essay on impact of floods

Flood Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on flood.

Flood is one of the most dangerous natural disasters. It happens when excessive water is collected in any area. It usually happens due to heavy rainfall. India is highly prone to flood. There are many regions in the country that face this natural disaster because of the overflowing of rivers. Moreover, it also happens because of the melting of snow. Another reason for floods is when the dam breaks down. If we look at the coastal areas, the hurricanes and tsunamis are held responsible for causing floods. In this essay on flood, we will see the prevention and after-affect of flood.

In other words, whatever the cause may be, it is equally dangerous. It has a lot of harmful consequences. Flood damages the living conditions and it takes a lot of time to recover from this disaster. Therefore, the consequences of floods must be known and steps must be taken to prevent it.

After-effects of Flood

Floods interrupt with the day to day functioning of the affected area. The severe floods sometimes cause mass destruction. A lot of people and animals lose their lives due to floods. Several others are injured. Floods also bring a rise in diseases. The stagnant water attracts mosquitoes causing malaria , dengue, and more illnesses.

Furthermore, people face power cuts due to the danger of electrocution. They also have to face expensive pricing. As the supply of food and goods gets limited, the prices naturally grow higher. This creates a big problem for the common man.

Most importantly, the whole country faces economic loss. The resources needed to rescue people and tackle this disaster demands a hefty amount. Plus, the citizens lose their houses and cars which they worked all their lives for.

Subsequently, floods also hamper the environment. It causes soil erosion and this degrades the quality of the soil. We lose out on fertile soil. Similarly, floods also damage flora and fauna. They damage crops and displace trees. Thus, the measure should be taken to avoid these grave consequences.

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Ways to Prevent flood

The government and citizens must work together to formulate ways to prevent floods. Proper awareness must be spread about the steps to take when floods occur. Warning systems must be set up so people get sufficient time to save themselves. In addition, areas that are more likely to have floods must have tall buildings above the flood level.

Other than that, dams must be constructed strongly. The use of cheap materials causes dams to break. The government must ensure there is a quality building of dams to prevent floods.

In short, we cannot prevent natural causes like rain and the melting of glaciers. However, we can stop the manmade causes like breaking of dams, poor drainage system, installing warning systems and more. We should take inspiration from countries like Singapore that never experience floods despite having heavy rainfall for most time of the year.

FAQ on Flood Essay

Q.1 what are the consequences of a flood.

A.1 Floods cause immense destruction. They are responsible for the loss of human and animal lives. People lose their homes and cars in floods. They also cause soil erosion and uproot of trees.

Q.2 How can we prevent floods?

A.2 Governments must take up certain measures to prevent floods. We can install flood warning systems. Make people aware of what to do in times of flood. Moreover, we can also build a proper drainage system that will ensure no waterlogging.

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The Many Effects of Flooding

Floods can be destructive to humans and the natural environment, but they also help to drive biodiversity and are essential to the functioning of many ecosystems.

Earth Science, Climatology, Geography, Physical Geography

1931 Yangtze River Flood

In 1931, water overwhelmed the banks of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, resulting in the Central China flood. Killing at least hundreds of thousands and potentially millions of people, it was one of the worst flooding events in recorded history. Here, people near the Yangtze River are shown.

Photograph from Adrienne Livesey, Elaine Ryder, and Irene Brien

It is hardly surprising that rivers have been an important part of human history: They provide food, freshwater, and fertile land for growing crops. While water is essential to life, it can be a destructive force too. When rivers flood, the effects can be catastrophic. Flooding is one of the most common types of natural disaster, and the results are often fatal. The Central China flood of 1931, for example, was one of the worst flooding events in recorded history. The Yangtze and Huai Rivers broke their banks, killing as many as several million people. The aftermath was devastating; deadly waterborne diseases like dysentery and cholera spread quickly, and those who survived faced the threat of starvation. The human cost of flooding can be large, but events like this have a big impact on the natural world too, and the effects are not always negative. In fact, some ecosystems rely on seasonal flooding to drive ecological processes. Floods Can Harm Wildlife Flooding can have a negative effect on wildlife, causing drowning, disease proliferation, and habitat destruction. In 2012, hundreds of animals, including many vulnerable one-horned rhinos ( Rhinoceros unicornis ), were killed in floods that swamped Kaziranga National Park in the Indian state of Assam. Unpredictable floods can be harmful even to aquatic life. For example, fish can be displaced and their nests destroyed.

Floods Cause Sedimentation and Erosion Floodwater can also alter the landscape, for instance, by eroding riverbanks and causing them to collapse. As floodwater carries material from the eroded banks, it suspends sediment in the water, which can degrade water quality and lead to harmful blooms of algae. Suspended sediment eventually settles out of the water in a process called sedimentation, which can clog riverbeds and streams, smother aquatic organisms, and destroy habitats. Erosion and sedimentation have a more negative impact on ecosystems that are already degraded or heavily modified. Floods Carry Contamination Floodwater can be contaminated with pollutants such as agricultural pesticides , industrial chemicals, debris, and sewage. If contaminated floodwater enters the ocean it can affect water quality and disrupt delicate ecosystems, such as coral reefs. In February 2019, marine biologists feared for the safety of the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, a state in Australia, after it was inundated with polluted floodwater. Floods Spread Diseases Floods are the leading cause of weather-related infectious disease outbreaks. Flooding events increase the chance of spreading waterborne diseases, such as hepatitis A and cholera. Receding floodwater can create stagnant pools of water, which provide the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, which can transmit malaria and other diseases. Flood events also lead to an increase in some forms of  zoonosis , such as leptospirosis. Floods Carry Nutrients While floods bring hazards, they also bring nutrients and essential components for life. Seasonal floods can renew ecosystems, providing life-giving waters in more ways than one. Floods transport vital nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic material, to the surrounding land. When the water recedes, it leaves sediment and nutrients behind on the floodplain. This rich, natural fertilizer improves soil quality and has a positive effect on plant growth, thus increasing productivity in the ecosystem. Ancient civilizations first arose along the deltas of seasonally flooded rivers, such as the Nile in Egypt, because they provided fertile soil for farmland. Floods Recharge Groundwater Floods can replenish underground water sources. Floodwater gets absorbed into the ground then percolates through layers of soil and rock, eventually reaching underground aquifers . These aquifers supply clean freshwater to springs, wells, lakes, and rivers. Ecosystems rely heavily on groundwater during dry spells when it may be the only supply of freshwater available. A good supply of groundwater has a positive impact on soil health and leads to more productive crop and pasture lands. Floods Can Trigger Breeding Events and Migrations Floods can trigger breeding events, migrations, and dispersal in some species. In 2016, thousands of water birds flocked to the Macquarie Marshes in the Australian state of New South Wales. Flooding had filled their wetland habitat for the first time in years, triggering a mass breeding event. In Cambodia, monsoon rains cause an annual flood pulse on the Mekong River that prompts migrations for some animals. The floodwaters cause the Tonle Sap river, which connects the Mekong River to Tonle Sap lake, to reverse its flow, filling the lake. When floodwater enters the lake, it triggers fish migrations, supporting one of the world’s most productive fisheries. Floods Can Boost Fish Stocks Small seasonal floods can be beneficial to native fish stocks and can help those fish outcompete invasive species that are not adapted to the river’s cycles. Sediment deposited on riverbeds during floods can provide a nursery site for small fish. Nutrients carried by floodwater can support aquatic food webs by boosting productivity. Floods Bring Life to Wetlands Wetlands are an extremely important ecosystem; approximately 40 percent of the world’s species rely on them. They filter water, mitigate flooding, and act as a carbon sink . The Okavango Delta in Botswana is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site and one of the world’s largest, most important wetland habitats. The river captures rainfall from far to the north in the highlands of Angola. This causes a flood pulse that replenishes the wetlands at the height of the dry season, providing a lush oasis in the Kalahari Desert. National Geographic Explorer Steve Boyes, with a team of scientists and Explorers, has participated in a series of expeditions to trace the Okavango from source to sand to protect the waters of this unique habitat. Floods are a force of nature, and their consequences, both positive and negative, are strongly felt by affected ecosystems. Floods can be destructive to humans and the natural environment, but they also help to drive biodiversity and are essential to the functioning of many ecosystems. Whether you regard floods as good or bad, one thing is for certain: The world would be a very different place without them.

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What Are the Main Causes and Effects of Floods Around the World?

Floods are among the most devastating natural disasters that occur worldwide, affecting millions of people and causing significant damage to both human settlements and the environment. As our planet experiences the impacts of climate change and human activities continue to alter landscapes, understanding the main causes and effects of floods becomes increasingly crucial. In this article, we delve into the factors that contribute to flooding and explore the wide-ranging consequences it has on our ecosystems and communities.

What Are the Different Types of Floods? 

Before we examine the causes and effects of floods, it’s important to note that various types of floods can occur worldwide. There are two types of floods that are most common: flash floods and river floods. 

Flash floods, as the name suggests, are the rapid rise of water levels from excessive rainfall in low-lying areas. These weather events are incredibly dangerous and can often lead to fatalities due to their destructive power and incredible speed, often not giving people enough time to escape to higher grounds or adopt protective measures. Flash floods tend to be more common in areas with a dry climate and rocky terrain due to lack of soil or vegetation, which  acts as a defence or barrier against torrential rains flowing overland. 

River flooding on the other hand, occurs when a river overspills its banks and river waters can no longer be contained within its channel. These events are more common in areas with a wetter climate and have longer rainstorm seasons, as well as areas close to melting snow and ice. 

What Are the Main Causes of Floods? 

Floods can occur due to several different, and often simultaneous, factors. However, one of the biggest causes of floods, especially in cases of flash floods, is excessive and heavy rainfall. When rainfall in low-lying areas and urban environments fall faster than the ground can absorb, water height rapidly rise, resulting in floods. Extreme rainfall in river courses contribute to flooding as well, as water travels down and overflows riverbanks onto surrounding land. 

Sea overflow can also cause floods, in an event also known as a storm surge. This occurs during tropical storms, cyclones and hurricanes, where these types of weather events cause sea water to overflow onto the land in coastal regions. Sea water levels have been recorded to rise as high as 20 feet during storm surges. 

Rapid melting of snow and ice similarly causes a surge of sea water, while blocks of melting ice could block the flow of a river, creating a phenomenon known as ice jams. 

Dam failures and breakage can also send a powerful and destructive surge of water downstream. One of the most devastating dam failures in history took place in 1889 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania . Several days of extraordinarily heavy rain placed severe pressure on the local dam, causing it to fail and releasing 20 million tons of water to the town, and more than 2,200 people died within minutes.

What Are the Biggest Effects of Floods?

More than 2 billion people worldwide were affected by floods between 1998-2017. And that number continues to climb as occurrences of major flood events become more frequent and severe. 

Flooding, especially flash floods, can devastate entire cities and urban environments. Throughout history, many have lost their lives as a result of rapid floods, or events caused by severe flooding such as landslides and collapsed infrastructure. 

One of the biggest consequences and effects of floods is that people lose their home and property, and essential buildings and infrastructures such as hospitals and elderly homes are left incapacitated. Loss of power and mobile communication is a common occurrence during floods, which can impact livelihoods and access to safety. 

Floods can have huge economic repercussions to a region, as extreme weather events impact key industries and sectors, notably agriculture, fishing, food crops, health, labour and tourism. Studies have found that frequent flooding could shave 11% off a region’s GDP by the end of the century. Countries often take years to recover economically following the loss of resources. 

People who live in regions close to rivers, in wetter climates and prone to monsoon seasons are significantly more vulnerable to floods. Many south and southeast Asian countries such as Bangladesh – a third of which was under water at one point in 2020 – and India have been particularly hit hard by flood events in recent years due to their low-lying lands and dense populations. 

Consequently, there’s been high rates of mass migration and population displacement over the past few decades, causing overcrowding in urban cities and expanding the urban poor. This leads to potential long-term social inequalities and unrest. 

You might also like: 86 Million People Have Been Moving Into Global Flood Zones in the Last Two Decades – Study

Climate Change is Exacerbating the Effects of Floods

Flooding has been made more likely by climate change , according to a 2021 study by climate experts. In the case of Western Europe, downpours in the region, which caused the flash floods that killed nearly 200 people, are now 3-19% heavier due to human-caused warming.

For countries that are already prone to rainy seasons, particularly in Asia, climate models predict climate change will lead to more intense flooding and prolong existing monsoon seasons . A typical monsoon season in Asia last from June to September. The effects of climate change could potentially result in an earlier arrival or departure of monsoons, disrupting agricultural and crop production, as well as increasing extreme precipitation over the region as more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.

You might also like: Climate Change Made Libya Floods Up to 50 Times More Likely, Study Finds

What Can Be Done?

One of the most salient short-term solutions is for countries, especially those in high flood risk regions, to prioritise investments in flood adaptation strategies. This means building more resilient infrastructure that are designed to withstand floods and water damage. 

China, for example, has been investing heavily in ‘sponge city’ concepts , the development of which could potentially help control and mitigate flooding, and recycle rainwater resources and re-instate degraded environments at the same time.  Building seawalls can be an effective form of coastal defence and protection in dealing with storm surges and flooding events associated with tropical storms. 

Managed retreat, which refers to a purposeful and coordinated movement of people and infrastructure away from high risk areas, is a solution that is worth considering. With more frequent and intense flooding events, forced migration and population displacement is already a growing problem, which as discussed earlier, brings with it a wealth of complex social and economic issues. A managed retreat, which can occur over time and allow systems that account for migrants and displaced people to be in place, can be less traumatic for people and potentially less expensive in the long run. 

However ultimately, the most effective way to mitigate climate change and worsening flooding events is to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. We need to dedicate ourselves to decarbonising transportation and investing a lot more and faster into renewable energy and technologies. While many high income countries such as the US have made net zero goals by 2050 and are pushing for more electric vehicles , a majority of the countries are doing far too little and at too slow a pace to tackle the exacerbating climate crisis. 

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Flooding and Climate Change: Everything You Need to Know

More communities—both coastal and inland—are finding themselves underwater. Extreme weather, sea level rise, and other climate change impacts are increasingly to blame.

A large wave crashes into a seawall in Winthrop, Massachusetts, a day after a nor'easter in 2018.

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

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Floods are already the most common and among the most deadly disasters in the United States. As  global warming continues to exacerbate sea level rise and extreme weather, flood-prone areas around the country are expected to  grow by nearly half in just this century. Here’s how climate change plays a role in flooding and how we can better keep our heads above water.

Flooding facts and causes

Climate change and flooding, consequences of flooding, flood preparation and prevention, what causes a flood.

A flood, put simply, is the accumulation of water over normally dry land. It’s typically caused by the overflow of coastal or inland waters (like rivers and streams) or by an unusual accumulation of water from heavy or prolonged rains, storm surges, or sudden snowmelt. Often, the ways in which we manage our waterways (via dams, levees, and reservoirs) and the alterations we make to land also play a role in flooding. Increased urbanization, for example, adds impermeable surfaces (think roads and parking lots), altering natural drainage systems. Areas can be especially prone to flooding when  stormwater infrastructure isn’t maintained or homes are built in areas susceptible to flooding known as floodplains. More and more, flooding factors are also linked to climate change.

Major types of floods

River flooding This occurs when a river or stream overflows its natural banks and inundates normally dry land. Most common in early spring, river flooding can result from heavy rainfall, rapidly melting snow, or ice jams. According to the 2018 study "Estimates of Present and Future Flood Risk in the Conterminous United States," published in the journal Environmental Research Letters , more than 40 million U.S. residents are at risk from flooding along rivers and streams. And even a single episode can wreak havoc on a massive scale: For instance, in 2019, a slow-motion disaster of  intense spring flooding swelled the Arkansas, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers. Hundreds of miles of levees were topped or impaired, destroying homes and supersaturating cropland. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the inland flooding caused $20 billion in damage. Some of these losses stemmed from the impact to farmers who could no longer plant or transport their crops.

Coastal flooding More than  half of the U.S. population lives or works in areas susceptible to coastal flooding, which happens when winds from a coastal storm, such as a hurricane or nor’easter, push a storm surge (essentially, a wall of water) from the ocean onto land. A storm surge can produce widespread devastation, like that seen around New York and New Jersey when  Hurricane Sandy arrived during high tide .

There are also increasing numbers of shallow, nondeadly floods caused by higher sea levels. These high tide floods (also known as “nuisance” or “sunny day” floods) occur when the sea washes up and over roads and into storm drains as the daily tides roll in. In places like Miami, increased nuisance flooding is raising concerns over  climate gentrification , as wealthier residents looking to settle on higher ground are pricing out historically underserved BIPOC communities.

Flash floods These quick-rising floods are most often caused by heavy rains over a short period—usually six hours or less. Flash floods can happen anywhere, and low-lying areas with poor drainage are particularly vulnerable. Also caused by dam or levee breaks or the sudden overflow of water due to a debris or ice jam, flash floods combine the innate hazards of a flood with speed and unpredictability. That’s why they’re responsible for the greatest number of flood-related fatalities. In late 2022 and early 2023, California was hit by deadly flash floods during powerful wintertime atmospheric rivers, which may become more powerful as climate change increases the amount of moisture they can hold.

Urban flooding The term  urban flooding refers specifically to flooding that occurs when rainfall—not an overflowing body of water—overwhelms the  stormwater drainage capacity of a densely populated area. In 2021, Hurricane Ida, strengthened by warm air, shattered records across the Northeast. In New York City, the deluge made rivers of impermeable streets and subway stations. Eleven people living in basement-level apartments drowned as the floodwaters—with nowhere else to go—swiftly overwhelmed below-ground spaces.

A tractor trailer is swept off the road by floodwaters in Nebraska in 2019.

Ryan Soderlin/Omaha World-Herald via AP

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found that climate change “has detectably influenced” several of the variables that contribute to floods, such as rainfall and snowmelt. In other words, while our warming world may not be the only or most direct cause of any given flood, it exacerbates many of the factors that increase flood risk. That’s why mitigating climate change—and particularly, limiting global average temperature rise to within 1.5 degrees Celsius in this century—is an important way to avert some of the worst scenarios for sea level rise and escalating flood risks. 

How does climate change lead to flooding?

These are some of the key ways that climate change increases flood risks.

Heavier precipitation A warmer atmosphere holds—and subsequently dumps—more water. As the planet has warmed by  1.9 degrees Fahrenheit since the preindustrial revolution era, the United States has also become about 4 percent wetter, according to the federal  Climate Science Special Report. The same report says that heavy precipitation events are projected to increase by 50 percent to as much as three times the historical average in just this century. This includes extreme weather like atmospheric rivers, which are air currents that become heavy with water from the tropics. Meanwhile, in regions with significant seasonal snowmelt, hotter temperatures can trigger more rain-on-snow events, with warm rains inducing faster and earlier melting— a phenomenon playing out in the western United States. 

A building and road severely damaged by flooding in Jamestown, Colorado, in 2013

Steve Zumwalt/FEMA

More-frequent hurricanes Climate change is increasing the frequency of our strongest storms, which bring greater rains, including in places not known for flooding. In August 2023, Tropical Storm Hilary—the first storm of its kind to hit the West Coast in 84 years—broke rainfall records in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon. Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in 2017 and soaked Houston homes and businesses with catastrophic floods, was the nation’s wettest storm in nearly 70 years.  Researchers  estimate that Hurricane Harvey dumped as much as 38 percent more rain than it would have without climate change. Just a month after Harvey, Hurricane Maria hit Dominica, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The storm produced the most rainfall in the area of any weather event  since 1956 and exposed the  inadequacy of U.S. policies to respond to disasters.

According to the IPCC,  future hurricanes are expected to be as much as 37 percent wetter near their centers and about 20 percent wetter as much as 60 miles away. In the Atlantic basin, an 80 percent increase in the frequency of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes (the most destructive) is expected over the next 80 years. And it’s not only the most severely rated storms that bring the greatest flood impacts; in fact, the rating system the government uses to categorize the severity of storms is based solely on wind speed, not rainfall—so even unrated storms can unleash lethal amounts of water.

That said, gustier winds can whip up greater storm surges, which are already higher because of sea level rise. It was Hurricane Katrina’s 28-foot storm surge that overwhelmed the levees around New Orleans in 2005. Winds can also increase the destructiveness of waves, causing storm surges to get bigger and penetrate further inland.

Higher seas As ocean temperatures rise and the glaciers and ice sheets melt, global sea levels are rising —and directly contributing to coastal flooding problems. According to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, our oceans are approximately seven to eight inches higher than they were in 1900. The IPCC predicts seas around the world will rise anywhere from just under one foot to more than three and a half feet above 2000 levels by century’s end. NOAA’s projections also show that, due to regional factors such as currents bringing water to coastlines, areas along the East Coast could experience seas rising 2 feet higher as early as 2050. By then, damaging coastal flooding is expected to occur 10 times as often as it does today.

In addition to amplifying storm surges, sea level rise increases high tide flooding, which, according to NOAA, has doubled in the United States over the past 30 years. For example, by 2045, Charleston, South Carolina, could see as many as  180 tidal floods per year , compared with just 11 in 2014.

More than 100 houses burned down in Breezy Point, New York, as floodwaters isolated the community from fire and rescue workers after Hurricane Sandy.

U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Ryan J. Courtade/Released

When flooding inundates a home or community, it upends lives. It’s important to consider  flood preparation before disaster hits by doing things like signing up for alerts, packing an emergency supply kit, and researching flood insurance options.

But the impacts of flooding go far beyond our own homes. Repairing and replacing flood-damaged roads, bridges, utilities, and other public infrastructure carry enormous costs. Between 2007 and 2017, the  National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) paid an average of $2.9 billion per year to cover flood-related losses, with individual years often costing far more. Within two months of Hurricane Ian making landfall in Florida in 2022, the NFIP had received 44,000 flood claims from property owners. These types of estimates leave out the many people who don’t have insurance, who aren’t eligible for government disaster assistance, or who have needs above what government aid will cover. 

Flooding also brings contamination and disease. Floodwaters can carry  raw sewage , leaked toxic chemicals, and runoff from  hazardous waste sites and  factory farms. They can pollute drinking water supplies and cause  eye, ear, skin, and gastrointestinal infections. When floodwaters recede, bacteria and  mold may remain , and residents may suffer from  mental health problems and lost business or wages.

As with many natural hazards, it is most often lower-income people, people experiencing homelessness, the elderly, and  communities of color who suffer the greatest harm. These populations are  least likely to have flood insurance , access to transportation during an evacuation, cash on hand, or the ability to relocate—and the structural inequities of the past and present mean they are more likely to be in harm’s way. In August 2022, flash flooding in Jackson, Mississippi, caused the city’s main water treatment plant to fail, leaving the 150,000 residents of the majority-Black city without safe water to drink, bathe in, or cook with. In the case of  Jackson and many U.S. cities with similarly outdated infrastructure , flood damage was exacerbated by existing issues, including poor oversight, lack of local resources and capacity, and other unjust racial and economic disparities.

Entirely preventing floods isn’t possible. But there are steps that can be taken to lessen their devastation, like  flood-proofing your home ,  taking personal safety precautions , and advocating the federal government to revamp its approaches to flooding, both before and after it occurs.

A neighborhood in Port Arthur, Texas, flooded by Hurricane Harvey in 2017

Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Martinez/U.S. Air National Guard

Updating FEMA's flood maps

Mitigating potential loss from future floods requires knowing where floods are most likely to occur. In the United States, this information is provided by FEMA, which produces maps of the nation’s flood zones. Its NFIP relies on these maps to assess flood risk, determine insurance rates, and establish floodplain management standards.

FEMA flood maps depict the high-, moderate-, and low-risk flood zones of communities nationwide and can be found at  FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center . High-risk areas, often referred to as floodplains, are regions with a 1 percent (1 in 100) chance of being inundated by river or stream floodwaters of a certain magnitude in any given year. (The term  100-year flood refers to this, and does not mean a flood that’s expected to occur just once every 100 years.) But even a 1 in 100 chance of flooding each year equates to about a one in five chance that a home will flood at some point over the life of a 30-year mortgage. And FEMA’s moderate- to low-risk areas aren’t entirely safe from flooding, either: Properties in these areas still account for more than 20 percent of NFIP claims.

Flood risks change as land use and other factors change. That’s why keeping flood maps up-to-date is critical. But despite a requirement that FEMA reassess its maps every five years, nearly  60 percent are out of date—some, by decades. When Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012, for example, the flooding covered an area that was  65 percent larger than the flood-vulnerable area identified by FEMA maps.

FEMA’s maps also typically fail to take into account the effects of global warming, such as sea level rise . Instead, they rely on historical data to determine future flood hazard projections. This can cause officials to designate areas as being “safe” for development today, even when they are at risk of serious floods tomorrow. In 2021, NRDC and the Association of State Floodplain Managers  jointly petitioned FEMA to update its standards to reflect the new climate reality. After all, FEMA is required under law to use the best available science in its maps and standards. Among the petition’s requests: all new or substantially improved structures must be elevated higher than the level of a 100-year flood; all new and revised NFIP floodplain maps must depict how the floodplain will change over time, especially concerning sea level rise; homeowners seeking to retrofit their homes for the new climate reality should have easier access to NFIP funding.

Among other things, FEMA’s floodplains determine how and where homes and other structures will be built, as well as who is required to purchase flood insurance. (Coverage is mandatory if you live in a floodplain and have a federally backed mortgage.) The problem is, once again, that many of FEMA’s mapped floodplains are  inaccurate . For instance, during Hurricane Harvey, nearly three-quarters of Houston’s flood-damaged buildings sat outside of FEMA’s identified high-risk area. According to one NOAA analysis: Greater rainfall has made what used to be a 100-year flood event in Houston, by FEMA’s standards, more like a 25-year event. 

Understanding your home's flood risk

Flooding is a factor in hundreds of billions of dollars of disaster-related property damage in the United States, with many homes being  repeatedly damaged . Just one inch of flooding could cost the average homeowner  $25,000 in damage . But typical homeowners’ and renters’ insurance fails to cover flooding and  less than 4 percent of homeowners have flood coverage. That means the vast majority of Americans must take out loans or pay out of pocket to repair or replace damaged items. 

Finding out if a property is flood-prone  can also be difficult . Many states have no legal requirements that a seller disclose a property’s history of flood damage to a buyer or that a landlord tell a prospective renter. While potential homebuyers should look at FEMA’s flood history maps, there’s a more low-tech option: Introduce yourself to your prospective neighbors and ask them about flooding in the area.

This Highlands, New Jersey, home was elevated prior to Hurricane Sandy and received only minor damage.

Rosanna Arias/FEMA

For residents of repeatedly flooded homes, relocation may be the best option. But a wide array of measures exist to  prevent or reduce flood damage when that’s not possible. These include keeping gutters and drains free of debris; installing a sump pump for crawl spaces and basements; adding check valves in sewer lines to keep floodwater from backing up into the drains of your home; and safeguarding equipment by elevating furnaces, water heaters, electrical systems, generators, and air-conditioning units above flood levels. More drastic retrofits might be needed in areas with regular flooding, including raising the entire structure of a house.

Boosting local resilience

Flood resiliency can come from water-smart improvements to buildings and  green infrastructure , restored wetlands and other natural barriers, updated FEMA maps that reflect new climate realities, and an  overhaul of the NFIP to help more homeowners relocate to higher ground. One promising update is President Biden’s executive action to reinstate the  Federal Flood Risk Management Standard , which includes commonsense measures such as requiring FEMA to rebuild flood-damaged public infrastructure like police stations, schools, and hospitals to be safer. (President Trump had scrapped the standard in 2017.)

According to a Pew poll, nearly 75 percent of U.S. voters support these measures. For one thing, they can save enormous amounts of money:  For every $1 invested in riverine flood mitigation, taxpayers and the federal government save $7 in recovery costs. Moreover, such measures increase the odds that millions more people will stay safe—and dry.

In addition to securing your home, you can help secure your community. Checking in on your neighbors, sharing information, and determining how you might be able to help each other in an emergency are important components of disaster preparedness.

This story was originally published on April 19, 2019, and has been updated with new information and links.

This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.

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Floods, explained

Floods are among Earth's most common–and most destructive–natural hazards.

There are few places on Earth where flooding is not a concern. Any area where rain falls is vulnerable to floods, though rain is not the only cause.

How floods form

A flood occurs when water inundates land that's normally dry, which can happen in a multitude of ways.

Excessive rain, a ruptured dam or levee , rapid melting of snow or ice, or even an unfortunately placed beaver dam can overwhelm a river, spreading over the adjacent land, called a flood plain . Coastal flooding occurs when a large storm or tsunami causes the sea to surge inland .

Most floods take hours or even days to develop, giving residents time to prepare or evacuate. Others generate quickly and with little warning. So-called flash floods can be extremely dangerous , instantly turning a babbling brook or even a dry wash into rushing rapids that sweep everything in their path downstream.

Climate change is increasing the risk of floods worldwide, particularly in coastal and low-lying areas, because of its role in extreme weather events and rising seas . The increase in temperatures that accompanies global warming can contribute to hurricanes that move more slowly and drop more rain , funneling moisture into atmospheric rivers like the ones that led to heavy rains and flooding in California in early 2019.

Meanwhile, melting glaciers and other factors are contributing to a rise in sea levels that has created long-term, chronic flooding risks for places ranging from Venice, Italy to the Marshall Islands . More than 670 U.S. communities will face repeated flooding by the end of this century , according to a 2017 analysis; it's happening in more than 90 coastal communities already.

Dramatic pictures reveal Venice flooding

Impacts of flooding

Floods cause more than $40 billion in damage worldwide annually, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development . In the U.S., losses average close to $8 billion a year. Death tolls have increased in recent decades to more than 100 people a year . In China's Yellow River Valley some of the world's worst floods have killed millions of people.

When floodwaters recede, affected areas are often blanketed in silt and mud. The water and landscape can be contaminated with hazardous materials such as sharp debris, pesticides, fuel, and untreated sewage. Potentially dangerous mold blooms can quickly overwhelm water-soaked structures.

Residents of flooded areas can be left without power and clean drinking water, leading to outbreaks of deadly waterborne diseases like typhoid, hepatitis A, and cholera. ( Learn here about flood preparation and safety tips .)

Flood prevention

Flooding, particularly in river floodplains, is as natural as rain and has been occurring for millions of years. Famously fertile floodplains such as the Mississippi Valley, the Nile River Valley in Egypt, and the Tigris-Euphrates in the Middle East have supported agriculture for millennia because annual flooding has left tons of nutrient-rich silt deposits behind. Humans have increased the risk of death and damage by increasingly building homes, businesses, and infrastructure in vulnerable floodplains.

To try to mitigate the risk, many governments mandate that residents of flood-prone areas purchase flood insurance and set construction requirements aimed at making buildings more flood resistant—with varying degrees of success.

Massive efforts to mitigate and redirect inevitable floods have resulted in some of the most ambitious engineering efforts ever seen, including New Orleans's extensive levee system and massive dikes and dams in the Netherlands. Such efforts continue today as climate change continues to put pressure on vulnerable areas. Some flood-prone cities in the U.S. are even going beyond federal estimates and setting higher local standards for protection .

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Essay on Flood

Students are often asked to write an essay on Flood in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Flood

Introduction.

A flood is a natural disaster that occurs when water overflows onto dry land. This can happen due to excessive rainfall, melting snow, or dam failure.

Causes of Floods

Floods often occur due to heavy rainfall. If the ground cannot absorb all the water, it overflows into nearby areas. Melting snow can also contribute to floods.

Effects of Floods

Floods can cause severe damage. They can destroy homes, crops, and infrastructure. People may lose their possessions and, in severe cases, their lives.

Prevention and Control

We can prevent floods by building dams and levees. It’s also important to maintain a healthy environment, as deforestation can lead to floods.

Also check:

• 10 Lines on Flood
• Paragraph on Flood
• Speech on Flood

250 Words Essay on Flood

Floods represent one of the most destructive natural disasters, having catastrophic effects on human life, infrastructure, and the environment. They are typically caused by excessive rainfall, rapid snowmelt, or dam breakage and can occur in virtually any geographical location.

Causes and Types of Floods

The primary cause of floods is the excessive accumulation of water, either from heavy precipitation or from a blockage in the water flow. There are several types of floods, including river floods, coastal floods, and flash floods. River floods occur when the capacity of a river channel is exceeded, while coastal floods are caused by a storm surge or high tide. Flash floods, on the other hand, are sudden and extreme floods usually caused by heavy rainfall.

Impacts of Floods

The impacts of floods are far-reaching. They can cause loss of life, property damage, and displacement of people. Infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and buildings can be destroyed, disrupting daily life and economic activities. Additionally, floods can lead to waterborne diseases and contaminate drinking water supplies.

Flood Management and Mitigation

Effective flood management involves a combination of structural and non-structural measures. Structural measures include constructing dams, levees, and floodwalls. Non-structural measures involve land use planning, flood forecasting, and public education.

While floods are natural phenomena, human activities often exacerbate their impacts. Therefore, understanding the causes and effects of floods and implementing effective flood management strategies is crucial for reducing their destructive potential and ensuring sustainable development.

500 Words Essay on Flood

Floods, one of the most common and destructive natural disasters, are a powerful force of nature that have shaped human civilizations and the natural environment for millennia. They are a result of excessive rainfall, rapid snowmelt, or a sudden release of water, causing a surge of water to overflow onto normally dry land.

The Causes of Floods

The primary cause of floods is excessive rainfall, particularly when it falls over saturated soil. The water table, already high due to prior precipitation, cannot absorb more water, leading to surface runoff that ultimately causes flooding. Rapid snowmelt and ice jams in rivers can also lead to floods, with the sudden influx of water overwhelming the river’s capacity.

Human activities, such as deforestation and urbanization, also contribute to flooding. Deforestation reduces the land’s capacity to absorb water, increasing surface runoff. Urbanization, with its concrete landscapes, limits the soil’s ability to absorb water, enhancing the risk of flash floods.

The Impact of Floods

Floods have both destructive and constructive impacts. On the destructive side, floods can cause loss of life and property, damage infrastructure, and lead to disease outbreaks due to contaminated water supplies. They can disrupt economies, displace populations, and cause significant psychological distress.

However, floods also have a constructive side. They deposit nutrient-rich silt on floodplain areas, enhancing soil fertility and supporting agricultural productivity. They replenish wetlands, supporting biodiversity, and play a crucial role in the ecological functioning of river corridors.

Flood Management

Effective flood management requires a combination of structural and non-structural measures. Structural measures include the construction of levees, reservoirs, and floodways to control floodwaters. Non-structural measures involve land use planning, flood forecasting and warning systems, and public education about flood risks and responses.

Recently, there has been a shift towards more sustainable and integrated flood management approaches. These approaches emphasize the importance of living with floods and harnessing their benefits, rather than solely focusing on flood prevention and control.

Floods are a testament to the power of nature and our vulnerability to it. Understanding the causes and impacts of floods, and implementing effective flood management strategies, is crucial for reducing flood risks and harnessing the benefits of floods. As climate change is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including floods, it is more important than ever to build our resilience to floods.

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Essay on Floods

Floods stand as one of the most common and devastating natural disasters, affecting millions of people worldwide every year. Characterized by the overflow of water onto land that is normally dry, floods can result from a variety of causes, including heavy rainfall, storm surges, melting snow, and breaches in manmade barriers like dams and levees. This essay delves into the causes, impacts, and management strategies of floods, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of this complex phenomenon and its significance in the context of global climate change and human resilience.

Causes of Floods

Floods can be categorized into several types based on their causes and characteristics, including riverine floods, coastal floods, flash floods, and urban floods. Riverine floods occur when rivers overflow their banks due to excessive rain or snowmelt. Coastal floods are caused by storm surges associated with tropical cyclones or tsunamis. Flash floods result from intense rainfall over a short duration, often in hilly or mountainous areas. Urban floods are exacerbated by the impermeability of city surfaces, which prevents water absorption and leads to runoff overwhelming drainage systems.

The Role of Climate Change

Climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of flooding events. Rising global temperatures contribute to more extreme weather patterns, including heavier and more unpredictable rainfall. Additionally, rising sea levels increase the risk of coastal flooding, particularly in low-lying areas. The intersection of these factors with human activities, such as deforestation and urban expansion, compounds the vulnerability of communities to floods.

The Multifaceted Impact of Floods

The impacts of floods are profound and far-reaching, affecting the environmental, social, and economic fabric of societies.

Environmental Impact

• Erosion: Floodwaters can erode soil and sediment, leading to land degradation and loss of fertile agricultural land.
• Habitat Disruption: Floods can disrupt natural habitats, displacing wildlife and affecting biodiversity. Aquatic ecosystems may be particularly affected.
• Water Quality: Floods can introduce pollutants and contaminants into water bodies, negatively impacting water quality and aquatic life.
• Deforestation: Intense flooding can uproot trees and vegetation, contributing to deforestation and altering local ecosystems.
• Silt Deposition: Floodwaters often carry silt and sediment, which can accumulate in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, affecting water storage and navigation.

Infrastructure and Economic Impact

• Property Damage: Floods can cause extensive damage to homes, buildings, and infrastructure, resulting in financial losses for individuals and communities.
• Agricultural Losses: Floods can destroy crops, livestock, and farm infrastructure, causing significant economic setbacks for agricultural communities.
• Disruption of Transportation: Flooded roads, bridges, and railways can disrupt transportation networks, leading to logistical challenges and economic losses.
• Business Interruption: Flooding can force businesses to halt operations, leading to revenue loss, unemployment, and economic downturns in affected areas.
• Insurance Costs: Flooding can lead to increased insurance premiums and costs for property owners and businesses in flood-prone regions.

Human Impact

• Loss of Life: Flooding poses a significant risk to human life, with fatalities occurring due to drowning, landslides, and waterborne diseases.
• Injuries and Health Issues: Survivors of floods may suffer injuries, trauma, and health problems, including waterborne diseases and infections.
• Displacement: Flooding can lead to the displacement of communities, forcing people to seek temporary shelter and disrupting their lives.
• Mental Health: The emotional and psychological toll of flooding can result in stress, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among affected individuals.

Social and Cultural Impact

• Community Disruption: Floods can disrupt the social fabric of communities, leading to social upheaval, strained relationships, and loss of social cohesion.
• Cultural Heritage Loss: Floods can damage or destroy cultural and historical sites, artifacts, and traditions, leading to the loss of cultural heritage.
• Disparities: Vulnerable and marginalized populations often bear the brunt of flood impacts, exacerbating social inequalities.

Mitigation and Adaptation

Infrastructure Resilience: Investments in flood-resistant infrastructure, such as levees, dams, and flood barriers, aim to reduce the impact of flooding.

Early Warning Systems: Developing effective early warning systems can help mitigate the loss of life and property by providing advance notice of flooding.

Land Use Planning: Proper land use planning can reduce flood risk by restricting development in flood-prone areas and promoting sustainable urban design.

Climate Change Considerations: Given the link between climate change and increased flooding, addressing climate change through emissions reduction is a key component of flood mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Flood Management and Mitigation Strategies

Effective flood management and mitigation require a multi-faceted approach that combines structural measures, non-structural strategies, and community preparedness.

Structural Measures

Structural measures involve the construction of physical barriers such as levees, dams, and floodwalls to control or divert floodwaters. While these can be effective in certain contexts, they can also have unintended environmental and social consequences, such as altering natural water flows and displacing communities.

Non-Structural Strategies

Non-structural strategies focus on policies and practices that reduce the risk and impact of floods without altering the landscape. These include land-use planning to avoid building in flood-prone areas, implementing early warning systems, and investing in natural flood management techniques like wetland restoration and reforestation. These approaches not only mitigate flood risk but also offer co-benefits for biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

Community Preparedness and Resilience Building

Building community resilience is critical to managing floods effectively. This involves educating communities about flood risks, developing evacuation plans, and ensuring access to emergency services and supplies. Empowering communities to participate in flood risk management can enhance the effectiveness of response efforts and foster a culture of preparedness.

Navigating Towards a Resilient Future

The challenge of managing floods in a changing climate requires global cooperation and innovative solutions. Adaptation strategies that embrace both technological advancements and traditional knowledge can offer sustainable pathways to resilience. For instance, integrating green infrastructure in urban planning can reduce runoff and enhance the capacity of cities to absorb floodwaters.

Moreover, international collaboration on climate action, including efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, is vital to addressing the root causes of climate-induced flooding. By investing in sustainable development, promoting equitable land use, and enhancing global and local governance structures, societies can navigate towards a future where the impact of floods is minimized.

In conclusion, Floods are a complex and multifaceted challenge that underscores the intricate relationship between human societies and the natural environment. As climate change exacerbates the frequency and severity of flooding, the imperative to develop resilient and adaptive strategies becomes increasingly urgent. Through a combination of structural and non-structural measures, community engagement, and global cooperation, it is possible to mitigate the impacts of floods and protect the most vulnerable communities. Navigating the deluge towards a resilient future requires not only technical and financial resources but also a shared commitment to fostering a sustainable and equitable world.

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Paragraph On Flood: Causes, Impacts, And Prevention Measures

Paragraph On Flood: Floods are one of the most common and devastating natural disasters that affect millions of people around the world every year. They can cause immense damage to property and infrastructure, lead to loss of life, and have long-term economic and social impacts. In this article Paragraph On Flood, we will explore the causes of floods, their impacts, and the measures that can be taken to prevent them.

Paragraph On Flood

In this blog Paragraph On Flood, we include the Paragraph On Flood, in 100, 200, 250, and 300 words. Also cover the Paragraph On Flood belonging to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and up to the 12th class. You can read more Essay Writing in 10 lines, and about sports, events, occasions, festivals, etc… Paragraph On Flood is also available in different languages.

Causes Of Floods

Floods can be caused by a variety of natural and man-made factors. The most common natural causes include heavy rainfall, snowmelt, hurricanes, and tsunamis. On the other hand, man-made factors such as urbanization, deforestation, and improper land use practices can also contribute to flooding. These factors can lead to soil erosion, sedimentation, and the obstruction of waterways, causing water to overflow and flood the surrounding areas.

Impacts Of Floods

Floods can have significant impacts on the affected communities, including loss of life, displacement, and damage to property and infrastructure. They can also lead to long-term social and economic impacts, such as loss of livelihoods, food shortages, and increased poverty. Floods can also exacerbate the effects of climate change by increasing the risk of waterborne diseases and leading to soil erosion.

Prevention Measures

Several measures can be taken to prevent floods and minimize their impacts. These measures include implementing proper land use practices, building flood-resistant infrastructure, and maintaining and restoring natural habitats such as wetlands and forests. Other measures include early warning systems, flood insurance, and floodplain management strategies. The adoption of these measures requires the cooperation of governments, communities, and individuals to ensure effective flood prevention and management.

In addition to the prevention measures mentioned above, there are several other steps that can be taken to minimize the impacts of floods. One such measure is community preparedness. Communities can prepare themselves for floods by creating emergency plans, identifying safe shelters, and stockpiling emergency supplies. It is also important to educate the public about the risks associated with floods and how to protect themselves and their property.

Another critical aspect of flood prevention is sustainable development. The rapid pace of urbanization has led to the construction of buildings, roads, and other infrastructure on floodplains and other vulnerable areas, increasing the risk of floods. Sustainable development practices can help reduce this risk by promoting the use of green infrastructure, such as rain gardens and bioswales, that can absorb and manage stormwater runoff.

Furthermore, effective flood management requires international cooperation and coordination. Many of the world’s major rivers flow through multiple countries, and the impacts of floods can extend far beyond national borders. International cooperation is essential in developing effective flood management strategies that can protect communities and ecosystems from the devastating impacts of floods.

Finally, it is important to recognize the role of climate change in exacerbating the impacts of floods. As the global climate changes, extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and storms are becoming more frequent and intense, increasing the risk of floods. Addressing the root causes of climate change through measures such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the use of renewable energy sources is critical in reducing the risk of floods.

Floods are a significant threat to our communities and require proactive measures to prevent and mitigate their impacts. It is essential to understand the causes and impacts of floods and take action to prevent them. Through proper land use practices, infrastructure planning, and the adoption of effective management strategies, we can reduce the risk of flooding and minimize its impacts on our society. You can also read about other disasters like earthquake and along with paragraph on flood follow the given below link.

Read More: Earthquake

FAQs On Paragraph On Flood

Question 1. What is flood 300 words?

Answer: Floods are natural disaster that occurs when an area of land that is usually dry becomes submerged in water. They are usually caused by heavy rainfall, melting snow, or the overflow of bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, or oceans. Floods can cause severe damage to infrastructure, crops, and property, and can also result in the loss of human life.

• Floods can be classified into several categories, depending on the severity and duration of the event. Flash floods are sudden and rapid flooding that usually occurs in low-lying areas or areas prone to heavy rainfall. River floods occur when the flow of a river exceeds its capacity and overflows its banks, while coastal floods occur when a storm surge or tidal wave causes water to inundate coastal areas.
• Floods can have severe impacts on communities and the environment. They can cause damage to buildings, roads, and other infrastructure, disrupt transportation and communication networks, and contaminate drinking water sources. Floods can also result in the loss of crops and livestock, leading to food shortages and economic hardship for communities that rely on agriculture.
• In addition to the immediate impacts of floods, they can also have long-term effects on the environment. Floods can erode soil, damage wetlands, and cause the release of pollutants into waterways. They can also disrupt natural ecosystems and lead to the loss of biodiversity.

Question 2. What is a flood in 10 lines? Or a paragraph on the flood?

• A flood is a natural disaster that occurs when an area of land becomes submerged in water.
• It is usually caused by heavy rainfall, melting snow, or the overflow of bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, or oceans.
• Floods can cause severe damage to infrastructure, crops, and property, and can also result in the loss of human life.
• Flash floods are sudden and rapid flooding that usually occurs in low-lying areas or areas prone to heavy rainfall.
• River floods occur when the flow of a river exceeds its capacity and overflows its banks, while coastal floods occur when a storm surge or tidal wave causes water to inundate coastal areas.
• Floods can also have long-term effects on the environment, including soil erosion, damage to wetlands, and the release of pollutants into waterways.
• Mitigation measures such as building flood barriers, implementing early warning systems, and developing evacuation plans can help reduce the impacts of floods.
• Individuals can also take steps to prepare for floods, such as creating emergency kits and securing their homes against water damage.
• Overall, floods are serious natural disasters that require attention and preparation to mitigate their impact on communities and the environment.

Question 3. What is a flood for Class 9?

Answer: For a Class 9 student, floods can be explained as a natural disaster that occurs when an area of land becomes submerged in water due to heavy rainfall, melting snow, or overflowing rivers, lakes, or oceans. Floods can cause severe damage to buildings, infrastructure, crops, and property, and can also result in the loss of human life.

• There are different types of floods, such as flash floods that occur suddenly and rapidly in low-lying areas, river floods when the flow of a river exceeds its capacity and overflows its banks, and coastal floods caused by storm surges or tidal waves.
• Floods can have both immediate and long-term impacts on communities and the environment. The immediate impacts include damage to buildings, roads, and other infrastructure, disruption of transportation and communication networks, and contamination of water sources. The long-term impacts include soil erosion, damage to wetlands, and loss of biodiversity.
• It is important for communities to take measures to mitigate the impacts of floods, such as building flood barriers, implementing early warning systems, and developing evacuation plans. Individuals can also take steps to prepare for floods, such as creating emergency kits and securing their homes against water damage.

Question 4. What is flood short note Class 8?

Answer: For a Class 8 student, a flood can be defined as a natural disaster that occurs when an area of land becomes inundated with water. Floods are usually caused by heavy rainfall, melting snow, or the overflow of bodies of water like rivers, lakes, or oceans.

• Floods can cause significant damage to property, infrastructure, and crops, and can also lead to loss of life. Different types of floods include flash floods, which occur suddenly and without warning, and river floods, which happen when a river overflows its banks due to heavy rain or other factors.
• Floods can also have long-term effects on the environment, such as soil erosion, damage to wetlands, and contamination of water sources. It is important for individuals and communities to take steps to prepare for floods, such as creating emergency kits, securing their homes against water damage, and following evacuation plans.

Question 5. What is flood 100 words?

Answer: A flood is a natural disaster that occurs when an area of land becomes inundated with water. Floods can be caused by heavy rainfall, melting snow, or the overflow of bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, or oceans. Floods can cause significant damage to property, infrastructure, and crops, and can also lead to loss of life. Different types of floods include flash floods, which occur suddenly and without warning, and river floods, which happen when a river overflows its banks due to heavy rain or other factors. Floods can also have long-term effects on the environment, such as soil erosion, damage to wetlands, and contamination of water sources.

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Disasters — Flood

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Essay on Flood

List of essays on flood in english, essay on flood – essay 1 (150 words), essay on flood: reasons, effects and conclusion – essay 2 (250 words), essay on flood in india – essay 3 (300 words), essay on flood: causes, consequences and prevention – essay 4 (400 words), essay on flood: types, causes and adverse effects – essay 5 (500 words), essay on flood: with causes, mitigating steps and warning system – essay 6 (600 words), essay on flood: with causes – essay 7 (750 words), essay on flood in india – essay 8 (1000 words).

Introduction:

Flood, simply put is an overflow of water from several sources. The nature of the world is to have dry land and water. When water gets on dry land in large quantity flood is said to have occurred.

Causes of Flood:

There are several events that can lead to a flood.

A few of them are highlighted below:

1. Heavy rain pours.

2. Melting ice and snow.

3. Rising sea levels and the overflowing river.

4. Bad drainage systems.

How Flood Affects our Environment:

A flood is by far a negative occurrence. Heavy flooding can have a damaging effect on our environment and the infrastructures in it. First, they can destroy houses and make them inhabitable. Also, they can remove sand from farmland making it difficult to grow crops. Aside from the above, flooding also contaminates clean water causing diseases and ailments.

Conclusion:

Governments around the world can reduce the risk of flooding by building a solid drainage system. We as individuals could also help by stopping drainage blockage.

Any dry land filled by excess water is called flood. It is a natural calamity caused due to several factors.

Reasons for Flood:

The reasons for floods can be natural and unnatural caused due to human activities. When there is excessive rainfall in river banks and coastal areas, there is an increase in water level which leads to overflow of water into the nearby dry land. Also, natural calamities like earthquakes cause Tsunami in oceans which leads to flooding of lands close to beaches. In heavily populated cities, due to congested buildings and roadways, flooding happens as there is not enough room for water to drain. In such cases clogged drainages lead to even more flooding of the area.

Global warming has resulted in the melting of glaciers which increase water levels of rivers and flooding of river banks. Deforestation also plays a major role in flooding.

Effects of Flood:

Floods cause large scale destruction to life and property. Buildings, roads and bridges are heavily damaged. Vast acres of crops are destroyed. Arable lands turn barren and clogged with salts. Countless homes and cattle get washed away. All electronic and digital communication seizes. Many lives are lost. And it does not stop there. Post flood, there is a huge risk in the spreading of water borne diseases. Scarcity of food and basic necessities arises. On the whole, floods cause multiple hardships and turn the livelihood of affected people upside-down.

Effective weather forecasting systems are to be maintained by the Government for timely intimation and evacuation of flood prone areas which will greatly help in keeping the many losses due to floods in check.

Flood is a natural disaster that involves overflowing of water over a region of land that is dry under usual conditions. It submerges the area with water. They are the most common kind of weather-related disasters and are a costly hazard. The level of flood can vary a lot – from a few inches to a level that goes up to meters high like a roof level of a house.

The causes of floods are many. They can happen during heavy rains when the drainage system is unable to handle the amount of rain fall. It can also happen even if low levels of rain occur continuously for many days. Floods can occur when the snow melts as temperature changes and it can result in bulk movement of water in the plains. Rivers can overflow sometimes and create flood in the neighboring regions. They can also be a result of breaking of dam which can flood the nearby areas.

There has been increase in the frequency of floods recently. Because of global warming, the average temperature of sea has increased significantly. This has led to higher rate of tropical storms in the Caribbean. It is also responsible for increase in sea level because of melting of ice caps and glaciers.

Floods cause large-scale loss to life and great damage to properties. Floods cause severe damage to agricultural regions of the affected area. There is loss of life of humans as well as animals. People and the government both suffer from loss in financial terms. Re-building of affected areas takes a lot of time and money.

In India, there are many regions which are affected by floods. Some of these are the Gangetic plains, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, Brahmaputra valley and South Gujarat. Within this year, more than 70 lakh people were affected by floods in India.

Flood is one of the recurring natural disasters which is an outcome of above average rainfall and accumulation of excessive water in every living area. Floods may occur due to overflow of water from the reservoirs or due to heavy down pour of rain in places where the drainage systems are not properly maintained.

Water may look so harmless and peaceful until the large quantities termed Floods harms us.

Common Causes of Flood:

Some of the common causes of Flooding are Heavy Rains, Overflowing Rains, Broken Dams, Urban Drainage Basins, Storm Surges & Tsunami’s, Channels with steep sides, lack of vegetation and melting of snow and Ice. Although the causes of floods are varied, most of the causes can be managed if not prevented.

Global Warming and Floods:

Another primary factor of Flood is increase in the atmospheric temperature i.e., Global Warming. Heating up of earth’s surface can lead to melting of ice glaciers and ice caps which leads to the rise in sea level thereby leading to overflowing floods in the coastal regions. Global Warming brings instability in the climatic condition of the earth, where one part of the world experiences floods and the other goes through drought.

Consequences of Flood:

Floods mostly disrupt the normalcy of living things on the planet. Floods are a great threat to the living things; floods also make way for mosquitoes to thrive thereby leading to all communicable diseases such as malaria, Dengue etc. Another impact of floods is loss of drinking water . Floods also lead to power cuts, damage of crops and soil erosion. Floods can also have an economic backslide, thus putting the country at risk.

Preventing Floods:

Some of the measures that can be done to prevent Floods are:

i. To ensure the meteorological departments are well equipped to provide flood warnings to the indicated zones.

ii. Flood resilient homes with efficiency to waterproof homes and moving electric sockets which moves higher as the flood rises.

iii. Protecting wetlands and planting trees systematically can help alleviate the direct floods.

iv. Stop encroaching of river beds and allowing the rivers to take its natural course can drastically bring down floods.

Floods can be scary, but it is in the hands of human beings to ensure it doesn’t impact our daily life. Water storing areas such as ponds, lakes and other water reservoirs should be maintained. Floods can be avoided by improving the soil conditions thereby allowing easy water absorption. Flood barriers can be used as a defense during Flood crisis.

Floods can either occur naturally or they can be facilitated by environmental factors that destruct the flow of water. Flood incidences have increased due to global warming. Global warming is an adverse effect of environmental pollution that causes a rise in temperatures on the earth’s surface. Global warming is associated with intense climatic changes like heavy storms, snowing and raised sea water levels. These changes in climate contribute to flooding. A flood is the spilling of water on dry land surfaces and causes it to submerge. It occurs when water overflows from the water bodies beyond its usual boundaries. Floods are destructive to the environment.

Types of Floods:

There are three main types of floods. Surge floods are floods that occur in the coast regions due to surges and tidal changes that occur in the sea or ocean. Hurricanes and storm surges on the sea or ocean can cause minor, moderate or major floods. The extent or severity of the floods are determined by the strength, size, speed and directions of the surges. Surge flood are usually severe and massively destructive.

Another type of floods is fluvial floods that occurs due to overflow of rivers. Rivers overflow due to heavy rains that increase water levels in rivers beyond its capacity therefore resulting in floods. Heavy snowing can also cause fluvial floods when the ice melts. Fluvial floods are risky when dams are involved because the increased levels of water in rivers creates immense pressure that cause increase pressure on the walls of dams and cause breakage which results in excessive flooding and environmental destruction.

The other type of floods is pluvial floods. Pluvial floods are caused by surface water as a result of heavy rainfall. Pluvial floods are destructive because they disrupt the drainage systems and cause an overflow which affects structures. Pluvial flooding occurs together with surge floods and fluvial floods. Although pluvial flooding does not involve a lot of water, it causes massive destruction of the environment and the infrastructure.

Causes of Floods:

Floods occur naturally due to some environmental factors. Heavy rains can cause an overflow of water form water bodies. Breakage of water body boundaries like riverbanks or walls of dams. Catastrophes like tsunamis and surges in storms cause heavy flooding. During heavy rains the lack of vegetation on the surface of the earth.

Adverse Effects of Floods:

Foods are destructive in nature and have negative impacts on the environment and the ecosystem. Floods cause death of living things and humans. Destruction of property and infrastructure negatively affects the economy of the region affected and economic activities are at a standstill due to disrupted livelihoods. Migrations from areas that are prone to floods is common, which results in overpopulation in urban areas. Financial constraints are experienced due to the rehabilitations from flood destructions. Prevention of floods that result from natural causes is a challenge.

In conclusion, it is evident that floods are destructive. The adverse effects of floods affects normal livelihood and the environment.

Flood is one of the natural calamities which is known to wreck a lot of havoc. There are so many different instances wherein floods are known to damage the whole area and bring massive loss of life and property as well.

Let us check further into the possible causes of flood and how we can eradicate it too.

The Causes of Flood:

Of course, there can be a lot of different cases of floods. Some of the key ones among them are as follows.

Heavy rains: owing to climate changes, many a times, it so happen that it rains torrentially. If the rain is much above normal, it can lead to flooding.

Broken dams: Dams help in keeping the water level in check. If the dams get broken sometimes, it is likely to lead to flood.

Tsunami: Natural calamities like tsunami is likely to create problems of flood and can bring massive loss of life and property.

Global warming: Owing to the increase in global temperature, the ice cap is melting and the increased level of water in the river bed is going to cause a flood.

Of course, there can be a lot of other reasons too which leads to flood and it is important to keep an eye on the water levels to issue a warning well in time.

The Mitigating Steps:

Now that we know the key causes which leads to flood, let us focus on some of the best mitigation measures which you can take to steer clear of this problem.

Flood Warning System:

This is by far the most important thing which one needs to do. It is important to have a sound flood warning system in place. When you have a dedicated system, it can help warn people who can move to higher altitude or take the right steps.

Restore Rivers to their Natural Courses:

Owing to the excessive development work which we have been carried out and harming the environment, too many rivers have diverted from their natural courses. This is another important reason for excessive flood. So, the right thing to do is to help in restoring the rivers to their natural course as it may prevent flood.

The Global Warming Remedial:

Action must be taken to cure the problem of global warming as it is definitely the cause of too many natural disasters. By choosing to cut the level of air and water pollution and minimizing the use of non bio-degradable products, we may be able to directly or indirectly help in controlling the problem of flood and its aftermath.

Modern Day Construction:

While flood is a natural calamity which may sometime come unannounced, it is important that we construct buildings in accordance with the modern technical advancements. The buildings should be so made that they are above the flood levels and they should be sturdy enough to withstand flood as well.

So, these are some of the important points which you should keep in mind. While some of them are ways by which we can prevent the implication and aftermath of flood, a few of them would help in preventing its occurrence as well.

Whenever any calamity occurs, it is important to do your bit to create awareness. The kind of destruction which can happen is whopping. By knowing about it a little ahead of time helps people be better prepared for it.

The bottom line remains the fact that we should all try and minimize the negative impact we are having on the environment. Doing this will ensure that we will be able to curtail the frequency of natural disasters like flood.

Flood is simply defined as the overflow of a very huge quantity of water that covers a very large area of land and leads to the destruction of land and properties and sometimes lives in the areas that are affected. A lot of regions in the world experience flooding every year. A flood basically occurs when there is excessive rain and there is no proper or good drainage system. The amount of flood is different from place to place and the extent of destruction also varies. For the overflow of water to be classified as flood, the area of land affected has to be mostly dry. Flooding can also happen as a result of water overflowing from bodies of water like lakes, oceans and rivers. Floods cause mass destruction. The effects and destruction caused by flood can take many years to fix and repair.

There are a lot of causes of flood; a few of them are discussed below:

1. Heavy Rains:

As discussed earlier, flood is mostly caused by an extended period of rain. This can happen if the quantity of rainfall is a lot more than the capacity of the drainage system. Flood can also be a result of high intensity rainfall in a short period of time.

2. Snow Melting:

Mountains that were covered with snow in the season of winter start to melt once temperature begins to rise. The sudden rise of the temperature causes the snow to melt and this leads to the massive movement of a lot of water to the plains and lands around. If the area receiving the water does not have a proper and good drainage system that will help in getting rid of the large quantity of water, there is going to be flooding. Flood that is caused by snow melting is also called a snowmelt flood.

3. Dam Breaking:

Dams are constructed to be able to hold the water that is flowing downwards from an area of land that is higher. The energy of the water can be used to turn and power propellers that can be used for the generation and creation of electricity. The dam can sometimes break when they can’t hold a large quantity of water and this causes the areas nearby to experience flooding. Sometimes, excessive water can be released intentionally by the dam to stop the dam from breaking which also results in flood but the flood from the intentional release of water isn’t as harsh as that from the dam breaking.

4. Water Bodies Overflowing:

Rivers and other water bodies can overflow sometimes and this leads to a situation that is flood like in the areas nearby. The areas that are low lying and are near the water body are the ones that are affected the most during the periods of water overflowing downstream.

5. Coastal Region Winds:

Hurricanes and very strong winds have the ability to carry sea water into coastal lands that are dry and this is a serious cause of flood. The coastal regions can experience severe damage and destruction. Tsunamis and hurricanes are widely known causes of serious devastation to areas of coastal lands.

Apart from all of the causes of flood discussed above, it is very important to note that the major cause of flood is global warming. The frequency and rate of flood has drastically increased recently. Researchers have said that the average temperature of the sea has wildly increased because of global warming and it has led to the increased sternness and rate of storms that are tropical in and around the Caribbean. The storms are said to have caused the countries in the region experiencing heavy rainfall. Global warming causes an increase in the atmosphere’s temperature and also causes the ice caps and glaciers to melt which in turn causes flood in a lot of regions. Global warming is believed to have a very major effect on the ice caps at the poles and it is believed that the situation is only going to get worse with time.

Overall, the climatic conditions of the earth have gone through a lot of very major changes and it is believed that global warming is the main cause of all of the change. It is believed that global warming is the reason why there is extreme drought in some places and serious flood in other places. Even though there isn’t much we can do about the glaciers melting or rain, we can do our part by building very good and reliable drainage systems that can handle water.

What is a flood? In normal terms, the excess availability of water in a region then it can usually hold is called flood. Floods are usually heard of it in news and through channels as every year, large portions of India are drastically affected by floods. It is mainly during the monsoon season with the onset of rain, we hear of different floods and the havoc they have caused to humans, animals and plant life. It is, therefore; very important to understand what floods are all about?

Types of Floods and their Causes:

Flood is not just the excess rainfall we talk about. There is a lot more to it. For instance, there are Flash Floods in which there is a sudden heavy downpour due to a cloudburst and the entire area is flooded within minutes. In India, areas in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand witness occurrence of flash flood every year. Similarly, we have river floods in which the areas around a river are flooded due to the swelling of the river. Some parts in Delhi witness river flood every year due to the overflowing of the river Yamuna due to excessive rains and the excess flow of water from the Hathnikund Dam. Another type of floods is the inland flooding . In the case of inland flooding, the area witnessing a rainfall get flooded with the roads and lanes all filled with water. This happens usually when proper drainage system is not in place or is inefficient due to severe blockages which obstruct the flow of water and leading to flooding of lanes and roads in the city. Again, Delhi and Mumbai are cities which see such floods even after an hour of continuous rainfall. People living in coastal areas are prone to coastal floods . These floods are usually caused by high tides or Tsunami which bring huge volumes of water on the land thereby flooding it. Another reason for coastal floods is global warming due which the rise in sea level temperatures has led to the subsequent rise in water level in coastal areas. Coastal areas of Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Orissa witness such floods every year.

Deadliest Floods in Indian History:

India witness floods every year in different states. In fact, some regions are sure to be flooded with the onset of monsoon season. However, there have been occurrences of the flood which have caused massive destruction and hence are termed as the deadliest floods. Hence there is a need to know about them so as to understand and analyse what can be done in order to minimise such destruction in future years.

Deadly floods are a common occurrence in India after every few years. One of the deadliest floods in recent times was the flood in Gujarat in the year 1979 in the Machhu Dam-II. The Machhu Dam-II flopped on Aug. 11, 1979, discharging the full power of the Macchu River on the town of Morbi. The flood thus created in western India caused somewhere around 1,335 deaths, as per the Press Trust of India at the time.

Another of the deadliest floods in India is the one that shook Bihar in the year 1987 in the Kosi River. In any case, the Kosi River is prone to floods and is flooded almost every year. However, this year was particularly exceptional. The most decimating surge in Bihar’s history happened in 1987, when an avalanche obstructed the Bhote Kosi River, making it surge and crush more than 1.7 million homes. As per the statistics of the state, government flooding led to the death of 1,399 individuals and 5,302 animals.

The Tsunami that struck coastal India in the year 2004 was another such disaster which engulfed a number of lives. An extent 9.0 quake under the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26, 2004, set off a tidal wave that crushed southern India. As per the Government statistics 10,749 individuals died, 5,640 went missing and 2.79 million people were affected by the wave. It likewise devastated 11,827 hectares of products and demolished the occupation of 300,000 fishermen.

The Recent Kerala and Kedarnath Floods:

The most noticeably bad climate-related floods in India’s history happened in June 2013, when a few days of overwhelming precipitation activated blaze surges and avalanches in the northern territory of Uttarakhand. The downpour struck amid the bustling visitor season in Uttarakhand when a huge number of Hindu pilgrims rush to the region to visit its memorable sanctuaries. The rain happened some time before the start of rainstorm season, getting numerous off guard. An expected 4,094 individuals died and about 1 million were influenced by the catastrophe in Uttarakhand and neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, the worst affected being the region around Kedarnath. The military was brought in to evacuate around 100,000 people from rocky parts of the state, where they had turned out to be caught by the avalanches.

The recent floods in Kerala are another perfect example of how human activities have led to calling of nature’s ire in different forms such as floods. Had it there been a proper drainage system with no blockages, Kerala would not have witnessed such a massive flood.

The Need for Action:

We must not forget that older civilisations emerged around rivers and seas only and they just vanished with time due to the ever-rising water level on the earth. With the recent back to back occurrences in Kedarnath and Kerala, it is high time the Government as well all of us sit down and think what harm we have done to nature. The blooming of industrial units with no waste management in place, the inefficient drainage system and the careless attitude of both the Government and the people are all collectively responsible for these disasters. Not all disasters can be avoided, but, at least measures can be taken to minimise their impact or at least the ones caused by own carelessness can surely be avoided. It is for own good and for the benefit of future generations that we all do our bit to protect the life on earth from the backlash of nature.

Flood , Flood in India , Natural Disasters

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Essay on Flood for Students & Children in English [Easy Words*]

January 16, 2021 by Sandeep

Essay on Flood: A natural disaster occurs when water excessively overflows in a particular area on account of heavy rainfall called floods. When the water level rises in rivers and overflows into neighbouring areas, it cannot be contained, and situations go beyond control. It causes loss to human and animal lives and public property. Mass destruction leads to power cuts, shortage of food and water supply, washing away of houses, the spread of malaria, dengue and other diseases.

Essay on Flood 500 Words in English

Below we have provided Flood Essay in English, suitable for class 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10.

Flood is one of the most reoccurring and dangerous natural disasters . It happens as a result of persistent rainfalls or due to the accumulation of excess water in an area. Flood water submerges the dry land and has a destructive effect on the surrounding environment.

India has witnessed some of the deadliest floods. Loss of lives and properties are a few of the drastic effects of the flood. Recovering from the large-scale damages done by floods can take a lot of time. We cannot prevent these, but we can somewhat minimize the destruction in the future. To do that, we need to understand the different causes, types, and consequences of the flood.

What Causes a Flood?

Various natural and unnatural events lead to flooding conditions. The natural causes include heavy rainfall, earthquakes , and tsunamis . Climate change is responsible for triggering torrential rains. More than average levels of rain can cause floods. The water levels in the rivers and oceans rise due to heavy rain.

In some areas, water from the sewers starts flowing on the streets. When there is an overflow of water from the reservoirs, the nearby areas get affected by the flood. Often dams, which control the reservoir water, break open. This can submerge the low lying areas. There have been cases where earthquakes have caused tsunamis. This can lead to flooding in the coastal zones.

Global warming is one of the unnatural causes of floods. It increases the Earth’s overall temperature, which results in drastic climatic changes. Top ice covers of the mountains melt, and glacier sheets collapse. This further increases the seawater content and leads to floods.

Different Types of Floods

There are several kinds of floods. Before you step ahead and make plans for its control, you need to have a better understanding of its types. This is because each of them has its own sets of cause, damage, and preventive measures. Floods can be classified into three different types-surge floods, fluvial floods, and pluvial floods.

Fluvial Floods: Fluvial floods are also known as river floods. They happen when water overflows from rivers, lakes, and streams to the nearby shores and land regions. Increased snowing, ice melting, and heavy rainfalls can lead to fluvial floods. The damage from fluvial floods can be far-reaching as it can cause dams and dikes to break and submerge the nearby areas.

Surge Floods: Surge floods are also known as coastal floods. Floods that arise in the coastal areas because of storm surges and tidal changes are called surge floods. High winds from a windstorm, tsunami, or hurricane create surges and force water to the low-lying shores. During high tides, surge floods are at their most devastating state.

Pluvial Floods: Pluvial floods are also the outcome of heavy rainfall. However, they are independent of the overflowing water bodies and can even happen in areas far from the water bodies. Pluvial floods are of two types- surface water floods and flash floods.

Consequences of Flood

Floods are undoubtedly destructive, and they disrupt our lives. Mass destruction of lives, infrastructure, properties, and vegetation is a common sight after the floods. Most of the survivors get injured. They lose their home and cars for which they worked so hard in their lives. Animals die, and the submerged area loses its quality of the soil. Displaced trees and electrocuted poles can be found everywhere.

Elongated power cuts to avoid electrocution eventually become expensive. Food supply and common goods are hard to find. Things become chaotic, and this does not stop here. The after-effects of floods include the spreading of water-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, etc. All these things collectively affect a nation’s economy. Rescue operations and measures to control this natural disaster demand a lot of money.

Ways to Prevent Flood

Establishing proper flood warning systems is a great way to lessen the impact. Meteorological departments must be well-equipped to create awareness at the right moment. This ensures people are warned ahead of time, and mass evacuation can be accomplished. Construction of tall buildings in flood zones is likely to save more lives.

The government must start implementing measures to store excess water. Construction of water storage units can be effective in reusing the extra water from heavy rains. It will prevent the overflow of water in the flood plains. Above all, a proper drainage system is necessary if we want to battle against the odds. If we avoid water logging, we can avoid pluvial floods.

Essay on Flood for Children and Students

Table of Contents

Essay on Flood: Flood is an overflow of huge amount of water covering large areas causing destruction at the places affected. Many regions across the globe face the problem of floods each year.

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Target Exam ---

Flood occurs due to excessive downpour and lack of proper drainage system. The severity of flood may vary from region to region and the destruction caused due to the same varies accordingly.

Long and Short Essay on Flood in English

Here are essays on flood of varying lengths to help you with the topic whenever you required. You can chose any flood essay according to your need:

Flood Essay – 1 (200 words)

Floods are caused in areas where there is excessive downpour and poor drainage system. Flood is also caused because of other reasons including overflow of water from rivers and oceans, overflow of water in the plains due to dam break, excessive flow of water owing to sudden melting of glaciers. In coastal areas hurricanes and tsunamis cause flood. Floods can cause major destruction just as other natural calamities.

Several towns and cities around the world have suffered from severe floods that have cost lives of people and animals, resulted in loss of property and other valuable assets and destruction of soil and plants. Farmers are majorly impacted by floods as their crops get ruined owing to this weather condition. Water accumulated for days at a particular place also results in the outbreak of various diseases. When the condition is severe, the schools and offices are shut and it thus disturbs the normal life of people. Places that face severe floods take months to resurrect.

The irony is that there are certain regions that are hit by flood frequently and even though the government is aware about the problem, proper measures are not being taken to overcome it. The government must build good drainage system and water storage systems to control this problem.

Flood Essay – 2 (300 words)

Flood caused due water logging that is mostly a result of heavy rainfall are known to have fatal consequences. It results in loss of life, rise in diseases, price rise, economic loss and destruction of the environment among other issues. The impact the floods depend on their type and severity.

Types of Floods

Some floods can subside in a few days while others take weeks to subside and have a major impact on the lives of the people living in that area. Here is a look at the different types of floods:

• Slow On-set Floods

This type of flood is caused when the water bodies such as rivers overflow and affect the nearby areas. This flood develops slowly and may last from a few days to weeks. These spread over several kilometres and mostly impact the low lying areas. Water accumulated due to flood in such areas may cause harm to property and can also be a cause of various diseases.

• Rapid On-set Floods

These take a slightly longer to build and can last for a day or two. These are also known to be extremely destructive. However, people are mostly warned about these and have a chance to escape before the situation becomes worse. Tourists planning holiday to such places can postpone or cancel the plan when there is still time and avoid the trauma caused by this situation.

• Flash Floods

Flash floods mostly occur within a very short duration of time such as a few hours or even minutes. These are mostly caused due to heavy rainfall, melting of snow or dam break. These are known to be the most fatal among all and can result in mass destruction as these are almost sudden and people do not get any time to take caution.

Floods disrupt the day to day life in the affected regions. They cause various problems for the people living in such areas. Regions hit by severe floods take months and at times even years to rebuild.

Flood Essay – 3 (400 words)

Flood is a natural disaster that is caused due to the accumulation of excessive water in a region. This is often an outcome of heavy rainfall. Many regions also face flood due to overflow of river or ocean water, breaking of dams and melting of snow. In the coastal areas, hurricanes and tsunamis are known to bring about this condition.

Flood-Prone Regions around the World

Several regions across the globe are prone to frequent floods. The cities around the world that face severe and frequent floods include Mumbai and Kolkata in India, Guangzhou, Shenzen and Tianjin in China, Guayaquil in Ecuador, New York, NY-Newark, NJ, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Miami and New Orleans. Floods are known to have caused mass destruction in these areas in the past.

How to Control the Problem Caused Due to Floods?

From damaging the environment to disrupting the human life – floods have several negative repercussions that are difficult to deal with. It is thus important to take measures to control the same. Here are a few ways to control this problem:

• Flood Warning Systems

It is the need of the hour to set up better flood warning systems so that people are warned about the upcoming problem right on time and they have enough time to safeguard themselves and their belongings

• Construct Buildings Above the Flood Level

Buildings in the flood prone area must be constructed above the flood level so as to avoid damage to the property as well as the people living there.

• Introduce Water Storage System

The government must invest in building water storage systems to store and reuse the rain water. This way the excessive water can be put to use instead of letting it overflow on the plains and cause flood.

• Strengthen Drainage System

One of the main causes of flood is the poor drainage system. It is essential to build good drainage systems to avoid water logging that results in flood.

• Install Flood Barriers

Flood barriers should be installed in the areas that are prone to flood. These can be removed once the water recedes.

While the occurrence of rainfall, melting of snow-mountains, overflowing of water bodies and hurricanes can be difficult to control however these can be predicted in most cases and the government can take measures to ensure that water logging, that in turn results in flood, does not happen as a result of these conditions. This can be done by employing few of the methods shared above.

Flood Essay – 4 (500 words)

Floods are caused by a number of reasons including heavy rainfall, overflow of water from water bodies such as rivers and oceans, melting of glaciers, hurricanes and strong winds along the coastlines. When there is a lack of good drainage system to suck up the excessive water it results in water logging that causes flood.

Consequences of Flood

Floods disrupt the normal functioning of the region affected. Severe floods can result in mass destruction. Here is how floods impact life on earth:

• Threat to Life

Many people and animals lose their lives because of severe flash floods. Many others get injured and are infected by various diseases. Water accumulated at places for days result in the breeding of mosquitoes and other insects that are the cause of various diseases such as malaria and dengue. Cases of dysentery, pneumonic plague and military fever are also on rise during this time.

The supply of electricity and water is disrupted during this time thereby adding to the problems of the general public. There is also a risk of catching current in places where the electricity supply is still intact.

• Economic Loss

Many people lose their houses and other assets such as automobiles that they take years to earn. It is also a costly affair for the government as it has to deploy a number of policemen, firemen and other officials to conduct the rescue operation. In case of severe floods, the affected regions take years to re-build.

The supply of goods in the flood affected areas lowers as the road transport cannot reach there. Besides, the goods stored in these areas also get spoiled due to floods. There is a shortage of supply and the demand is high and it thus results in increased prices of the commodities.

• Soil Erosion

When the downpour is too heavy, the soil cannot absorb the entire water and it often results in soil erosion which in turn has dreadful consequences. In addition to the erosion of soil, the quality of soil is also impacted, often degraded.

• Damage of the Flora

Floods are not just a threat to the human beings and animals but also destroy the flora. Heavy rains are often accompanied by thunder, lightning and strong winds. These storms are a cause of uprooting of trees. Besides, the crops are damaged and several other plants are eroded during floods.

Flood Prone Areas in India

A number of regions in India face the problem of floods year after year. The major areas affected by this natural calamity in the country are most of the Gangetic plains including North Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, Mumbai, Maharashtra, parts of Punjab and Haryana, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, the Brahmaputra valley and South Gujarat. Floods are known to have caused severe damage to these places in the past and are still a threat here.

Floods are one of the natural disasters that are known to have caused major destruction in various regions. It is time the government of India must take this issue seriously and come up with strong measures to control this problem.

Flood Essay – 5 (600 words)

Floods occur when excessive rainfall in a particular region results in the overflow of water on the land that is mostly dry. It can also occur due to the overflow of water from water bodies like river, ocean and lake. Floods are known to cause mass destruction. In certain regions, the destruction caused is so severe that it takes years to repair the loss.

Causes of Flood

Here is a closer look at the various causes of flood:

• Heavy Rains

Flood like situation arises each time the downpour is more than the drainage system can absorb. At times, heavy rainfall occurring for a short period of time can cause flood while on other occasions light rainfall that goes on for days may result in flood like situation.

• Melting of Snow

The mountains covered with snow during the winter season begin to melt as the temperature rises. The sudden melting of the ice usually causes the temperature to rise and this results in enormous movement of water into the plains. The areas that do not have proper drainage system to get rid of the excessive water face flood. This is often referred to as snowmelt flood.

• Breaking of Dam

Dams are created to hold water that flows down from a highland. The power in the water is employed to turn propellers for the generation of electricity. At times the dams break as they are unable to hold large amount of water thereby resulting in flood in the nearby areas. At times, excessive water is deliberately released from the dam so as to stop it from breaking. This may also result in flood.

• Overflow of Water Bodies

Water bodies such as rivers may overflow at times and cause flood like situation in the nearby areas. The low-lying areas near the rivers are worst impacted during this time as the water flows downstream.

• Winds in the Coastal Region

Strong winds and hurricanes have the capacity of carrying the sea water to the dry coastal lands and this causes flood. This can cause severe damage to the coastal regions. Hurricanes and Tsunamis are known to have caused major devastation in the coastal lands.

Global Warming: The Main Cause of Flood

The frequency of floods has increased in the recent past. It is said that the average sea temperature has increased a great deal due to global warming and this has resulted in the increased rate and sternness of tropical storms in the Caribbean. These storms are a cause of heavy downpour in the countries in their path. Global warming that is causing a rise in the temperature in the atmosphere is also a cause of the melting of glaciers and ice caps that is again a cause of flood in many regions. This is said to have a major impact on the polar ice caps in the times to come and the situation is likely to worsen.

The overall climatic conditions on earth have undergone a major change and global warming is said to be a cause of this transformation. While certain areas experience extreme floods others experience drought.

Though we cannot do much about the rain or the melting of the glaciers however we can certainly build good drainage systems to deal with the water they bring along. Many countries, such as Singapore that receive heavy rainfall for most part of the year, have really good drainage system. They come out clean even after days of heavy downpour. The government of India must also build good drainage system in order to avoid the problem of flood and the damage it does to the affected regions.

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Climate change impacts on agricultural trade and food security in emerging economies: case of Southern Africa

• Open access
• Published: 02 April 2024
• Volume 2 , article number  12 , ( 2024 )

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Climate change has been a significant threat to sustainable agriculture impacting trade and food security. This research investigates the impacts of climate change on agricultural trade and food security in emerging economies focusing on Southern Africa. The research employed the dynamic panel Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) using panel data for the period 2012 to 2021 obtained from a sample of 12 Southern African countries selected based on data availability. The main independent variables to the research were climate change variables (temperature and precipitation). Other control variables included were population growth, food inflation and agricultural growth. The study found significant negative effects of climate change on agriculture trade. Whilst temperature changes were found to have insignificant effects, precipitation changes were found to have significant positive effects. The research recommends concerted efforts towards climate change adaptation and mitigation for sustainable agriculture. Based on the Findings, sustainable food security and agricultural trade Southern African emerging economies may be attained through effective climate change mitigation and adaptation approaches particularly promoting climate-smart agriculture (CSA).

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1 Introduction

More recently, climate change has emerged as a persistent global issue with far-reaching effects including food insecurity especially in emerging economies. The Southern African region has been among the most impacted region by climate change particularly the agricultural value chain. In this regard, climate change has become one of the most pressing issues affecting attainment of sustainable agriculture and food security [ 1 ]. One area where it is particularly concerning is in emerging economies, where agriculture plays a significant role in their economy and food security [ 2 ]. Climate change has led to unpredictable weather patterns, droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures that have affected crop yields and livestock production [ 3 ]. According to Mahofa [ 4 ], climate change impacts on agricultural trade and food security are significant in emerging economies. The changing climatic patterns have led to substantial declines in crop yields, affecting availability and affordability of food thereby resulting in increased food prices in most emerging economies [ 5 ]. Addressing climate change has become crucial for ensuring sustainable agricultural trade and food security in emerging economies [ 5 ]. Hence, there have been collaborative efforts among governments and private sector players to climate change [ 4 ].

The impacts of climate change on agricultural trade and food security have also been largely felt in the Southern African region [ 6 ]. The region has been vulnerable to recurring climatic shocks such that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) labelled it as a climate change “hotspot” [ 7 ]. According to the IPCC [ 8 ], by the year 2050, average temperatures in Southern Africa are expected to increase by about 1.6 ℃ and average precipitation is expected to decline by 10%. This trend has been a regional issue even as it has also been noted that if no actions are made, most Southern African countries will be net-importers of food by 2050 [ 8 ]. This climate change trend will cause significant decline in agricultural productivity and trade as changes in agricultural productivity affect agricultural trade through changes in agricultural comparative advantage [ 9 , 10 ].

In Southern Africa, climate change has caused significant decline in agricultural production. According to FAO [ 5 ], due to global warming, cereal production in Southern Africa has significantly declined for the past decade and is projected to further decline by over 20% by 2030. This decline in agricultural production in Southern Africa has been linked to food insecurity and increased food import bills threatening the fiscus of most nations in the region [ 11 ]. For the past two decades, Southern Africa has witnessed spiralling food import bills which increased from US$35 billion to US$43 billion between 2019 and 2022 [ 5 ]. According to the African Development Bank’s [ 12 ] projections, food imports for Southern Africa will reach US$90 billion by 2025. In support, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) [ 13 ] reported that food prices in Southern Africa surged by an average of 23.9% between 2020 and 2022 which is the highest since the 2007/8 global financial crisis. This increasing food import bill for Southern Africa has attracted mounting attention and has been considered a worrisome trend for a region that was once an agricultural export powerhouse but now food import dependant [ 14 ]. This has contributed to agricultural trade deficits facing the region over the past decade [ 5 ].

Climate change has been cited as one of the driving factors for agricultural trade deficits and food insecurities [ 13 ]. To revise these trends, Southern African countries need to fight climate change so as to improve agricultural productivity and boost agricultural exports [ 14 ]. Previous empirical studies have cited negative effects of climate change on agricultural trade flows [ 10 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. However, compared to the available literature, there are few empirical studies on climate change impacts on agricultural trade and food security. Precisely, there is lack of empirical evidence in Southern Africa which is considered the climate change “hotspot” and net food importer. The findings of previous studies done in other regions may not therefore be applicable to Southern Africa’s context as Mahofa [ 4 ] argue that climate changes vary by location such that climate change impacts on agricultural productivity and trade also vary. Hence, there are significant gaps in existing literature which this research intents to fill.

This study reports the impacts of climate change on agricultural trade in Southern Africa. Understanding climate change impacts on agricultural trade and food security in Southern African region through empirical analysis is of importance for several reasons. One of the major reasons is that the results will aid in effective policy-making towards addressing climate change and improved agricultural trade flows. According to Nhundu et al. [ 18 ], employing agricultural policies without empirical understanding result in inappropriate policies. More so, agricultural trade flows are important in promoting and strengthening resilience of agricultural supply chains from climate change shocks [ 19 , 20 ]. Hence, there is really need for this research to understand the climate change impacts on agricultural trade and food security in the context of Southern Africa. In doing so, this research will make significant contributions to theory, policy and practice. In line with the research aim, the following hypotheses were developed:

H 1 : Climate change has significant negative impacts on agricultural trade.

H 2 : Climate change has significant negative impacts on food security.

2 Material and methods

The research is a secondary based using panel data for the period 2012 to 2021. The time period was selected based on availability of data. Secondary annual panel data for the Southern African countries were collected and the sample was based on data availability. Of the 15 Southern African countries, 12 countries (Angola, Eswatini, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe) were included in the sample whilst three countries (Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo and Seychelles) were excluded due to data unavailability.

Data was obtained from FAOSTAT and World Bank databases (Table  1 ). Data collected was analysed using the dynamic panel regression analysis making use of the Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) technique. The dynamic panel GMM regression model was estimated to address endogeneity and homogeneity which lead to unbiased estimates according to Hsiao [ 21 ]. The other motivation for employing the GMM technique is that Ullah, Akhtar and Zaefarian [ 22 ] cited that the most popular econometric approach for estimating dynamic panel regression models is the GMM technique that banks on lagged variables as instruments. The research aimed to estimate the following dynamic panel econometric models developed basing on specifications of Tekce and Deniz [ 15 ], Mahrous [ 23 ] and Affoh et al. [ 24 ]. The logarithmic function was employed so that the estimates can be interpreted as elasticities and to reduce problems of non-normality [ 21 ].

where; ln- natural logarithm; AGTRADE- agricultural trade balance as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP); \({\beta }_{0}\) and \({\mathrm{\alpha }}_{0}\) —regression coefficients; \(({\beta }_{1}-{\beta }_{6})\) and \(({\alpha }_{1}-{\alpha }_{6})\) —regression-coefficients; TEMP annual mean temperatures (°C) as proxy for climate change; PREC- annual mean precipitation as proxy for climate change, FI food inflation measured by food consumer price index (CPI), AGDP agricultural GDP growth rate (%); FPI food production index as a proxy for food security, PG population growth rate (%); \({\upmu }_{t}-\) error term, \({\uplambda }_{t}\) country fixed effects and \({\updelta }_{t}-\) time fixed effects. The stated models are estimated using Eviews version 13 software. Inclusion of food inflation, population growth and agricultural GDP as control variables was justified following the recommendations of Adesete et al. [ 25 ] and Affoh et al. [ 24 ].

The panel GMM regression model was estimated to address endogeneity and homogeneity which lead to unbiased estimates [ 21 ]. Pre-and post-estimation tests such as unit root, Hausman, normality, multicollinearity and autocorrelation were carried out. Panel unit root tests were carried out using the Levin, Lin and Chu (LLC) test. Normality of residuals was tested using the Jarque–Bera (JB) test. More so, the pair-wise correlation matrix was employed to check for the problem of multicollinearity. Autocorrelation was checked using the Durbin-Watson (DW) statistic. Lastly, the Hausman test was done to check for the most appropriate panel model between the fixed-effects (FE) and random effects (RE) models.

3 Results and discussion

This section presents and discusses empirical results of the study. Table 2 presents the summary of the descriptive statistics for the variables as per each country over the ten-year period (2012–2021).

From Table  2 , AGTRADE had mean statistics for the 12 countries ranging from 0.83 to 7.26 showing that for the period 2012 to 2021, agriculture trade balance in the Southern African region averaged between approximately 0.8% and 7.3% of GDP. More so, for TEMP , the mean statistics ranged from of 12.26 to 24.53 showing that on average mean annual temperatures in the Southern African region for the 10 years averaged between 12.26 and 24.33 ℃. The mean statistics for PREC also imply that mean annual precipitation in Southern Africa was approximately between 0.01 and 3061.67 mm. The mean statistics for AGDP show that on average, the value of agricultural GDP has been between − 21.18% and 5.86% of national GDP in Southern Africa. Additionally, the mean of 15.02 for food inflation ( FI ) indicate food inflation in the Southern African region averaged between − 3.34% and 601.02% during the same period. Lastly, the mean statistics for PG indicate the on average, the population in Southern African countries averaged approximately between 0.01% and 3.76% on an annual basis. Table 3 shows the results of the panel unit root tests.

The results presented in Table  3 show that three variables ( AGDP, FI and PG ) were found to contain no unit root tests at level whilst the remaining four variables ( AGTRADE, TEMP, PREC and FPI ) were found to unit root tests at level. However, the series for the four variables became stationary after first differencing. In this regard, robust and unbiased estimates were obtained. Table 4 presents the collinearity matrix.

From Table  4 , the correlations for paired independent variables were significantly less than 0.8 implying that there were no serious problems of collinearity among the independent variables. According to Gujarati [ 26 ], the rule of thumb is for pair-wise correlations between two regressors is 0.8 where correlation coefficients in excess of 0.8 imply high multicollinearity. More so, baseline panel GMM regression estimations were done. From these, the Hausman test was undertaken, and the results are presented in Table  5 .

From Table  5 , for model (1), a Hausman statistic of 0.001 was estimated with a p-value of 1.00 (P > 0.05) indicating that the RE GMM model was the most appropriate. On the other hand, for model (2), a Hausman statistic of 337.32 with a p-value of 0.000 (P < 0.001) implying that FE GMM model was the most appropriate. Besides, the JB test was undertaken to test for normality of residuals and the results are presented in Table  6 .

The results shown in Table  6 show that for model (1) (RE model) and model (2) (FE model), the Jarque–Bera statistics were 1.30 ( P  = 0.52 > 0.05) and 0.89 ( P  = 0.64 > 0.05). These show that the residuals followed a normal distribution. More so, the Kurtosis and Skewness statistics are close to the values three and zero respectively showing normal distribution [ 21 ]. The results of the robust panel GMM regressions are presented in Table  7 . For each of the two models, three models (pooled ordinal least square, RE GMM and FE GMM models) were estimated. However, basing on the results of the Hausman tests, results for the RE model and FE model were interpreted for models (1) and (2) respectively. As indicated in Table  7 , model (1) and model (2) had coefficients of determination (R-squared) of 0.86 and 0.52 respectively. These results show goodness of fit. More so, models (1) and (2) estimated DW statistics of 2.31 and 1.66 respectively (Table  7 ). These DW statistics fell in the range 1.5 to 2.5 showing that the models did not suffer from autocorrelation [ 21 ].

As shown in Table  7 , the RE GMM model (1) estimated the impacts of climate change on agricultural trade whilst the FE GMM model (2) estimated the impacts of climate change on food security in the Southern African region. For the RE model (1), the one-period lagged variables for the climate change variables ( TEMP and PREC ) were found to have statistically significant negative coefficients. For TEMP , the coefficient of − 0.25 ( P  ≤ 0.01) show that a percent increase in mean temperatures in 1 year can result in about a 0.25% decline in agricultural trade flows in the succeeding season. This is because, increase in temperatures may significantly reduce agricultural productivity leading to low output supplied to the market. On the other hand, for PREC , the coefficient of − 0.06 ( P  < 0.01) show that changes in precipitation negatively impacts agricultural trade. This suggests that a percentage change in the amount of precipitation can cause agricultural trade to fall be approximately 0.06%. These results show that climate change has significant impacts on agricultural trade in the Southern African region. Basing on these results, the hypothesis that climate change has significant negative impacts on agricultural trade is not being rejected but upheld. In other words, the results have proven that climate change is threating agricultural trade flows in the region such that the region may continue to be a net-food importer. The results corroborate those of Tekce and Deniz [ 15 ], Khan et al. [ 17 ], Adesete et al. [ 25 ], Fusco [ 27 ], Baptista et al. [ 11 ], Affoh et al. [ 24 ], Brenton et al. [ 2 ] and Dumortier et al. [ 1 ] who in their respective studies also found negative impacts of climate change on agricultural trade.

Besides the negative climate change effects, other factors negatively impacting agricultural trade in Southern Africa have been found to include food prices proxied by food inflation ( FI ) ( β  = − 0.001; P  < 0.001) and PG (β = − 0.04; P  < 0.001). These have further implications in food security. Similar findings were also reported by Mahrous [ 23 ], Wiebe et al. [ 3 ], Smith and Glauber [ 20 ], Adesete et al. [ 25 ] and Affoh et al. [ 24 ].

More so, from the FE GMM model (2), temperature ( TEMP ) was found to have insignificant effects on food security in the Southern African region ( α  = 0.09; P  > 0.05). This could be a pointer of adoption of adaptation strategies to temperature changes in the Southern African region. On the other side, changes in precipitation ( PREC ) have significant positive effects on food security ( α  = 0.17; P  < 0.05) using model (2). These results show that a percentage increase in precipitation may cause an increase in agricultural trade flows by approximately 0.17%. The results show inconclusive effects of climate change on food security but suggests the possibility of upholding the research hypothesis that climate change negatively impacts food security. The findings of this study align towards that of Mahrous [ 23 ] and Brenton et al. [ 2 ] who found significant negative impacts of climate change on food security.

4 Conclusion

The results of the random effects GMM model revealed significant negative climate change impacts on agricultural trade. However, the fixed effects GMM model provided inconclusive results regarding the impacts of climate change on Southern Africa’s food security. Besides, the results have significant implications for policy, theory and practice. The negative climate change impacts on agricultural trade may aid policymakers in formulating effective policies to promote agricultural trade such as the Southern Africa Development Committee (SADC) Regional Agricultural Policy and trade facilitation policies. Also, the study will inform policies to mitigate climate change in the Southern African region such as the SADC Climate Change Policy. Furthermore, the study will inform policies and strategies for promoting food security including the SADC Food and Nutrition Security Strategy (2015–2025). Precisely, the findings of the study will provide insights to policymakers towards formulating policies to ensure sustainable food security through climate change mitigation and adaption and agricultural trade facilitation.

The research has also made significant contributions to the existing climate change literature. Basing on the results, there is need for concerted efforts towards climate change adaptation and mitigation for sustainable agriculture. However, the research was not exhaustive. The use of only precipitation and temperature as indicators could be considered as a limitation to this study other important indicators such as carbon dioxide emissions were excluded. Hence, the subject may be further explored by future researchers using different methodologies and indicators. Another limitation is that the study was carried out in a panel of Southern African countries with different climatic conditions such that the findings are unlikely to be consistent across the countries. Hence, such a research could be done limited to country-specific settings for each of the Southern African countries.

Data availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article [and its supplementary information files].

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Strong Taiwan Quake Kills 9, Injures Hundreds

The earthquake was the most powerful to hit the island in 25 years. Dozens of people remained trapped, and many buildings were damaged, with the worst centered in the city of Hualien.

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Meaghan Tobin and Victoria Kim

Here’s what you need to know about the earthquake.

Taiwan was rocked Wednesday morning by the island’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century, a magnitude 7.4 tremor that killed at least nine people, injured more than 800 others and trapped dozens of people.

The heaviest damage was in Hualien County on the island’s east coast, a sleepy, scenic area prone to earthquakes. Footage from the aftermath showed a 10-story building there partially collapsed and leaning heavily to one side, from which residents emerged through windows and climbed down ladders, assisted by rescuers. Three hikers were killed after being hit by falling rocks on a hiking trail in Taroko National Park, according to the county government.

By late afternoon, officials said rescue efforts were underway to try to rescue 127 people who were trapped, many of them on hiking trails in Hualien.

One building in Changhua County, on the island’s west coast, collapsed entirely. The quake was felt throughout Taiwan and set off at least nine landslides, sending rocks tumbling onto Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to local media reports. Rail services were halted at one point across the island.

The earthquake, with an epicenter off Taiwan’s east coast, struck during the morning commute, shortly before 8 a.m. Taiwanese authorities said by 3 p.m., more than 100 aftershocks, many of them stronger than magnitude 5, had rumbled through the area.

In the capital, Taipei, buildings shook for over a minute from the initial quake. Taiwan is at the intersection of the Philippine Sea tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate, making it vulnerable to seismic activity. Hualien sits on multiple active faults, and 17 people died in a quake there in 2018.

Here is the latest:

The earthquake hit Taiwan as many people there were preparing to travel for Tomb Sweeping Day, a holiday across the Chinese-speaking world when people mourn the dead and make offerings at their graves. Officials warned the public to stay away from visiting tombs in mountain areas as a precaution, especially because rain was forecast in the coming days.

TSMC, the world’s biggest maker of advanced semiconductors, briefly evacuated workers from its factories but said a few hours later that they were returning to work. Chip production is highly precise, and even short shutdowns can cost millions of dollars.

Christopher Buckley

Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s vice president, who is also its president-elect, visited the city of Hualien this afternoon to assess the destruction and the rescue efforts, a government announcement said. Mr. Lai, who will become president in May, said the most urgent tasks were rescuing trapped residents and providing medical care. Next, Mr. Lai said, public services must be restored, including transportation, water and power. He said Taiwan Railway’s eastern line could be reopened by Thursday night.

Meaghan Tobin

Taiwan’s fire department has updated its figures, reporting that nine people have died and 934 others have been injured in the quake. Fifty-six people in Hualien County remain trapped.

Shake intensity

Taiwan’s fire department reports that nine people have died and 882 others have been injured in Taiwan. In Hualien County, 131 people remain trapped.

Agnes Chang

Footage shows rocks tumbling down one side of Guishan Island, a popular spot for hiking known as Turtle Island, off the northeast coast of Taiwan. Officials said no fishermen or tourists were injured after the landslide.

The death toll has risen to nine, according to Taiwan government statistics.

Meaghan Tobin, Siyi Zhao

Officials in Taiwan warned residents to not visit their relatives' tombs, especially in the mountains, this weekend during the holiday, known as Ching Ming, meant to honor them. There had already been 100 aftershocks and the forecast called for rain, which could make travel conditions on damaged roads more treacherous.

Crews are working to reach people trapped on blocked roads. As of 1 p.m. local time, roads were impassable due to damage and fallen rock in 19 places, according to the Ministry of Transportation. At least 77 people remain trapped. A bridge before Daqingshui Tunnel appeared to have completely collapsed.

Taiwan’s worst rail disaster in decades — a train derailment in 2021 that killed 49 people — took place on the first day of the Tomb Sweeping holiday period that year, in the same region as the earthquake.

The earthquake hit Taiwan as many people here were preparing to travel for Tomb Sweeping Day, or Ching Ming, a day across the Chinese-speaking world when people mourn their dead, especially by making offerings at their graves. Now those plans will be disrupted for many Taiwanese.

The holiday weekend would typically see a spike in travel as people visit family across Taiwan. Currently, both rail transport and highways are blocked in parts of Hualien, said Transport Minister Wang Guo-cai. Work is underway to restore rail transportation in Hualien, and two-way traffic is expected to be restored at noon on Thursday, he said.

Taiwan’s preparedness has evolved in response to past quakes.

Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness has evolved over the past few decades in response to some of the island’s largest and most destructive quakes .

In the years after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in 1999, the authorities established an urban search-and-rescue team and opened several emergency medical operation centers, among other measures .

And in 2018, after a quake in the eastern coastal city of Hualien killed 17 people and caused several buildings to partially collapse, the government ordered a wave of building inspections .

Taiwan has also been improving its early warning system for earthquakes since the 1980s. And two years ago, it rolled out new building codes that, among other things, require owners of vulnerable buildings to install ad-hoc structural reinforcements.

So how well prepared was Taiwan when a 7.4 magnitude quake struck near Hualien on Wednesday morning, killing at least seven people and injuring hundreds more?

Across the island, one building collapsed entirely, 15 others were in a state of partial collapse and another 67 were damaged, the island’s fire department said on Wednesday afternoon . Structural engineers could not immediately be reached for comment to assess that damage, or the extent to which building codes and other regulations might have either contributed to it or prevented worse destruction.

As for search-and-rescue preparedness, Taiwan is generally in very good shape, said Steve Glassey, an expert in disaster response who lives in New Zealand.

“ The skill sets, the capabilities, the equipment, the training is second to none,” said Dr. Glassey, who worked with Taipei’s urban search-and-rescue team during the response to a devastating 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. “They’re a very sharp operation.”

But even the best urban search-and-rescue team will be stretched thin if an earthquake causes multiple buildings to collapse, Dr. Glassey said.

Taiwan has options for requesting international help with search-and-rescue efforts. It could directly ask another country, or countries, to send personnel. And if multiple teams were to get involved, it could ask the United Nations to help coordinate them, as it did after the 1999 earthquake.

Pierre Peron, a spokesman for the United Nations, said on Wednesday afternoon that no such request had yet been made as a result of the latest earthquake.

Meaghan Tobin contributed reporting.

At least seven people have died and 736 have been injured as a result of the earthquake, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Another 77 people remained trapped in Hualien County, many of them on hiking trails. Search and rescue operations are underway, said the fire department.

Aftershocks of magnitudes between 6.5 and 7 were likely to occur over the next three or four days, said Wu Chien-fu, director of the Taiwanese Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center, at a news conference.

As of 2 p.m., 711 people had been injured across Taiwan, the fire department said, and 77 people in Hualien County remained trapped. The four who were known to have died were in Hualien.

Victoria Kim

Hualien County is a quiet and scenic tourist destination.

Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast is a scenic, sleepy tourist area tucked away from the island’s urban centers, with a famous gorge and aquamarine waters. It also happens to sit on several active faults , making it prone to earthquakes.

The county has a population of about 300,000, according to the 2020 census, about a third of whom live in the coastal city of Hualien, the county seat. It is one of the most sparsely populated parts of Taiwan. About three hours by train from the capital, Taipei, the city describes itself as the first place on the island that’s touched by the sun.

Hualien County is home to Taroko National Park, one of Taiwan’s most popular scenic areas. Visitors come to explore the Taroko Gorge, a striated marble canyon carved by the Liwu River, which cuts through mountains that rise steeply from the coast. The city of Hualien is a popular destination as a gateway to the national park.

According to the state-owned Central News Agency, three hikers were trapped on a trail near the entrance to the gorge on Wednesday, after the quake sent rocks falling. Two of them were found dead, the news agency said. Administrators said many roads within the park had been cut off by the earthquake, potentially trapping hikers, according to the report.

Earthquakes have rattled Hualien with some regularity. In 2018, 17 people were killed and hundreds of others injured when a magnitude 6.5 quake struck just before midnight, its epicenter a short distance northeast of the city of Hualien.

Many of the victims in that quake were in a 12-story building that was severely tilted, the first four floors of which were largely crushed, according to news reports from the time. The next year, the area was shaken by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that injured 17 people.

The area has some of the highest concentrations of Taiwan’s aboriginal population, with several of the island’s Indigenous tribes calling the county home .

The county government in Hualien released a list of people that had been hospitalized with injuries, which stood at 118 people as of midday Wednesday.

Across Taiwan, one building fell down entirely, in Changhua County on the west coast, and 15 buildings partially collapsed, Taiwan’s fire department said. Another 67 buildings were damaged. One of the partially collapsed structures was a warehouse in New Taipei City where four people were rescued, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. Another 12 were rescued at a separate New Taipei City building where the foundation sank into the ground.

Peggy Jiang, who manages The Good Kid, a children’s bookstore down the street from the partially collapsed Uranus Building in Hualien, said it was a good thing they had yet to open when the quake struck. The area is now blocked off by police and rescue vehicles. “Most people in Hualien are used to earthquakes,” she said. “But this one was particularly scary, many people ran in the street immediately afterward.”

Lin Jung, 36, who manages a shop selling sneakers in Hualien, said he had been at home getting ready to take his 16-month-old baby to a medical appointment when the earthquake struck. He said it felt at first like a series of small shocks, then “suddenly it turned to an intense earthquake shaking up and down.” The glass cover of a ceiling lamp fell and shattered. “All I could do was protect my baby.”

Chris Buckley ,  Paul Mozur ,  Meaghan Tobin and John Yoon

The earthquake damaged buildings and a highway in Hualien.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Taiwan on Wednesday damaged many buildings and a major highway in Hualien, a city on the eastern coast, and it knocked out power as it rocked the island.

Across Taiwan, the quake and its aftershocks caused one building to completely collapse and 15 others to partially collapse, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Sixty-seven other buildings sustained damage.

Two tall buildings in Hualien that sustained particularly extensive damage were at the center of the rescue efforts there. Most damage across the city was not life-threatening, said Huang Hsuan-wan, a reporter for a local news site.

Where buildings were reported damaged in Hualien City

“A lot of roads were blocked off. There are a lot of walls toppled over onto cars,” Derik du Plessis, 44, a South African resident of Hualien, said shortly after the earthquake. He described people rushing around the city to check on their houses and pick up their children. One of his friends lost her house, he said.

One of the damaged buildings in Hualien, a 10-story structure called the Uranus Building that housed a mix of homes and shops, was tilted over and appeared to be on the verge of collapse. Many of its residents managed to flee, but some were missing, said Sunny Wang, a journalist based in the city. Rescuers were trying to reach the basement, concerned that people might be trapped there.

Photographs of the initial damage in Hualien showed another building, a five-story structure, leaning to one side, with crushed motorcycles visible at the ground-floor level. Bricks had fallen off another high-rise, leaving cracks and holes in the walls.

The quake also set off at least nine landslides on Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, which said part of the road had collapsed.

Taiwan’s fire department said four people had been killed in the earthquake.

Across Taiwan, 40 flights have been canceled or delayed because of the earthquake, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operation Center.

President Tsai Ing-wen visited Taiwan’s national emergency response center this morning, where she was briefed about the response efforts underway by members of the ministries of defense, transportation, economic affairs and agriculture, as well as the fire department.

A look at Taiwan’s strongest earthquakes.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning was the strongest in 25 years, the island’s Central Weather Administration said.

At least four people died after the quake struck off Taiwan’s east coast, officials said.

Here’s a look back at some of the major earthquakes in modern Taiwanese history:

Taichung, 1935

Taiwan’s deadliest quake registered a magnitude of 7.1 and struck near the island’s west coast in April 1935, killing more than 3,200 people, according to the Central Weather Administration. More than 12,000 others were injured and more than 50,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

Tainan, 1941

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake in December 1941, which struck southwestern Taiwan, caused several hundred deaths, the United States Geological Survey said.

Chi-Chi, 1999

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in September 1999. The quake, which struck about 90 miles south-southwest of Taipei, was the second-deadliest in the island’s history, according to the U.S.G.S. and the Central Weather Administration. More than 10,000 people were injured and more than 100,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

Yujing, 2016

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake in February 2016 caused a 17-story apartment complex in southwestern Taiwan to collapse, killing at least 114 people . The U.S.G.S. later said that 90 earthquakes of that scale or greater had occurred within 250 kilometers, or 155 miles, of that quake’s location over the previous 100 years.

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