Flooding of certain territories due to rising water levels in rivers, lakes, seas and other bodies of water, caused by a sharp and abundant influx of water, is called flooding. It can occur as a result of heavy rains, snowmelt, wind surges, as well as during gorges, congestion, and other natural disasters.
Basic concepts
Specialists distinguish several classes of floods. Depending on them, they distinguish the extent of distribution and evaluate the possible consequences. To say exactly what flood is dangerous, you need to understand what it is about. After all, first of all, you need to know what consequences it can lead to.
So, with a small scale of disaster, when it comes to so-called low floods, the damage is usually small. Small areas of coastal territories are being flooded, no more than 10% of agricultural land located near water bodies is under water. This does not violate the usual way of life of the population.
High floods already flood 10-15% of agricultural land. At their approach, a partial evacuation of people is carried out. Such disasters are capable of introducing changes in the household way of life of the local population, and causing significant damage, both moral and material.
It is easy to understand why floods are dangerous if they are outstanding in class. They cover entire river basins, flooding about 50-70% of all agricultural land, causing significant damage to human settlements. In such cases, the complete evacuation of residents of coastal villages and cities, the protection of socially significant objects is required. Economic activity is completely paralyzed.
In catastrophic floods, many settlements, utilities, industrial enterprises, and more than 70% of the land allotted for agriculture are flooded. They cause enormous material damage and lead to death. The activities in the territories that fell into the disaster zone are completely paralyzed, and the life of the population is changing.
Flooding reasons
To understand the danger of the flood, what recommendations the population has for safe behavior, you need to know the nature of its manifestation.
So, floods, for example, arise as a result of melting snow and heavy rainfall in the mountains. They are repeated almost every year in the same season. Floods are characterized by a significant and prolonged rise in water.
Floods occur as a result of snowmelt during thaws and heavy rains. For this weather disaster, it is difficult to track the frequency. The rise of water can be intense, but short-term.
Floods caused by congestion (accumulations of ice in the riverbed) or gorges (blockage of the channel by internal ice) take place in the winter-spring period. With congestion, water rises high, but for a short period. And with the jams that occur at the beginning of winter, floods are longer.
Rescuers know the danger of flooding caused by wind surges. It cannot be predicted in advance; it can begin at any time. In this case, the water rises high enough.
During breakthroughs of dams, emergency discharges of water from storage facilities, a wave is formed, which floods large areas, destroys houses and industrial facilities encountered on its way.
Striking factors
Regardless of the reasons that led to the flooding, the destructive force is one - the flow of water. When assessing the danger of flooding, one must take into account not only the area affected by the elements, but also the flow velocity, water temperature, and its maximum level. It is also important the time of year in which the emergency occurred. Attention is also paid to the rate of rise of water.
All of these factors in the complex allow us to assess the danger of flooding. OBZH also says that we should not forget about other threats. So, fires are possible due to breakage and shorting of electric cables and wires, collapse of buildings and structures. The possibility of epidemic outbreaks cannot be ruled out.
Main problems
In floods, all destruction is caused by the flow of water. Possible damage will depend on its intensity. But in any case, it is important to know what floods are dangerous. So, because of them, such problems may arise:
- erosion of the coast;
- flooding of territories, agricultural lands, economic and industrial facilities;
- Damage to engineering structures: bridges, railroad tracks, roads, tunnels, oil and gas pipelines;
- destruction of communications and hydraulic structures: communication systems, dams, dams.
It is important to understand how dangerous the flood is, what recommendations exist to minimize losses and prevent possible deaths. In addition to the above consequences, damage to residential and industrial buildings, a decrease in their capitality, is also possible. Indeed, as a result of exposure to water, the plaster layer is destroyed, wooden parts begin to rot, the soil under the foundation is eroded.
Concomitant damage factors
In addition to the consequences that the destructive power of water causes, do not forget about the possibility of fires due to short circuits in dangling power lines. But this is still not a complete list of what flood is dangerous.
It can cause forest subsidence. Landslides, landslides, and mudflows also often occur after floods . Biological damage to the lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere as a result of chemical or even radioactive contamination of the territory is possible. Floods wash away the fertile soil layer from agricultural areas.
The spread of infectious diseases of animals and people is also possible. To prevent their development, it is necessary to know how dangerous the flood is, what recommendations there are for the population on safe behavior.
Basic Rules
Currently, most natural disasters, including floods, can be predicted in advance. As soon as a threat arises, special services begin work aimed at minimizing damage. In addition, evacuation points are organized. After all, knowing what a flood is dangerous for a person, rescuers try to remove as many people as possible from the zone of a possible disaster.
If the trouble came suddenly, you need to know the basic rules of behavior. So, having noticed the arriving water on the street, it makes no sense to leave your house. It is necessary to climb as high as possible. In high-rise buildings, it is necessary to climb to the upper floors, in private houses, to move to attics. If you know how dangerous the flood is, what recommendations there are for the population, you can stay alive.
First of all, you need to stay on the hills until the rescuers arrive. Do not try to independently get out of the flooded settlement. Only coordinated actions of special services and victims can prevent even greater danger and possible loss of life.
Recommendations to the public
If you are a victim of a flood, the main thing is to try to keep calm as much as possible. It is necessary to remove all heavy clothing, get rid of shoes. While in the water, look around, find any floating object that you can grab on to. It does not have to be a life buoy or an air mattress. You can use the camera from the wheel, a foam sheet, empty plastic bottles of water. But do not forget what to do and why floods are dangerous. Briefly: rescuers recommend getting out on any hill. It can be a tree or a house roof.
Given the fact that rescue operations are organized immediately, you just need to wait for help in the chosen place. When they find you, it is important to listen to all the recommendations and submit to all the requirements of the rescuers.
Flood Behavior
Unfortunately, not everyone knows that after leaving the water, the danger still remains. So, flooding can significantly damage residential buildings and communications systems. Therefore, before entering the room, you should make sure that inside you are not in danger.
You can’t immediately light a fire and turn on the light, it is necessary to ventilate the room. First of all, you need to make sure that the gas pipes are not damaged. Also, do not forget to check the integrity of the wiring, water supply and sewage systems.
Special cases
In most cases, people think about the danger of flooding, residents of cities located near water bodies. But there are these natural disasters in the deserts. There they are especially dangerous.
Many people believe that water in arid areas cannot cause problems. But experts know the danger of floods in the desert. They are usually sudden. Dried lands cannot immediately absorb large amounts of moisture. It is also important that people in arid areas are, as a rule, not ready for such an element. There are no fortifications and water intake facilities that can hold back the pressure of water and divert it in time. Moreover, in the deserts often even pave roads through the dried riverbeds.
This is such a terrible natural disaster - a flood. Let’s hope that our tips will not be useful to you. But it is better to possess the information provided: as they say, warned - means armed!