Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Service Many factors affect the extent of crop damage after a flood.
Seasonal temperatures can be a major factor.
A July flood, for example, is often much worse for crop survival than a spring flood. The warmer mid-summer weather increases the rate of damage and death to submerged plants. During spring flooding, temperatures are colder and plants can survive longer under water. Plants that encounter flash-flooding along creeks where the water rises and recedes quickly are most likely to survive. They will experience less oxygen depletion than submerged plants.