What is a flood?
Floods can occur as a result of storms and heavy rain which cause rivers to overflow their banks. They can also be caused by high tides.
What damage can floods do?
Floodwaters can destroy the land, washing away roads, bridges, railway tracks and buildings. Crops can be ruined and livestock drowned.
Lives are also at risk, particularly in flash floods when the water has risen very quickly. Fast-flowing, deep water filled with debris like tree branches and sheets of iron can be very dangerous to people.
After a flood there can be a lot of damage and pollution to clean up. It may take months or years to recover.
