Included therein were Noah’s building of the ark and his preaching work, right up until the time that the Flood finally arrived. Those events occurred over many decades.
بَلْ شَبَّهَهَا بِٱلْفَتْرَةِ ٱلْأَطْوَلِ بِكَثِيرٍ ٱلَّتِي سَبَقَتِ ٱلطُّوفَانَ ،‏ أَيْ حِينَ بَنَى نُوحٌ ٱلْفُلْكَ وَقَامَ بِٱلْكِرَازَةِ ،‏ وَٱلَّتِي ٱمْتَدَّتْ إِلَى مَجِيءِ ٱلطُّوفَانِ عَيْنِهِ .‏