Flood

A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry. [1] In the sense of
"flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of
study of the discipline hydrology and are of significant concern in agriculture, civil
engineering and public health. Human changes to the environment often increase the intensity
and frequency of flooding, for example land use changes such as deforestation and removal of
wetlands, changes in waterway course such as with levees, and larger environmental issues such
as climate change and sea level rise.

Floods are considered second only to wildfires as the most common natural disaster on
Earth.

Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as a river, lake, or
ocean, in which the water overtops or breaks levees, resulting in some of that water
escaping its usual boundaries,[2] or it may occur due to an accumulation of rainwater on
saturated ground in an areal flood. While the size of a lake or other body of water will
vary with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt, these changes in size are
unlikely to be considered significant unless they flood property or drown domestic animals.
Floods can also occur in rivers when the flow rate exceeds the capacity of the river
channel, particularly at bends or meanders in the waterway. Floods often cause damage to
homes and businesses if they are in the natural flood plains of rivers. While riverine
flood damage can be eliminated by moving away from rivers and other bodies of water,
people have traditionally lived and worked by rivers because the land is usually flat
and fertile and because rivers provide easy travel and access to commerce and industry.

Cause
 Upslope factors
The amount, location, and timing of water reaching a drainage channel from natural
precipitation and controlled or uncontrolled reservoir releases determines the flow at
downstream locations. Some precipitation evaporates, some slowly percolates through
soil, some may be temporarily sequestered as snow or ice, and some may produce rapid
runoff from surfaces including rock, pavement, roofs, and saturated or frozen ground.
The fraction of incident precipitation promptly reaching a drainage channel has been
observed from nil for light rain on dry, level ground to as high as 170 percent for warm
rain on accumulated snow.[10]
Most precipitation records are based on a measured depth of water received within a
fixed time interval. Frequency of a precipitation threshold of interest may be determined
from the number of measurements exceeding that threshold value within the total time
period for which observations are available. Individual data points are converted
to intensity by dividing each measured depth by the period of time between
observations. This intensity will be less than the actual peak intensity if the duration of
the rainfall event was less than the fixed time interval for which measurements are
reported. Convective precipitation events (thunderstorms) tend to produce shorter
duration storm events than orographic precipitation. Duration, intensity, and frequency
of rainfall events are important to flood prediction. Short duration precipitation is more
significant to flooding within small drainage basins. [11]
The most important upslope factor in determining flood magnitude is the land area of
the watershed upstream of the area of interest. Rainfall intensity is the second most
important factor for watersheds of less than approximately 30 square miles or 80 square
kilometres. The main channel slope is the second most important factor for larger
watersheds. Channel slope and rainfall intensity become the third most important
factors for small and large watersheds, respectively. [12]
Time of Concentration is the time required for runoff from the most distant point of the
upstream drainage area to reach the point of the drainage channel controlling flooding
of the area of interest. The time of concentration defines the critical duration of peak
rainfall for the area of interest.[13] The critical duration of intense rainfall might be only a
few minutes for roof and parking lot drainage structures, while cumulative rainfall over
several days would be critical for river basins.

 Downslope factors
Water flowing downhill ultimately encounters downstream conditions slowing
movement. The final limitation in coastal flooding lands is often the ocean or some
coastal flooding bars which form natural lakes. In flooding low lands, elevation changes
such as tidal fluctuations are significant determinants of coastal and estuarine flooding.
Less predictable events like tsunamis and storm surges may also cause elevation
changes in large bodies of water. Elevation of flowing water is controlled by the
geometry of the flow channel and, especially, by depth of channel, speed of flow and
amount of sediments in it[12] Flow channel restrictions like bridges and canyons tend to
control water elevation above the restriction. The actual control point for any given
reach of the drainage may change with changing water elevation, so a closer point may
control for lower water levels until a more distant point controls at higher water levels.
Effective flood channel geometry may be changed by growth of vegetation,
accumulation of ice or debris, or construction of bridges, buildings, or levees within the
flood channel.
  Coincidence
Extreme flood events often result from coincidence such as unusually intense, warm
rainfall melting heavy snow pack, producing channel obstructions from floating ice, and
releasing small impoundments like beaver dams.[14] Coincident events may cause
extensive flooding to be more frequent than anticipated from simplistic statistical
prediction models considering only precipitation runoff flowing within unobstructed
drainage channels.[15] Debris modification of channel geometry is common when heavy
flows move uprooted woody vegetation and flood-damaged structures and vehicles,
including boats and railway equipment. Recent field measurements during the 2010–11
Queensland floods showed that any criterion solely based upon the flow velocity, water
depth or specific momentum cannot account for the hazards caused by velocity and
water depth fluctuations.[8] These considerations ignore further the risks associated with
large debris entrained by the flow motion. [9]
Some researchers have mentioned the storage effect in urban areas with transportation
corridors created by cut and fill. Culverted fills may be converted to impoundments if
the culverts become blocked by debris, and flow may be diverted along streets. Several
studies have looked into the flow patterns and redistribution in streets during storm
events and the implication on flood modelling. [16]

Effect
In the United States, the National Weather Service gives out the advice "Turn Around,
Don't Drown" for floods; that is, it recommends that people get out of the area of a
flood, rather than trying to cross it. At the most basic level, the best defense against
floods is to seek higher ground for high-value uses while balancing the foreseeable risks
with the benefits of occupying flood hazard zones. [26]:22–23 Critical community-safety
facilities, such as hospitals, emergency-operations centers, and police, fire,
and rescue services, should be built in areas least at risk of flooding. Structures, such as
bridges, that must unavoidably be in flood hazard areas should be designed to
withstand flooding. Areas most at risk for flooding could be put to valuable uses that
could be abandoned temporarily as people retreat to safer areas when a flood is
imminent.
Planning for flood safety involves many aspects of analysis and engineering, including:

 observation of previous and present flood heights and inundated areas,

 statistical, hydrologic, and hydraulic model analyses,
 mapping inundated areas and flood heights for future flood scenarios,
  long-term land use planning and regulation,
 engineering design and construction of structures to control or withstand flooding,
 intermediate-term monitoring, forecasting, and emergency-response planning, and
 short-term monitoring, warning, and response operations.
Each topic presents distinct yet related questions with varying scope and scale in time,
space, and the people involved. Attempts to understand and manage the mechanisms
at work in floodplains have been made for at least six millennia. [27][page needed]
In the United States, the Association of State Floodplain Managers works to promote
education, policies, and activities that mitigate current and future losses, costs, and
human suffering caused by flooding and to protect the natural and beneficial functions
of floodplains – all without causing adverse impacts. [28] A portfolio of best
practice examples for disaster mitigation in the United States is available from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency.[29]

 Control
Main article: Flood control

In many countries around the world, waterways prone to floods are often carefully
managed. Defenses such as detention basins, levees,[30] bunds, reservoirs, and weirs are
used to prevent waterways from overflowing their banks. When these defenses fail,
emergency measures such as sandbags or portable inflatable tubes are often used to try
to stem flooding. Coastal flooding has been addressed in portions of Europe and the
Americas with coastal defenses, such as sea walls, beach nourishment, and barrier islands.
In the riparian zone near rivers and streams, erosion control measures can be taken to try
to slow down or reverse the natural forces that cause many waterways to meander over
long periods of time. Flood controls, such as dams, can be built and maintained over
time to try to reduce the occurrence and severity of floods as well. In the United States,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a network of such flood control dams.
In areas prone to urban flooding, one solution is the repair and expansion of man-made
sewer systems and stormwater infrastructure. Another strategy is to reduce impervious
surfaces in streets, parking lots and buildings through natural drainage channels, porous
paving, and wetlands (collectively known as green infrastructure or sustainable urban drainage

systems (SUDS))🍏 Areas identified as flood-prone can be converted into parks and
playgrounds that can tolerate occasional flooding. Ordinances can be adopted to
require developers to retain stormwater on site and require buildings to be elevated,
protected by floodwalls and levees, or designed to withstand temporary inundation.
Property owners can also invest in solutions themselves, such as re-landscaping their
property to take the flow of water away from their building and installing rain
barrels, sump pumps, and check valves.
In some areas, the presence of certain species (such as beavers) can be beneficial for
flood control reasons. Beavers build and maintain beaver dams which will reduce the
height of flood waves moving down the river (during periods of heavy rains), and will
reduce or eliminate damage to human structures, [31][32] at the cost of minor flooding
near the dams (often on farmland). Besides this, they also boost wildlife populations and
filter pollutants (manure, fertilisers, slurry). [33] UK environment minister Rebecca Pow
stated that in the future the beavers could be considered a "public good" and
landowners would be paid to have them on their land. [34]

Things that flood can do to us

Floodwater and standing waters can be dangerous and can make you vulnerable
to infectious diseases, chemical hazards, and injuries. Protect yourself and your
loved ones from the risks brought by floodwater by following these steps.

Don’t drive in flooded areas — turn around, don’t drown!

Floodwater can pose a drowning risk for everyone— regardless of their ability to
swim. Swiftly moving shallow water can be deadly, and even shallow standing
water can be dangerous for small children.
 Always follow warnings about flooded roads.
 Don’t drive in flooded areas—cars or other vehicles won’t protect you from
floodwaters. They can be swept away or may stall in moving water.
Stay out of floodwater.
Floodwaters contain many things that may harm health. We don’t know
exactly what is in floodwater at any given point in time. Floodwater can contain:
 Downed power lines
 Human and livestock waste
 Household, medical, and industrial hazardous waste (chemical, biological,
and radiological)
 Coal ash waste that can contain carcinogenic compounds such as arsenic,
chromium, and mercury
 Other contaminants that can lead to illness
 Physical objects such as lumber, vehicles, and debris
 Wild or stray animals such as rodents and snakes
Can the virus that causes COVID-19 spread to people through floodwater?
There is no evidence that COVID-19 can spread to people through water,
including floodwater. Sometimes floodwater can mix with wastewater. CDC is not
aware of any scientific reports of the virus being spread by swallowing or coming
in contact with water contaminated by feces from an infected person. Stay out of
floodwater to avoid hazards and illnesses from contaminants that are not
associated with COVID-19. To learn more about COVID-19 and wastewater, see
question, “Can the COVID-19 virus spread through sewerage systems?”
Exposure to contaminated floodwater can cause:
 Wound infections
 Skin rash
 Gastrointestinal illness
 Tetanus
 Leptospirosis (not common)
It is important to protect yourself from exposure to floodwater regardless
of the source of contamination. The best way to protect yourself is to stay out
of the water.
If you come in contact with floodwater:
 Wash the area with soap and clean water as soon as possible. If you don’t
have soap or water, use alcohol-based wipes or sanitizer.
 Take care of wounds and seek medical attention if necessary.
 Wash clothes contaminated with flood or sewage water in hot water and
detergent before reusing them.
If you must enter floodwater, wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and
goggles.
Prevent injuries.
Floodwater may contain sharp objects, such as glass or metal fragments, that can
cause injury and lead to infection. Prompt first aid can help heal small wounds
and prevent infection.
If you receive a puncture wound or a wound contaminated with feces, soil, or
saliva, have a health care professional determine whether a tetanus booster is
necessary based on individual records.
Prevent infection of open wounds and rashes.
Open wounds and rashes exposed to floodwater can become infected. Vibrios,
for example, are naturally occurring bacteria that live in certain coastal waters and
can cause skin infections when an open wound is exposed to them. This can
happen during floods. To protect yourself and your family:
 Avoid exposure to floodwater if you have an open wound.
 Cover clean, open wounds with a waterproof bandage to reduce chance of
infection.
 Keep open wounds as clean as possible by washing well with soap and
clean water.
 If a wound develops redness, swelling, or oozing, seek immediate medical
attention.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible if:
 There is a foreign object (soil, wood, metal, or other objects) embedded in
the wound;
 The wound is at special risk of infection (such as a dog bite or a puncture
by a dirty object);
 An old wound shows signs of becoming infected (increased pain and
soreness, swelling, redness, draining, or you develop a fever).

Protect yourself and your loved ones from diarrheal diseases.

Be aware that floodwater may contain sewage, and eating or drinking anything
contaminated by floodwater can cause diarrheal disease (such as E.
coli or Salmonella infection). To protect yourself and your family:
 Wash your hands after contact with floodwater. Also be sure to wash
children’s hands with soap and water often and always before meals.
 Do not allow children to play in floodwater areas.
 Do not allow children to play with toys that have been contaminated by
floodwater and have not been disinfected.
 Do not bathe in water that may be contaminated with sewage or toxic
chemicals. This includes rivers, streams, or lakes that are contaminated by
floodwater.
Protect yourself from animal and insect bites.
Floodwater can displace animals, insects, and reptiles. To protect yourself and
your family, be alert and avoid contact.
Be aware of possible chemicals in floodwater.
Floods can cause containers of chemicals to move from their normal storage
spots.
  Don’t attempt to move propane tanks you might find— they’re dangerous
and can cause a fire or explosion. If you find any, contact the police, fire
department, or your State Fire Marshal’s office immediately.
 Be extremely careful when removing car batteries. Even if they are in
floodwater, car batteries may still have an electrical charge. Use insulated
gloves and avoid coming in contact with any acid that may have spilled
from the damaged car battery.
Avoid electrical hazards inside or outside your home.
After a hurricane, flood or other natural disaster you need to be careful to avoid
electrical hazards both in your home and elsewhere.
 Shut off electrical power and natural gas or propane tanks in your home to
avoid fire, electrocution, or explosions.
 NEVER touch a fallen power line. Call the power company to report fallen
power lines. Avoid contact with overhead power lines during cleanup and
other activities.
 Do not drive through standing water if downed power lines are in the
water.
 If you believe someone has been electrocuted, call or have someone else
call 911 or emergency medical help.