David experiences the powerful force behind a flooding river. It's hard to believe that a small, slow-running stream could cause harm. During a flood, however, even the calmest brook can become a torrent and cause unforeseen misery and damage.
Many people like to live near a body of running fresh water.
Rivers and streams provide recreation, food, and, of course, drinking water. But when rain or melting snow produces large amounts of water, rivers and streams may flood, causing problems for those who live nearby. Although we describe floods as disasters, they are, in fact, natural phenomena. Floods occur when a watershed receives so much water that its waterways cannot drain it off properly. A small river will drain several thousand or hundreds of thousands of acres of land.