Floods
If you speak, that is rain; if you speak too much, that is flood - Mehmet Murat ildan
image by: Lt. Zachary West
HWN Suggests
Harvey, Irma, Jose … and Noah
Is there anything we can learn from hurricanes, storms and floods?
People have been asking that question for thousands of years, and telling stories that try to make sense of natural disasters. These flood myths are remarkably similar to one another.
A researcher named John D. Morris collected more than 200 of them, from ancient China, India, Native American cultures and beyond. He calculates that in 88 percent of the tales there is a favored family. In 70 percent, they survive the flood in a boat. In 67 percent, the animals are also saved in the boat. In 66 percent, the flood is due to the wickedness of man, and in 57 percent the boat comes to rest on a mountain top.
The…
Articles of Interest
Biblical-Type Floods Are Real, and They're Absolutely Enormous
Geologists long rejected the notion that cataclysmic flood had ever occurred—until one of them found proof of a Noah-like catastrophe in the wildly eroded river valleys of Washington State.
Floods, explained
Floods are among Earth's most common–and most destructive–natural hazards.
The Limits Of Engineering
The problem with Houston is not growth but a form of development that for too long has resisted the constraints imposed by regional geography and hydrology. For instance, more than 100,000 homes and businesses sit within a 100-year floodplain, making them especially vulnerable to flooding after major storms.
The Long-Term Health Consequences of Hurricane Harvey
Long after the floodwaters recede, and even during cleanup and rebuilding, the people who lived through Hurricane Harvey will face another form of recovery — from the storm’s blows to physical and mental health.
The National Flood Insurance Program
The National Flood Insurance Program aims to reduce the impact of flooding on private and public structures. It does so by providing affordable insurance to property owners and by encouraging communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations.
They Thought the Monsoons Were Calm. Then Came the Deadly Floods.
Sadly, this happens every year. Deadly flooding is part of the landscape in South Asia, and over the past two decades an average of around 2,000 people have died each year, according to the International Disaster Database in Belgium.
What Climate Scientists Want You to See in the Floodwaters
We are not completely at the whims of the weather. With available tools and an eye toward the future, we can limit the amount of climate change that occurs, minimize the risks that remain and build a resilient future.
Resources
Floods.org
The mission of ASFPM is to promote education, policies and activities that mitigate current and future losses, costs and human suffering caused by flooding, and to protect the natural and beneficial functions of floodplains - all without causing adverse impacts.
EPA
The linked information is written for hurricane preparedness but much of it will still apply to flooding preparedness activities.
Ready
This page explains what actions to take when you receive a flood watch or warning alert from the National Weather Service for your local area and what to do before, during, and after a flood.
