The disaster itself left traces in other forms, such as wooly mammoths found embedded in Siberian tundra frozen so suddenly that they still had undigested food in their stomachs. The process of fossilization itself requires sudden burial and preservation. Otherwise, the lifeless animal or plant simply decays without leaving a trace. There is more, much more, but my point is that a surprising amount of accumulated physical and historical evidence drawn from many different disciplines tends to support a Scriptural view of the world, not discredit it. Unfortunately, few practitioners of the relevant disciplines talk to one another.
Most academics are specialists.
In addition, most scientists are materialists. Materialism is a body of metaphysical assumptions, not a scientific conclusion based on experimental findings. Of course, some will reply that intelligent design arguments do not necessarily yield the Christian God any more than did their philosophical antecedents. That kind of conclusion can only be based on faith. But because of the accumulation of these bits and pieces of evidence drawn from diverse disciplines, one's Christian faith need not be blind.