How much water does a fully loaded washing machine hold?

I have been thinking about this question for the last hour or two while running around the house with buckets and towels.  Apparently the drain hose from the washing machine came loose, resulting in a flood of soapy water in the laundry room -- and a significant shower upon the storage room below it.  My husband and I (with some help from our 4-year-old) have been moving what we can out of the rain, but I am afraid there are many things that we will not be able to salvage, like some old books and certificates.  I think the artificial Christmas tree will be ok, though.  I also have been busy mopping up the laundry room floor and trying to soak up as much water out of the living room carpet as possible.  When things dry out, we are going to have to get an expert to come in and look at the water damage to the house.  I hope it will not cost much to repair; we already have contracted to spend a lot of money on the house this summer (link).

On the plus side, this is the cleanest my laundry room floor has been in years ....