Roughly speaking, a flood is an event when an area that is normally dry becomes overflowing with water. In other words, as soon as water appears at a place where it is not supposed to be, whether it is a park in your neighbourhood or your own basement, it is considered flooding. Floods happen all the time!
Most of us think that a flood can only come from the big water, aka sea, river, lake or a least a local creek. However, even if there is no water body anywhere in your area, you can still become a victim of flooding.
For example, massive rainfall at the end of October has caused massive floods, including the most dangerous flash flooding in multiple areas of Australia, which are normally not considered floodplain zone.
So, where do floods really come from, and how can you tell that your neighbourhood is likely to get flooded any time soon?
In this article, we shall talk about the factors that are most likely to cause flooding, some misconceptions that make people most vulnerable to floods and ways to floodproof your property and ensure your safety in case of unexpected flooding in your area this season.
What is a flood?
Before talking about the ways to protect from floods and predict them on time, let's try to define what flooding really is. Because, believe it or not, different people may see it differently.
In the simplest words, flooding is caused by atmospheric conditions that lead to heavy rain or the rapid melting of snow and ice. This water cannot escape or get absorbed into the soil fast enough and therefore covers the areas it is normally not supposed to stay in.
There can be different reasons for such events. Some of them are connected with the global climate change processes and cannot be influenced, while others are man-made in a way, i.e. are a result of neglect or actions that originally did not consider flooding as a possible course of events.
Talking about the climate causes, we can remember the most recent events in Australia, which have led to one of the most destructive and expensive flood seasons in the region's history:
- Heavy rainfall
- Hurricanes like the most recent Nicole;
- Rapid snow and ice melt when the soil still remains frozen and too solid to absorb the water.
At the same time. Floods often happen following another natural disaster or event, when people don't have time to take action and prevent it or simply don't "connect the dots" and therefore don't expect a flood to come right after:
- Wildfires
- Exhaustive farming
- Real estate development without consideration of ground waters or location in a floodplain area
- Exhausted dams and levees that are not adapted to changing landscapes and weather conditions
The local terrain, of course, plays a great role in the possibility of flooding as well. Naturally, water streams down the hills; therefore, you are definitely much more likely to get flooded if you live in a river valley than in the mountains. However, it does not mean that only rural areas get flooded since big cities also tend to be built in lowlands.
Where does all that water come from?
So why do some areas get flooded regularly while others may stay dry for decades? And how come a disaster sometimes strikes in the place you may least expect it?
There are, of course, several possible scenarios. Recently a hurricane seems to be one of the most common and discussed due to the almost simultaneous disasters in Florida and Australia.
It all starts in the middle of Summer and Autumn in the tropical and subtropical areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. When those cyclones reach a certain intensity, they are righteously called hurricanes. More or less, by that moment, they reach coastal areas, causing massive storms, rainfall and, as a result, floods.
Another weather phenomenon that is happening more and more often recently, causing massive rainfall and flash floods in Australia and North America, is the so-called Atmospheric rivers.
An atmospheric river is a relatively narrow and therefore condensed belt of moisture that travels through the atmosphere and falls down with intense precipitation once it gets squeezed with two air streams.
Floods caused by atmospheric rivers are mainly seen around California and Alaska. However, scientists claim that the same phenomenon is seen more and more often over the Australian coastline.
Is there anything we can do about flooding?
Yes and no. On the one hand, modern floods are mainly a result of climate change, which has now reached such a scale that no matter how zealously you sort your garbage and try to cut your carbon footprint, the process is irreversible. It means that the weather will keep on changing, becoming more and more severe in certain areas, bringing floods to the regions that may have stayed dry for centuries. However, while you can hardly prevent the flood itself, you can easily control how much it will affect your life personally and your local economy in general.
Protecting your house or business from being flooded on time, you instantly minimize your losses as well as the time and effort your will need to go back to normal life after the disaster. In other words, a shop or restaurant that is protected with flood barriers will not have to go out of business for long and will continue providing workplaces and services to locals.
A house that uses flood barriers for the basement or as window shutters will not need to address for compensation or support after the disaster, easing the burden on the local economy.
And altogether, people who admit and enjoy the benefits of modern flood control are most likely to preserve their well-being and lifestyle as well as support others in the face of disaster.
Do you want to learn more about modern flood barriers and other flood control solutions? Contact Dam Easy right now!
Here you will learn the essential safety guidelines and get a consultation from experts who will estimate the flood risk and help you make informed decisions about floodproofing your house or business.
Contact Dam Easy today and floodproof your future!
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