What is a flood

Flood in Costa Rica, October 2011

Flood in Costa Rica, October 2011

You may have been to an area where there was a flood. Where I live in November 2013 we had one whose severity far exceeded what we had had until then. The road turned into a river with a depth of about a foot. But, of course, this was nothing if we compare it with those that inhabitants of tropical climates, such as Costa Rica or Hawaii, have to live especially, where not only the streets are submerged under water, but also entire towns.

But What is a flood exactly? And what are its causes?

A flood is nothing more than water that occupies dry areas, such as streets. They can be caused by various reasons: torrential rains, thaw, tidal waves, or overflowing rivers.

They occur naturally in lakes and rivers, where floods make the river overflow, as happens when we place a bucket under an open tap. There comes a time when, not having enough capacity to accumulate so much liquid, it comes out. You can also see this phenomenon in gardens when it rains very copiously: when the earth is forced to contain so much water, simply by not having the necessary capacity they make the water run only on the surface.

Flood in Minatitlán (Veracruz) in 2008

Flood in Minatitlán (Veracruz) in 2008

It is necessary to have a levee system in perfect condition to avoid losses, but it is not always easy for meteorologists to predict with certainty when a phenomenon such as an earthquake or a hurricane will occur, which can cause flooding.

The areas most at risk are those that live around the coast, but we can also be affected if we live near rivers or swamps. In the United States, where an average of ten tropical storms occur a year, states like Kentucky, California or Virginia can experience major flooding.


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