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How Much Do You Know About Flooding? | SERVPRO® of West Forsyth County
4/6/2022 (Permalink)
Flooding is the most common natural disaster, and it claims more lives in the United States per year than hurricanes, tornadoes or lightning. It can affect everything from individual homes where property collects excess water to wide swaths of communities and cities.
Flooding affects all 50 states and every U.S territory, but there are similarities in types and causality among all them. There are three common types of flooding, and they happen for four typical reasons.
Flash floods are common, and they happen when heavy rain passes or sits over an area and overwhelms the ground’s ability to contain the moisture. Excess water runs off and takes garbage cans, cars and more with it.
River floods are exactly what they sound like. When there’s too much water for a river’s banks to hold, the water spills over the sides and causes destruction.
Coastal floods happen in areas next to large bodies of water, when storm surges or cyclonic activity causes ocean or gulf levels to rise to flood levels.
Heavy rainfall. Storms with excessive rainfall, or storms that sit and rest over an area for an extended period, can cause flash floods or river flooding. Urban areas are more at risk for rain floods, because the higher percentage of concrete and asphalt means there’s a lack of soil to soak up all that water. According to the city of Winston-Salem, Forsyth County can receive several inches of rain in a short amount of time from any sort of storm system. Even if the floodplain maps show you’re at low risk, any residence in the county could be susceptible to flooding with the right combination of atmospheric activity. Now, if you are in an area with a much higher risk of flooding, you are at a much higher risk of property damage and death.
Oceanic activity. Storm surges, hurricanes and rising tides can cause water levels to rise in waves, which can invade coastal communities and wreak havoc.
Dams and levees failing. The most notable example of this in recent history would be the disastrous levee breaks during 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Levees and dams fail when cracks occur or excess pressure overtakes the dam’s ability to contain the surge of water behind it.
Snowmelts and ice dams. In areas of the country where heavy snow and prolonged freezing temperatures are common, snow and ice can build up over a winter’s time, and when they start to melt, they cause rivers of water to flow through area communities. Ice dams or ice jams happen when rivers become blocked by built-up ice being carried downstream, causing the banks to overflow.
Regardless of the cause of the flooding, SERVPRO of West Forsyth County has the tools and teams to help your home or business recover from its disastrous effects. Contact us anytime at 336-946-1131 when flooding or water damage makes a mess in your life.