Fast-moving water is extremely powerful. The result can be deadly to anyone in the water's path. There are various types of flooding based on where they occur. A flood is a high flow or overflow of water from a river or similar body of water, occurring over a period of time too long to be considered a flash flood. It may also be referred to as a river flood.
Flooding is caused in a variety of ways.
Winter or spring rains, coupled with melting snows, can fill river basins too quickly. Torrential rains from decaying hurricanes or other tropical systems can also produce river flooding. Repeated heavy rain from thunderstorms over a period of weeks contributed to the Mississippi River Flood of 1993. Occasionally, floating debris or ice can accumulate at a natural or man-made obstruction and restrict the flow of water. Water held back by the ice jam or debris dam can cause flooding upstream.