Flood Causes And Disasters

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Introduction

On October 30th, 2004 a flash flood struck the Manoa Valley on the island of Oahu. The flood damaged more than 60 homes and caused more than one million dollars in damage to the University of Hawaii. Based on several events that have occurred

Meteorological Causes & Concepts

In order to understand what happened that day in Hawaii, we must first examine the common causes of flash floods and how they occur. According to DisasterCenter.com floods occur when there is prolonged rainfall, heavy, intense rainfall, or some kind of jam that overflows in a river or stream. These types of floods occur within a few days after the rainfall and can last as long as a week. Therefore, floods are a long-term event. There are different types of floods: riverine, coastal, urban, ground failures, and flash flooding. A storm surge is the term that describes the rise of water usually as a result of a storm (ex: hurricanes or cyclones) that is over and above the estimated tides or waves conditions. Coastal flooding occurs when there are strong winds and low-pressure systems that drive ocean water inland. Large waves can be created through distant storms, strong winds, and can cause water levels to rise and reach the land. Tide levels in the cycle may already be at normal levels but storms can cause these levels to increase and thus, increasing the risk of flooding significantly. High water levels that can contribute to flooding form through other meteorological events such as, normal ocean dynamics or heat levels.
According to floodsite.net urban floods are caused by the lack of drainage in an urban area. This means that there is limited soil that is used for water storage and so rainfall has to be transported to the sewage ...

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...orm up to six hours after an event. Flash floods are the effect of a causative event like a rapid snowmelt, jams, levee failure, and heavy rainfall . Rainfall intensity and duration are two factors that contribute the most to flash flooding. In 2010, the National Weather Service rated flash floods the number one cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. Water height during flash floods can reach 30 feet or more and the rain that produces flash floods can also trigger mudslides, such as the one that occurred several weeks ago in the state of Washington. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states that U.S. Flooding kills more than 150 people a year, which is more than any other weather event, and most of the deaths occur from a flash flood. Flash floods can cause a lot of damage and also another weather event known as mudslides.

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