Floods
Floods – When Blood, Sweat, and Tears mix with Water
Dictionaries and other reference materials may simply define flood as an event wherein water overflows to otherwise dry land. However, those who have experienced flood know that it is a lot more than that. A flood is something that takes properties, livelihood, and lives. Flood is an inconvenience at the very least. However, it can also be very destructive and life threatening. A flood can also be a measuring factor of a neighborhood, a city, a state, and a nation’s strengths and weaknesses.
Kinds of Floods
There are different kinds of floods depending upon the cause. There are some locations that are more prone to floods compared to others. There are also a lot of different factors that may contribute to flooding.
- A Real Areal Flood. Excessive rainfall causes areal floods. These floods usually take place in flat land found on lower locations. It happens when water from rainfall accumulates and when it is not possible for the water to flow freely.
- Cry a River. Riverines happen when a river overflows. Such floods may take place in a matter of a few minutes or even weeks. This may be caused by excessive rainfall, snow that melts too fast, tropical cyclones, or monsoons. In some scenarios wherein specific obstructions cause water to overflow such as ice, landslides, or fallen debris, localized flooding takes place.
- Cost of Coastal Flood. This kind of flood happens when because of storm surges. Extreme cases cause tropical cyclones or tsunamis.
- Urban Legends. Urban floods occur in highly populated areas. This kind of flood happens when excessive amount of rainfall overwhelms the place’s drainage and sewer systems.
- Catastrophe makes the cut. Catastrophic floods happen when certain factors such as earthquakes cause a major infrastructure such as a dam to give out and fail in its functions. It is also known as an outburst flood.
Flood Effects
Floods have different effects. Some of these effects are easily remedied while some are severe and last for a very long time. It also has some effects that are irreversible.
- Death. Death is one of the irreversible effects of floods. Lives can never be replaced. The biggest and deadliest flood took almost four million lives.
- Structural damages. Some floods are big and strong enough to cause damages to buildings and other structures. This means that some people have to stop working and some businesses have to stop operating. It also means more unnecessary expenses. It may also damage bridges and it leads to disruption of transportation.
- Power disruption. Some floods cause electricity supply cut off for precautionary measures or because of severe damage to electrical facilities.
- Water supply disruption. Some floods damage water supply facilities too. In such scenarios, water supply is cut off and water communication may also occur.
Floods are unarguably inconvenient and painful. It may even be fatal. However, it can also measure a person’s focus, love and care for other people, and faith. In such times, some people may panic but most people stand together, side by side, and rebuild their houses as they rebuild their lives. Victims of flood have to rebuild with their hands and their hearts.
