over the past hundred years no other
natural disaster in the US has caused
more death and destruction than floods
they can happen anyplace any day anytime
and they will likely only get worse as
Pippa cluster around coastal regions and
flood plains our growing population will
confront the awesome power of water for
thousands of years farmers have depended
on seasonal floods the water’s irrigated
their props and fertilize their lands
today excess water is channeled into
reservoirs and power hydroelectric dams
but when water levels rise suddenly far
more than the ground can absorb a flood
occurs flash floods are a perfect
example sudden storms unleash a
torrential downpour
the runoff moves with surprising force
at a depth of two feet the water can
push aside a car
in fact half of all deaths from flash
floods and power vehicles but floods
occur in many other ways
heavy rains and thawing snow fall and
over
storm surge is caused by hurricanes and
tsunamis inundate the coastline
landslides and mudflows can displace
large volumes of water dams great levees
fail in the Great Mississippi Flood of
1993 several of these factors came into
play over 10,000 square miles of the
Midwestern United States for overwhelmed
with rain in a cruel twist the earthen
dams known as levees along the Upper
Mississippi River forced the water to
float downstream faster and stronger
communities further downriver were hit
with the full brunt of the Mississippi
two-thirds of all the levees were
breached though towns rallied to protect
their lives and livelihoods the damage
was still immense over ten billion
dollars in damages 56,000 homes flooded
or destroyed and some 50
at the start of this century another
powerful flood wreaked havoc this one
coming from the sea the storm surges of
Hurricane Katrina submerged 80% of the
city of New Orleans over 1,800 people
died in the floods the damage has been
estimated at over eighty billion dollars
in some ways the New Orleans disaster
was unique much of the city lies below
sea level and despite years of warning
the city was woefully unprepared to
handle a breach of the levees which kept
it dry
but we are still vulnerable
see levels may rise coastlines could
erode rain patterns might change snow
packs could melt and then the waters
would rush in
you
natural disaster in the US has caused
more death and destruction than floods
they can happen anyplace any day anytime
and they will likely only get worse as
Pippa cluster around coastal regions and
flood plains our growing population will
confront the awesome power of water for
thousands of years farmers have depended
on seasonal floods the water’s irrigated
their props and fertilize their lands
today excess water is channeled into
reservoirs and power hydroelectric dams
but when water levels rise suddenly far
more than the ground can absorb a flood
occurs flash floods are a perfect
example sudden storms unleash a
torrential downpour
the runoff moves with surprising force
at a depth of two feet the water can
push aside a car
in fact half of all deaths from flash
floods and power vehicles but floods
occur in many other ways
heavy rains and thawing snow fall and
over
storm surge is caused by hurricanes and
tsunamis inundate the coastline
landslides and mudflows can displace
large volumes of water dams great levees
fail in the Great Mississippi Flood of
1993 several of these factors came into
play over 10,000 square miles of the
Midwestern United States for overwhelmed
with rain in a cruel twist the earthen
dams known as levees along the Upper
Mississippi River forced the water to
float downstream faster and stronger
communities further downriver were hit
with the full brunt of the Mississippi
two-thirds of all the levees were
breached though towns rallied to protect
their lives and livelihoods the damage
was still immense over ten billion
dollars in damages 56,000 homes flooded
or destroyed and some 50
at the start of this century another
powerful flood wreaked havoc this one
coming from the sea the storm surges of
Hurricane Katrina submerged 80% of the
city of New Orleans over 1,800 people
died in the floods the damage has been
estimated at over eighty billion dollars
in some ways the New Orleans disaster
was unique much of the city lies below
sea level and despite years of warning
the city was woefully unprepared to
handle a breach of the levees which kept
it dry
but we are still vulnerable
see levels may rise coastlines could
erode rain patterns might change snow
packs could melt and then the waters
would rush in
you
Please follow and like us: