FLOODS
Definition:
A flood is an overflow of an example of water that submerges land.
It us usually due to the volume of water within a body of water, such as a river or lake.
Exceeding the total capacity of the body and as a result some of the water flows of sits outside of the
normal perimeter of the body.
It can also occur in rivers, when the strength of the river us so high it flows right out of the river
channel, usually at corners.
Types of Floods:
1. Overbank Flooding:
The water within a river overflows its banks and spreads across the land around it.
Sometimes the area covered is wide and flat; water tends to spread out and be slow-moving,
and may not appear to travel at all.
Common in the Midwest, this kind of flooding can take days to dissipate.
In mountainous areas, where water flows together through steep valleys, the flood water tends
to move faster and linger for a shorter duration.
2. Flash Floods:
Flash floods gather steam within six hours of the events that spawned them.
They are characterized by a rapid rise of fast-moving water.
Fast-moving water is extremely dangerous — water moving at 10 miles an hour can exert the
same pressures as wind gusts of 270 mph (434 kph), according to a 2005 article in USA Today.
Water moving at 9 feet per second (2.7 meters per second), a common speed for flash floods,
can move rocks weighing almost a hundred pounds.
Flash floods carry debris that elevate their potential to damage structures and injure people.
3. Ice Jam Flooding:
In cold temperatures, bodies of water are often frozen.
Heavy precipitation can cause chunks of ice to push together and create a dam in what is
known as ice jam flooding.
Behind the dam, water begins to pile up, spilling over to the plains nearby.
Eventually, the wall of ice breaks, and fast-moving water rushes downstream much like a
conventional flash flood, destroying objects in its path.
The water carries huge chunks of ice, which can increase damage to surrounding structures.
4. Coastal Flooding:
It occurs along the edges of oceans, and is driven predominantly by storm surges and wave
damage.
This kind of flooding is usually connected to hurricanes, tsunamis or tropical storms.
When low pressures occur in a storm over the ocean, they suck the water toward the center.
As long as the eye is over deep water, problems are minimized, but as the storm moves toward
land it carries a dome of water that can exceed 25 feet (7.6 meters) in diameter.
When the dome reaches the shoreline, it can cause significant damage.
At the same time, waves breaking along the shoreline assault beaches and structures, with
destructive potential.
In a hurricane, 9 out of 10 deaths are caused not by wind but by fast-moving storm surge.
Causes of Flooding
1. Rain
2. River Overflow
3. Strong Winds in Coastal Areas
4. Dam Breaking
5. Ice and Snow Melts
6. A Lack of Vegetation or Woodland (Trees and Plants intercept most of the precipitation)
Effects of Flooding
1. Economic (Damage of houses, roads, bridges, farms and automobiles)
2. Environmental (Chemicals and other hazardous substances and dead bodies flowing in water)
3. People and Animals (Many peoples die & become homeless, diseases & infection, insects &
snakes, water supply and electricity)
Precautions during Flood
There are a number of things you can do to prepare for a flood and minimize damage.
Structures should not be built in a flood plain.
Keep your furnace, water heater, and electric panel elevated, especially if you live in an area where
flooding is likely.
Put together an emergency kit and make plans with your family — something that is ideal for any
emergency situation, not just flooding.
If you find yourself under a flood warning, make sure to pay attention to radio or television
warnings.
If you have time prior to an evacuation, turn off utilities at the main switches and disconnect
electrical appliances.
Move furniture and important items to higher levels in your house and bring in any outdoor furniture.
Avoid contact with flood water. It may contain oil, gasoline, raw sewage, or any number of
undesirable materials.
Wash your hands thoroughly with clean water before eating, and do not drink from contaminated
sources.
Flood Management Technique
1. Hard-Engineering Options
Expensive and Short-Term
But these have great impact on natural landscape and environment.
a) Dam Construction: Flood controlled- water stored behind dam- Flow of water reduced-
generation of hydroelectric power.
b) River Engineering: River channel widened- rivers can be altered to divert the floodwater
away from the settlements-
2. Soft-Engineering Options
Less expensive and Long-Term
These are sustainable and lower impact on the environment.
a) Afforestation: Trees are planted near rivers- great interception of rainwater- lower river
discharge- lost cost- enhances environment quality.
b) Managed Flooding: also known as ecological flooding- river is allowed to flood in naturally
in places to prevent flooding in settlements.
c) Long-Term Planning: Local authorities and government introduces policies to control urban
development close to or on the floodplain.
Deadliest Floods:
1. Year- 2010
Location- Pakistan (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab)
Casualties- At least 2,000 people died- almost 20 million people were affected
