A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land, a deluge.

[1] In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Flooding may result from the volume of water within a body of water, such as a river or lake, which overflows, with the result that some of the water escapes its normal boundaries.[2] While the size of a lake or other body of water will vary with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt, it is not a significant flood unless such escapes of water endangers land areas used by man like a village, city or other inhabited area. Floods can also occur in rivers, when the strength of the river is so high it flows out of the river channel, particularly at bends or meanders and cause damage to homes and businesses along such rivers. While flood damage can be virtually eliminated by moving away from rivers and other bodies of water, since time out of mind, man has lived and worked by the water to seek sustenance and capitalize on the gains of cheap and easy travel and commerce by being near water. That humans continue to inhabit areas threatened by flood damage is only evidence that the value of being near the water far exceeds the costs of repeated periodic flooding. The word comes from the Old English flod, a word common to Teutonic languages (compare German Flut, Dutch vloed from the same root as is seen in flow, float). The term "The Flood," capitalized, usually refers to the great Universal School described in the Bible, in Genesis, and is treated at Deluge.

Principal types of flood

[] Riverine floods

Flooding of a creek due to heavy monsoonal rain and high tide in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Slow kinds: Runoff from sustained rainfall or rapid snow melt exceeding the capacity of a river's channel. Causes include heavy rains from monsoons, hurricanes and tropical depressions, foreign winds and warm rain affecting snow pack. Fast kinds: flash flood as a result of e.g. an intense thunderstorm.

Estuarine floods

Commonly caused by a combination of sea tidal surges caused by storm-force winds. A storm surge, from either a tropical cyclone or an extratropical cyclone, falls within this category.

[] Coastal floods

Flooding near Key West, Florida, United States from Hurricane Wilma's storm surge in October 2005

Caused by severe sea storms, or as a result of another hazard (e.g. tsunami or hurricane). A storm surge, from either a tropical cyclone or an extratropical cyclone, falls within this category.

[] Catastrophic floods

Caused by a significant and unexpected event e.g. dam breakage, or as a result of another hazard (e.g. earthquake or volcanic eruption).

[] Muddy floods

A muddy flood is generated by run off on crop land.

Other

Flash flooding caused by a severe thunderstorm.

Floods can occur if water accumulates across an impermeable surface (e.g. from rainfall) and cannot rapidly dissipate (i.e. gentle orientation or low evaporation). A series of storms moving over the same area. Dam-building beavers can flood low-lying urban and rural areas, often causing significant damage.

Effects
Primary effects

Physical damage - Can range anywhere from bridges,cars, buildings, sewer systems, roadways, canals and any other type of structure. Casualties - People and livestock die due to drowning. It can also lead to epidemics and diseases.

[] Secondary effects

Water supplies - Contamination of water. Clean drinking water becomes scarce. Diseases - Unhygienic conditions. Spread of water-borne diseases Crops and food supplies - Shortage of food crops can be caused due to loss of entire harvest.[3] However, lowlands near rivers depend upon river silt deposited by floods in order to add nutrients to the local soil. Trees - Non-tolerant species can die from suffocation.[4]

[] Tertiary/long-term effects

Economic - Economic hardship, due to: temporary decline in tourism, rebuilding costs, food shortage leading to price increase etc.

[] Flood defences, planning, and management

Autumn Merranean flooding in Alicante (Spain), 1997. Main article: Flood control In many countries across the world, rivers prone to floods are often carefully managed. Defences such as levees,[5] bunds, reservoirs, and weirs are used to prevent rivers from bursting their banks. Coastal flooding has been addressed in Europe and the Americas with coastal defences, such as sea walls, beach nourishment, and barrier islands.

Lakhs Marooned
Orissa Flood 2008 on 18th September 2008Mahanadi and its branch rivers have forced into the deltaic region creating havoc sweeping most of the villages along its basin taking into its grip about 2 millions of people. Nearly 20 lakh people in 4000 villages of 17 districts are facing this fury. About 4 lakh people are marooned in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Puri and Khorda districts. According to sources about 200 blocks have been affected out of 314 blocks of Orissa. The villages are submerged with the rushing water by breaching the embankments. There are about 31 breaches through which the water is rushing into the village and fields sweeping away houses, livestock and grains. Till now as sources say, about 20 dead, 1.8 lakh people evacuated, 31 breaches of embankments and 55 roads cut off as has been on report. It could be many fold more and will come to report as the water recedes. The situation is worsening The water level in the river has stopped rising but still flowing above the danger level and pushing water into the villages through the breaches with threat at several places on the embankments. The administration and army are struggling to control the situation by rescuing people with support from local people. People in most of the places have spent sleepless nights and without food. Situation will become worse the as the water goes down because of contaminated food, need of drinking water and clothes. 23/09/08. A health camp was organized at Amba Barei Village, one of the wost affected area in Belagathia Gram Panchayat, Baranga Block of Cuttack district. About 150 people including 40 children were diagnosed and 136 persons were given medicine. More than 70 persons suffered from common cold and fever. The camp was organized with the involvement of local PRI leaders, ASHA, Anganwadi Worker, Health Worker of the PHC, Panchayat Executive Officer and community leaders. The camp was organized with the support from Dr. Surendra K. Mohanty (Retd. CDMO) and eight volunteers from the coordination cell.