamp, snow under, engulf, bombard.