Many floods happen when it rains very heavily and rivers overflow. They burst their banks and flood the land all around. You also get floods in stormy weather when high tides or gigantic waves sweep on to the shore.
Amazing! The Thames Barrier was finished in 1984 to stop the River Thames flooding and drowning London. Ten huge steel gates swing up to make a massive dam.
What are flash floods?
Flash floods are floods which happen very suddenly, with no warning. Sometimes there isn’t time to evacuate buildings in the flood’s path. Flash floods can happen in the desert too, during a rare downpour of rain.
Is it true? Floods can wash whole buildings away.
Yes. In 1955, a flood in the USA washed a four-storey wooden hotel clean away. Imagine how surprised the guests were when they looked out of their windows!
Are some floods useful?
Yes, they are. The River Nile in Egypt used to flood every year, leaving rich mud on the fields. The mud made the soil ideal for farmers to grow bumper crops. The Nile doesn’t flood anymore because a large dam was built to store its water.
Picture Credit : Google