WHAT IS FLOOD ?

It is natural event or occurrence where a

piece of land that is usually dry, suddenly
get submerged under water or it is the
overflow of water that submerges dry land.
Generally, water flows from high areas to
low lying areas, means low lying areas may
flood quickly before it begins to get higher
ground.
In India, 12% land is vulnerable to floods.
WHAT CAUSES FLOODING ?
Few events that can cause flooding:-
Excessive rain.
Overflow of water from water bodies in which water
overtops or breaks levees.
Accumulation of rain water on saturated ground in an areal
flood.
Rapid ice melting in the mountain.
A rupture dam or levee.
Coastal flooding occurs when a large storm or tsunami
causes the sea to surge inland.
When the flow rate exceeds the capacity of the river
channel, particularly at bends or meanders in the waterway.

Some floods develop slowly, take hours or days to develop,

giving residents sample time to prepare or evacuate. While
others such as flash floods can develop in just a few minutes
PRINCIPAL TYPES AND
CAUSES
Areal
Floods can happen on flat or low-lying areas when
the ground is saturated and water cannot runoff
quickly enough to stop accumulating. Floods can
also occur if water falls on an impermeable surface,
such as concrete and cannot rapidly dissipate into
the ground. Heavy rainfall cause areal flash flooding
when the rate of rainfall exceeds the drainage
capacity of the area. When this occurs on tilled
fields, it can result in muddy flood.
RIVERINE
Slow-rising floods most commonly occur in
large rivers. The increase in flow may be the
result of melting of snow and precipitation
over large areas.
Coastal Floods
Coastal floods are caused by tides,
storms, cyclones or tsunamis. They happen
in the ocean and effects the general public
and maritime interests along the coastline.
They are caused by heavy surf, storm
surges, Other factors are tidal cycles,
behaviors of the storm, river or stream
runoff, no offshore reefs or other barriers,
and high winds.
Urban Floods
Urban flooding is the inundation of land or
property in abuilt environment, particularly in
more densely populated areas, caused by
rainfall. During the urban floods all the
streets become rivers and basements
become full of water, they are death traps.
Catastrophic
Catastrophic flooding is usually associated
with major infrastructure failures such as the
collapse of adam, but they may also be
caused by damage sustained in
anearthquakeorvolcanic eruption.outburst
flood, which is a type of megaflood, is a high-
magnitude, low-frequency catastrophic flood
involving the sudden release of water.
The factors that help to convert
floods into disaster
Destruction of forests
Destruction of water retention, percolation
systems in the catchment
Construction (roads, railways, canals,
embankments, urban & industrial estates)
without necessary drainage in the catchment
Inadequate maintenance of embankments
Improper operation of dams
Characteristics of a
Flood
A number of criteria determine the
dangers of a flood such as depth of water,
duration, velocity, rate of rise, frequency or
occurrence, and seasonal.
Velocity- high velocities of flow create
erosive forces and can do things like
destroy foundations.
Depth of Water- floatation, failures on
foundation, vegetation survival, etc..
Rate of Rise- is the rate at which the water
level increases.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE
Preparing for a Flood
Learn about your community's emergency plans,
warning signals, evacuation routes, and locations
of emergency shelters.
Have a licensed electrician to raise electric
components (switches, sockets, circuit breakers
and wiring) at least 12" above your home's
projected flood elevation.
For drains, toilets, and other sewer connections,
install backflow valves or plugs to prevent
floodwaters from entering.
Post emergency phone numbers at every phone.
Inform local authorities about any special needs,
i.e., elderly or bedridden people, or anyone with a
disability.
Rescue & Evacuation
Evacuation is a pre-emptive move to protect
life and property, where as rescue is a post-
disaster phenomenon of helping people to
move from areas that have been hit by
disaster to a safer place.

Mitigation
Flood mitigationinvolves the managing and
control of flood water movement, such as
redirecting flood run-off through the use of
floodwallsandflood gates, rather than trying to
prevent floods altogether. It also involves the
management of people, through measures such as
WHAT WE CAN DO ?
Before the floods....

1. Know about your local relief centers and evacuation routes.

2. Keep emergency numbers and important information handy, as

well as emergency supplies, kits, first aid items. These may
include water, canned food, can opener, battery-operated radio,
flashlight and protective clothing.

3. Fold and roll up anything onto higher ground (or upper floors of
your home), including chemicals and medicines.

4. Make sure everything that is of importance is secured (jewelry,

documents, pets, and other valuables).

5. Plant trees and shrubs and keep a lot of vegetation in your

compound if you are in a low-lying area as that can control
erosion and help soften the speed of the flowing water.
During the floods.....

1. Flash floods occur in a short spate of time. As soon as they start, be

quick, keep safe and ensure that children and elderly are safe by
leaving the house to a higher ground.

2. Turn off all electrical appliance, gas, heating and the like if there is
a bit of time.

3. Leave the area before it gets too late. Do not drive through the
water as moving water can sweep you away.

4. Stay away from power lines or broken power transmission cables.

5. Try to keep away from flood water as it may contain chemicals or

other hazardous materials.
6. Gather the emergency supplies you previously stocked in your
home and stay tuned to local radio or television station for
updates.
After the floods....

1. Make sure you have permission from emergency officers to

get back inside your house.

2. Keep all power and electrical appliance off until the house is
cleaned up properly and an electrical personnel has
confirmed that it is OK to put them on.

3. Make sure you have photographs, or a record of all the

damage, as it may be needed for insurance claims.

4. Clean the entire home, together with all the objects in it very
well before you use them again. They may be contaminated.

5. Wear appropriate gear (mask and gloves) before cleaning

begins.
Methods of flood
preventing
Humans cannot stop the rains from falling or stop
flowing surface water from bursting its banks.
These are natural events, but we can do something
to prevent them from having great impact.
1. Sea/Coastal Defence Walls:- Sea walls and tide
gates have been built in some places to prevent
tidal waves from pushing the waters up ashore. In
some areas too, sand bags are made and placed
in strategic areas to retain floodwaters.
2. Retaining Walls:- In some places, retaining
walls levees, lakes, dams, reservoirs or retention
ponds have been constructed to hold extra water
during times of flooding.
3. Town Planning:- During construction, it will
ensure that that waterways are not blocked.
This will ensure that that waterways are not
blocked.
4. Vegetation:- Trees, shrubs and grass help
protect the land from erosion by moving water.
People in low-lying areas must be encouraged
to use a lot of vegetation to help break the
power of moving flood water and also help
reduce erosion.
5. Education:- Education is very important, to
inform and caution people on the dangers of
floods, what causes floods, and what can be
done to minimise its impact.