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Floods |
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| Floods kill an average of 140 people
a year, making them the leading cause of deaths associated with thunderstorms.
Most of these deaths are caused at night, when it may be harder to notice
high waters and more confusing for the victim. There are many ways for people
to stay safe during a flood, however, and many ways for people to prepare
themselves before a flood. To prepare for a flood its important for people to understand the different flood warnings issued by a weather station. This helps you to be prepared if a flood does occur. There are also ways to stay safe during a flood. Learn how to stay safe during a flood by clicking here. There are many factors that can affect the way that floods develop. These include deep snow cover, frozen ground, wet soil, high rivers and streams, ice covered rivers, and heavy rain. During a thunderstorm large quantities of deep snow can affect floods by melting into more water while it is raining heavily. Frozen ground adds to flood development by not allowing water and snow to sink into the ground. If soil is already wet a large amount of water rising quickly doesn’t allow the ground to absorb more water and excess water pours into rivers and stream, causing them to overflow. Rivers that are already full of water can overflow easily, which can flood areas around the river. Another common factor in flood development is layers of ice floating on top of a river breaking apart and floating downstream. When this happens it is common for the sheets of ice to clog up at bridges and other obstacles in the river, which can create a dam. If a dam does form then water can rise rapidly, causing areas around it to be flooded. A factor that affects all flood formation is heavy rainfall. Heavy rain combined with the above factors can cause large areas to be covered in a layer of water that is dangerously high. Only six inches of flood water can knock a person off their feet and only two feet of water can lift most cars. |
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| Flood Related Games
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Additional Information
about Floods |
| The
River Rises, a flood story for kids Flood Disaster Math Water, Wind, and Earth Disaster Detective Jigsaw Puzzle Disaster Discovery Discover Math Natural Disaster Games |
