Noah and the tragic story of grace

In the story of Noah, God is often criticized as a genocidal maniac. But is this the correct way to read the story?

How evil should people be before they are judged? How bad do things have to get before a loving God stops people from harming one another?

The Biblical story of Noah is actually a story of grace. The same caring God on the cross is the same God who delivers divine judgment as an act of grace. Grace is when we get what we don't deserve and in the story of Noah God gives humanity a second chance.