ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- June 22 was the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Agnes, a storm that caused major flooding for much of the Mid-Atlantic, especially Virginia.

As a result of that storm, the James River was at the highest level it's ever been in the area, and flooding was an issue everywhere.

One of the biggest factors that caused major flooding is the Appalachian Mountains. The storm hit the upslope of the mountain and forced more rain down, and it all ended up in the rivers.

The James River reached 34 feet in Scottsville and 38 feet in Cumberland County (Cartersville). It was the highest on record for both locations.

On the Rivanna River, Palmyra reached 37 feet.

"I mean, rainfall is an extreme hazard," said Mike Bilder, a hurricane program manager for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 3. "When it comes to climate change, it takes the smallest number of ingredients for something to go horribly wrong."

He continues to say that with climate change, the Mid-Atlantic should be really concerned about another major flooding event like what happened in Agnes and Hurricane Camille.

These kinds of events can have an impact on the infrastructure, such as Richmond putting in a floodwall.