FLOODS
Floods and Flash Floods
What is a flood?
Floods are the most common widespread of all natural disasters-except fires. Most communities in the United States experience flooding after spring rains, heavy thunderstorms or winter snow thaws. Floods generally develop over a period of days.
Dam failures are potentially the worst flood events. A dam failure usually results from the neglect poor design, or structual damage caused by a major event such as an earthquake. Wehn a dam fails, large amount of water surges downstream, destroying almost everything in its path.
What is a flash flood?
Flash floods occur with little or no warning and can reach full peak in only a few minutes. Flash floods usually result from intense storms dropping large amounts of rain within a brief period.
Causes of Floods
- Rainfall
- Snowfall
- Earthquakes
- Volcanism
- Coliform
- Turbidity
- Lead
- Nitrate
- Atrazine
Other Links
Main Page