Floods can be slow, or fast rising but generally develop over a period of days. Dam failures are potentially the worst flood events. A dam failure is usually the result of neglect, poor design, or structural damage caused by a major event such as an earthquake. When a dam fails, a gigantic quantity of water is suddenly let loose downstream, destroying anything in its path. Flash floods usually result from intense storms dropping large amounts of rain within a brief period.
Flash floods occur with little or no warning and can reach full peak in only a few minutes.
Mitigation includes any activities that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or lessen the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. Investing in mitigation steps now such as constructing barriers such as levees and purchasing flood insurance will help reduce the amount of structural damage to your home and financial loss from building and crop damage should a flood or flash flood occur. Your local Planning and Zoning Department can tell you whether your property is above or below the flood stage water level. Learn about the history of flooding for your region. Learn flood warning signs and your community alert signals.