FLOODING
Flooding is the abnormal rise of water levels in rivers, coastal areas, plains, and
highly urbanized centers which may be a result of natural phenomena, human
activities, or both. During floods, land which is usually dry becomes submerged.
Flooding duration can be as short as a few minutes but can take as
long as several days or even weeks to subside.
WHAT IS A STORM SURGE?
A storm surge is a localized unusual increase of seawater level
beyond the predicted astronomical tide level primarily due to
intense winds and lowered atmospheric pressure during the
passage of an intense tropical cyclone from the sea to the land.
RIVERINE
When the level of water flowing
through rivers increases and goes
beyond the average water level or
worse, further encroach levees, the
type of flooding is riverine.
The rate of increase in water level is dependent on the river type and
source of additional water input. Water levels usually rise slowly in
larger rivers with large catchment areas and rise more rapidly in
smaller rivers that have smaller catchment areas
ESTUARINE AND
COASTAL
Estuarine and coastal
flooding occur
when seawater encroaches
on low-lying
land that is usually still
above sea level.
Flooding in these areas can
be a result
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF
TIDES:
Spring tides and Neap tides
Spring tides happen when the sun,
the Earth, and the moon are aligned
during the new moon and full moon and
cause water to bulge in the direction of
the alignment.
Spring tides can cause coastal areas in the
direction of the alignment of the sun
and the moon to experience extremely
high tides and other coastal areas to
experience extremely low tides.
Neap tides, which occur during quarter moons, do not cause extreme tides, It is a moderate
tide that occurs when the moon and sun are at right angles to each other.
This causes the ocean's bulges from the sun and moon to
partially cancel each other out.
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URBAN FLOODING
Urban flooding usually occurs in highly
populated, developed areas set on
relatively low-lying areas like valleys
and plains.
Urban flooding is largely due to man-made causes.
Flooding may be due to a
lack of proper drainage systems
A proper drainage system is one which 1) has a wide coverage, 2)
has sufficient capacity to accommodate volumes of water
based on predicted worst-case flooding event scenarios, and 3) is
not prone to blockage.
CATASTROPHIC
FLOODING
Catastrophic flooding may
result from
ground failure and/or major
infrastructure
failure. Ground failure is the
weakening
of the rock or soil such as
subsidence,
liquefaction, and occurrence
of landslides
FLASH FLOODS
A flash flood is a rapid, short-lived, and violent arrival of a large volume of water
which can be caused by intense localized rainfall on land that is saturated or unable
to absorb water (e.g., concrete pavements). Flash floods may also occur due to the
collapse of infrastructure such as dams.
Flash floods are the deadliest because most of the time they happen without
warning
Destructive Effects of
Flooding
Flooding effects can be divided
into three types:
Primary Effects
The primary effects of flooding are those which result from the direct
interaction of humans and their property with flood waters. The primary
effects of flooding include loss of lives and damage to amenities and loss of
access to necessities. These may include damage to infrastructure such as
houses, commercial buildings, bridges, roads, transportation facilities,
drainage and sewerage disposal systems, power generation and/or
Secondary Effects
Secondary effects are the short-term, immediate, but indirect
consequences of flooding.
These may include power loss domestic and potable water loss or
shortage; risk of acquiring waterborne diseases, usually due to
the mixing of human sewage with flood waters difficulty of
mobilization due to damage to transportation facilities; and food
shortage
Tertiary Effects
Tertiary effects are the long-term indirect consequences of flooding.
Economic hardships at the local and national levels and
unemployment may result from the destruction of production and
services-based businesses, a decline in tourism in the affected areas, and
additional government expenditures on the rehabilitation of public
infrastructure. Flooding may also significantly affect the wildlife habitat in
rural areas.
Flood forecasting using
modeling software
Real-time or forecasted data on
precipitation
and streamflow, degree of ground
saturation,
amount of permeable soil, and
amount
of vegetation can be input into
hydrological
modeling software to make short-
term
predictions of flow rates and water
Hydrographs- graphs of
channel discharge versus
time, in different places---are
the outcome of flood forecasting.
These can be used to decide
whether releasing a warning
is warranted or not, or to
decide if previously released
warnings should be withdrawn.
If a forecast indicates possible flooding, this can be used to make
announcements about the possible extent of the flood and the
amount of time left to evacuate
Flood control
Hard engineering measures can be implemented in order to prevent
flooding in certain places.
The following are structures that are being utilized to control water and to
prevent water from reaching destructive levels/volumes and extent
1. Dams. A dam is a barrier that holds back wate
and can regulate water flow rates.
In the Philippines, dams are
constructed primarily for
hydroelectric power generation
Water is impounded in a reservoir
at a certain height to accumulate
sufficient potential energy such
that when water is released, the
water will drive turbines and generate to produce electricity
2. Diversion canals.
Diversion canals
are artificial waterways utilized to
reroute the excessive storm water to
an area with lower risk or impact
to flooding such as the
open sea or in a reservoir
intended for floodwater containment.
In 1986, the Manggahan floodway
was constructed to alleviate flooding both of the Pasig
River and the Laguna de Bay.
3. River and coastal defenses.
The most common flood control
structures which are used to
prevent water from escaping
riverbanks are artificial levees (or dikes
What to Do Before, During, and After a Flood?
1. Long before the flood
Find out if your area is prone to flooding on existing flood maps prepared by
the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Have an easily accessible emergency flood
kit away prepared. This kit should ideally be a bag that contains a flashlight,
batteries, a fire aid kit, a radio, clothes, blankets, towels, bottled water, and
ready-to-eat food.
2. Before an impending flood
Keep tuned in to the news on television and radio for weather updates,
flood warnings, and evacuation alerts. Gather or call all family
members and/or persons in your household to inform them of the
impending flood so that they could accordingly plan their activities for the
day. Also, try to get the very important and delicate personal property to
higher grounds to avoid damage.
3. During the flood
Avoid having a walk through the flood or drive through the flood water
and make sure to wear a boots to avoid getting electrocuted
Turn off the gas line or cooking gas tanks(lique petroleum gas) shut down
electricity from control panels to avoid any possible electrocution.
4. After the flood
Take precautions against risk in entering a property that may have been
structurally compromised and contaminated. If water has not entirely
subsided, make sure to still wear boots to avoid getting
electrocuted.
Then, if possible, document the damage to your property by taking
pictures and describing these in detail. This documentation will be
necessary for claiming insurance funds to repair your property.
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