Flood is a sharp increase in the water level in a river or other body of water. Regardless of the causes of occurrence (there may be several), the phenomenon differs from the flood in its short duration and suddenness. That is, when a river or lake overflows its banks after rain or sudden snowmelt, this is a flood. The meaning of the word quite accurately determines the essence of the process.
Possible causes of floods
If we consider the events that preceded this phenomenon and became its main cause, then there may be several of them. First, prolonged heavy rain, as a result of which reservoirs overflow their banks. The flood period after intense precipitation is usually very short and lasts just a few hours. However, due to its swiftness, even such a short-lived phenomenon can cause serious damage. With a repeated downpour in the same area, multi-peak floods are sometimes observed. This eventcharacterized by periodic flooding of reservoirs with flooding of nearby areas.
What is a flood, residents of settlements near the mouths of large rivers are well aware. Flooding often comes with warm weather and is the result of rapid melting of ice and snow. This type of flood lasts for a long time, but it is easier to predict than the one that occurs after rain.
Consequences of the phenomenon
The main danger of the flood is its unpredictability. Meteorologists can predict precipitation, but their calculations are not always correct, and it is not so easy to know the intensity of rain in advance. As a result of the spill of large rivers, a rapid stream arises that can destroy houses and other buildings, bridges, and wash away equipment. Such a wave could wreak havoc on agriculture, drowning animals and washing away crops from fields.
Unfortunately, residents of settlements located in the lowlands and near full-flowing rivers know perfectly well what a flood is, and try to prepare for it in advance. However, this is possible only when the cause is not rain, but the melting of ice and snow.
Dealing with the consequences
Because this event rarely leads to global financial losses, problems resulting from such a disaster are resolved locally. Undoubtedly, people who survived this disaster and learned from their own experience what a flood is, will agree with the need for urgent rescue operations at the place of its occurrence. But if amongThere are no casu alties among the population, nothing threatens their lives and he alth, and the liquidation of the consequences is carried out on their own. In the event that significant damage is caused to buildings and property, the state pays compensation. Dams and other coastal fortifications are being built to prevent re-flooding.
Preventive measures
So that people who survived the flood of the river with flooding of housing no longer remember what a flood is, after eliminating its consequences, it is necessary to take a number of measures aimed at preventing this from happening in the future.
First of all, it is worth analyzing the possible causes of the event, understanding the mechanism of its occurrence. In some cases, it makes sense to move buildings and other objects located in the lowlands to other, more protected places. Also, when building new bridges, building roads, and other structures, the possibility of flooding should be taken into account. To assess the danger of this phenomenon, constant monitoring of the water level is used. When there is a danger of water bodies overflowing, an early warning system is used.
Flood is a short-term, but rather unpleasant phenomenon. It is expressed in the overflow of rivers and other water bodies as a result of the presence of excess moisture in them. The best way to deal with floods is through flood prevention and human intervention in low-lying areas and other high-risk areas.
