Sentence:  Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale....Rock-filled <WSD>torrents</WSD> smashed vehicles and homes, burying victims under rubble and sludge. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A violent flow, as of water, lava, etc.; a stream suddenly raised and running rapidly, as down a precipice.