Was Noah's Flood global or local, and is it valid to interpret the texts indicating its globality, given the consensus of the Salaf?

Noah's flood encompassed the entire Earth, as indicated by Allah Almighty's saying: "There is no protector today from the command of Allah, except for he whom He grants mercy," and "So We opened the gates of the heaven with pouring water, and We caused the earth to burst forth with springs." The water covered the entire Earth, even the tops of the mountains. Commentators also pointed out that the flood encompassed the entire Earth, longitudinally and latitudinally, and no living beings remained on the face of the Earth except those who were in the ark.