Some of the most compelling stories are derived from data sets because when boiled down, numbers speak loud and clear.

The following is a brief summary of a partner data project in which I dug through dozens of datasets about flooding in the state of Missouri. Another journalist and I used SQLite and Tableau to clean, dissect and explain the data.

Former Gov. Eric Greitens declared Missouri in a state of emergency in June 2017, after massive flooding devastated 56 counties and millions of Missourians. Almost half of the state’s population resided in the counties affected by the flooding, topping out just over three million people.

Though no one was reported injured, three people died. The flooding is one of the most devastating natural disasters to hit the state of Missouri due to the millions of dollars in damages to businesses and properties: homes and farmland.

Below you can explore the devastation in each county affected by hovering over the maps.