Flooding is not an issue that many people encounter. It is something seen on the news, it’s something we are all aware of. But it’s fair to say that the majority of people will not have first hand experience with the devastating effects brought on by a flood. Not only is it important for people to be aware of how to handle this kind of situation, it’s also important for us to empathise with those going through this kind of catastrophe. There are many different ways a flood can be caused, and depending upon where the flood occurs, it can have a profoundly different effect.
The different ways floods can manifest themselves are the results of a myriad of environmental causes. There are also a number of floods that have been caused by the interference of man. Floods are most often small-scale disturbances, when ice or snow melts and causes rivers to overflow. This can result in damage to crops and fields, and can sometimes affect riverside villages. This is a common occurrence in many Himalayan villages, and measures are often taken to minimise the damage caused by flooding. Irrigation can often be extremely effective, and is essential when a flood could potentially destroy the crops of an entire season.
Floods can often be caused by bigger disasters, and can be considerably more dangerous. Earthquakes or tropical storms can result in large-scale flooding in a relatively short period of time, and these are the floods that are often seen on the news. They attract the highest amount of media attention as they are unexpected and can often have hugely detrimental effects on the local population. Coastal floods such as the recent tsunami are major causes of flooding, and there is little that can be done to prevent or manage these events.
Flooding is not always a bad thing. The Ancient Egyptians relied on the annual inundation to enable them to grow their crops in the rich soil that was left behind. They would pray to their Gods for a large flood to set them up for the year ahead. Many cultures today still rely on seasonal flooding in order for them to prosper.
Flooding is generally regarded as a catastrophic event, but when investigated further it is most often an extremely beneficial natural occurrence. The flooding we hear of on the news is the negative type, and the one that attracts our interest most.