Floods Deal a New Blow to the Farm Belt

Floods Deal a New Blow to the Farm Belt

Floods have large social consequences for communities and individuals. As most people are well aware, the immediate impacts of flooding include loss of human life, damage to property, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, and deterioration of health conditions owing to waterborne diseases. There are two types of effects of flooding. The first being the primary effects where there is loss of lives, building and other structures are damaged, and the secondary effect is economic, psychological damages. Over the past hundred years no other natural disaster in the U.S. has caused more death and destruction than floods. They can happen anyplace any day anytime and they will likely get worse. As people cluster around coastal regions and flood plains our growing population will confront the awesome power of water. For thousands of years farmers have depended on seasonal floods. The water's irrigated their crops and fertilized their lands. Today excess water is channeled in to reservoirs and power hydroelectric dams, but when water levels rise suddenly far more than the ground can absorb a flood occurs. Flash floods are a perfect example of sudden storms unleashed torrential downpour. The runoff moves with surprising force at a depth of two feet the water can push aside a car. In fact half of all deaths from flash floods and power vehicles.