what was the cause of the flood
While some causes are obvious, such as hurricanes and snow melt, many are not. Heavy Rains: Cresting rivers, backed-up storm drains, or saturated ground can cause significant floods. Heavy rains can contribute to flash floods, which are the number one weather-related killer in the United States. A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas in less than six hours. Heavy rains also increase the chance of mudflows, rivers of liquid, and flowing mud.
Other factors which may contribute to flooding include: 1  volume, spatial distribution, intensity and duration of rainfall over a catchment; 2  the capacity of the watercourse or stream network to convey runoff; 3  catchment and weather conditions prior to a rainfall event; 4  ground cover; 5  topography; and. 6  tidal influences.