Floods occur when water overflows or soaks land that is normally dry. They are the most common natural hazard, and they can be extremely destructive. Flooding occurs around the globe and affects millions of people each year. It causes many types of damage, from destruction of homes and personal belongings to loss of life and limb. Floods also cause disruption to essential services such as wastewater, electricity and telecommunications. This can have a major impact on communities, limiting access to services and leaving homes uninhabitable for extended periods.
The most immediate impact of flooding is physical injury and death, which can occur due to drowning or being swept away by fast-flowing waters. In addition, flooding can bring hazardous materials into buildings, which can pose health risks for people and animals when ingested. Water-soaked debris and mud can carry sharp objects, poisonous chemicals, raw sewage, and other hazardous substances. Flood waters can also erode soil, which can destabilize buildings and cause them to collapse.
Flooding can reduce agricultural productivity and lead to food shortages. It can damage and ruin crops, wash away fertile topsoil, and displace livestock. Floods can also contaminate drinking water supplies and cause illness through exposure to waterborne pathogens like hepatitis A and cholera.
Stories about global, Earth-drowning floods are found in almost all world cultures, including the biblical Genesis flood story, manvantara-sandhya in Hinduism, and the Cheyenne, Blackfeet, and Puebloan flood myths. These stories share a similar plot: A deity warns a virtuous person about the flood, and he or she builds a boat, saving himself, family, pets, plants, and seeds.
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