Flash floods can bring walls of water from 10 to 20 feet high. A car can be taken away in as little as 2 feet of water. To stay safe during a flood, go to the highest ground of floor possible.

Bangladesh

The largest known meteorological flood—one caused by rainfall, as in the current Mississippi River flood—happened in 1953, when the Amazon River overflowed. The 13th largest flood on the USGS list, that Amazon deluge pumped water at a rate of about 13 million cubic feet (370,000 cubic meters) a second.26

The World’s Most Catastrophic Floods, in Photos

1. The Johnstown Flood was so massive it equaled the flow of the Mississippi River.
2. The Central China Flood may have killed as many as 3.7 million people.
3. One flood was known as the “Great Drowning of Men.”
4. Few floods in recorded history compare to the one that rocked the Indus River Valley in 1841.

Standing flood waters can also spread infectious diseases, contain chemical hazards, and cause injuries. Each year, flooding causes more deaths than any other hazard related to thunderstorms. The most common flood deaths occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood waters.

During and after flooding, water can become contaminated with microorganisms such as bacteria, sewage, heating oil, agricultural or industrial waste, chemicals and other substances that can cause serious illness. If you have a private well you should have your water tested before resuming with consumption.13

Flooding may not always receive the attention that other weather-related disasters, such as tornadoes, receive, but it can be deadly. In fact, more people are killed in the U.S. by flooding each year than are killed by tornadoes, hurricanes or lightning, according to The National Severe Storms Laboratory.18

You may not think about it, but rising waters might lead to fire. During times of flooding, your risks of experiencing a structural fire increase. Floods often damage structures, and can compromise the safety of many different appliances. With these damages, there comes a fire risk.23

If your home is about to flood, turn off the power and unplug everything from electrical outlets. If you experience flooding and water has risen above the electrical outlets in your home, contact a licensed electrician before turning on the main circuit breaker or trying to restore power.26

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.

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).

Floods can potentially increase the transmission of the following communicable diseases: Water-borne diseases, such as typhoid fever, cholera, leptospirosis and hepatitis A. Vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, and West Nile Fever.

These symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, muscle aches, and fever. Most cases of sickness associated with flood conditions are brought about by ingesting contaminated food or water.

In the United States, there are five levels of flooding.

• Action Stage.
• Minor Flood Stage.
• Moderate Flood Stage.
• Major Flood Stage.
• Record Flood Stage.

• • Ignore rumours, stay calm, don’t panic.
• • Don’t enter floodwaters.
• • Do not allow children to play in or near flood waters.
• • Raise furniture, appliances on beds and tables.
• • Keep cattle / animals in the shed and ensure their safety.
• • Don’t leave the harvested produce in the open field.

Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don’t Drown!

1. Evacuate if told to do so.
2. Move to higher ground or a higher floor.
3. Stay where you are.

1. Stop the water at its source. Unless the flooding is due to an act of nature, find the source of the water and turn it off or seal it up.
2. Turn off the electricity.
3. Evacuate the premises.
4. Call for help.
5. Document everything.
6. Start the cleanup process.
7. Prevent mold damage.

If you find yourself trapped in flood waters, here are some tips to follow:

1. Remain as calm as possible.
2. Turn your headlights and hazards on.
3. If flood waters rise around your car, but the water is not moving, abandon the car and move to higher ground.
4. Lower your window slowly.
5. If you can lower the windows, climb out.

What Causes a Flood?

• Heavy rainfall.
• Ocean waves coming on shore, such as a storm surge.
• Melting snow and ice, as well as ice jams.
• Dams or levees breaking.

Physical causes of flooding:

• heavy rainfall.
• long periods of rain.
• snowmelt.
• steep slopes.
• impermeable rock (doesn’t allow water through)
• very wet, saturated soils.
• compacted or dry soil.

The Environment Agency is responsible for flood risk management activities on main rivers, regulating reservoir safety, and providing river flood warnings. It has powers to undertake work on main rivers to fix flooding issues.

Three common types of flood explained

• Fluvial floods (river floods) A fluvial, or river flood, occurs when the water level in a river, lake or stream rises and overflows onto the surrounding banks, shores and neighboring land.
• Pluvial floods (flash floods and surface water)
• Coastal flood (storm surge)

Where, when, why and how — is complex. Here are five types of large-scale floods: flash, river, tropical/storm surge, tidal, and groundwater.

Residential houses in this area are characterized by two main construction types: kutcha houses are constructed mainly of mud and are highly vulnerable to floods, and pucca houses are constructed mainly of brick and are less vulnerable.31

Pluvial flooding refers to flooding events that are caused by extreme rainfall. Such floods occur when the ground cannot absorb rainwater effectively or urban drainage systems are overwhelmed by excessive water flow.

Flood types

• Flash floods.
• Coastal floods.
• Urban floods.
• River (or fluvial) floods.
• Ponding (or pluvial flooding)