5 DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLOODS AND HOW THEY OCCUR

Anyone who has ever been involved in a flood understands how they can completely devastate any area they hit. There is no real stopping of onrushing water, as this is truly one of nature’s irresistible forces. Flood water may be slowed or even diverted to some degree, but it will never be stopped in its tracks. All you can do when in the path of a flood is prepare for it as much as possible, keep yourself as safe as possible and hope for the best outcome possible. Of course, this is generally much easier said than done.

Floods cause several billion dollars in damage and loss in the United States every year. It seems that flooding is getting worse recently as enormous storms such as Hurricane Sandy from 2012 and many others have wreaked havoc on large metropolitan areas and rural towns. Below are five different types of floods that can occur almost anywhere as published by livescience.com. A link to the full article can be found here.

1. Overbank flooding

Mother Nature does have some natural defenses against floods in the forms of river banks and beds. However, when too much water accumulates in rivers or other bodies of water, it’s going to spread out and inundate the land that surrounds it, particularly the land that sits below the lip of that boundary.

1. Flash floods

Flash floods occur as quickly as their name suggests, and an area can be completely bowled over by oncoming water within a period of a handful of hours. In addition, this water can move swiftly, forming a powerful current and sweeping away many things in its path.

1. Ice jam flooding

Fortunately, this type of flooding does not occur in San Diego. It involves bodies of water freezing and large amounts of water building up behind walls of ice. When this ice cracks or melts, it can create an onrush of extremely cold water.

1. Coastal flooding

People in San Diego have at least been warned about this type of flooding in the recent past. Coastal flooding is usually the result of some other natural event such as an earthquake that occurs under the surface of the ocean, and this event can lead to a tsunami.

1. Man-made flooding

Problems with engineering such as an improperly-placed well or a poorly-constructed dam can create what is basically the equivalent of a flash flood if that dam bursts or something goes wrong with that well.
Floods are disasters that no one should ever have to experience, but the reality is that the majority of us either already has or will deal with this terrifying situation. If you are concerned about what you will do to clean up after a flood, you need to contact the team of San Diego disaster cleanup specialists at J&M Keystone, Inc. to learn more about how we can help you.