Flood appears as a curse to the people who are directly affected by it.

There are mainly two reasons

that can create a flood: excessive rains and overflow of rivers. Rain is welcome for the growth of
crops and cooling down the atmosphere, especially after the hot summer.

But excessive rains spoil the harvest, and sometimes with the accumulated rain water, the tanks are
overflowed and fields and roads remain under water, and even water enters the courtyard or drowns
the ground floors of human habitations. As the stagnant water remains for a few days, the people
face numerous difficulties.

The insects, the serpents and many poisonous creatures take shelter in the human abodes, causing
threat to the lives of the dwellers. The cattle, unable to save their lives, die for want of food and
shelter.

The water becomes polluted, causing various life-taking diseases. People are sometimes found to
take shelter on the branches of trees, which are near at hand, in order to save themselves, when their
houses are submerged in water.

After the flood, it takes a long time for the wet land to get dried up. And in that marshy land, the
remains of the dead cattle or the skeletons of human corpses lay scattered, making the entire area
extremely polluted. That brings about plague, cholera and other dangerous diseases to those who
somehow survive. Thus the flood is a horror, and its aftereffects are more horrible.

After the flood, there is hardly anything left for the people to accept. The crops do not grow, because
the land becomes barren. The water of the tanks and wells gets polluted. The scarcity of drinking
water becomes an acute problem.

The cattle having died, the poor householders become helpless. Numerous huts of the poor people
are demolished by constant water-stagnation, making them homeless. Food grains become rare in
the flood-affected areas.

There are many other problems that a flood brings to the unfortunate people, in whose area flood
enters. Although the government and the charitable organizations send their instant relief by boat or
helicopter,- food, clothes, powdered milk, medicine etc. -, yet that is not enough for removing their
endless distress that continues for a long time after the flood.

The Indian governments have since taken some major steps for protecting the people from flood.
There are certain areas, especially in Bengal and Assam, where frequent floods appear due to the
overflow of the rivers, such as the Brahmaputra or the Ganga. A special commission has been set up
to take precautionary measures before the monsoons so as to prevent flood in those particular areas.

At the time of flood in any area, all the civilized citizens should come forward with their helping
hand. If they themselves cannot reach the spot, they can at least send their relief articles or money
through some reliable organisations or the government machinery engaged in the relief work.
 Share

Floods
Flood are a natural phenomenon which has resulted in various geographical features. They benefit
mankind by forming alluvial soil but they also cause tremendous havoc to human life and property.

Floods are natural calamity and take place regularly in certain areas. When they are expected, they do
not cause much harm. In endemic areas people are prepared. They even take advantage of floods to
enrich their soil, trap fish and move logs of wood. But when they are not expected, they cause until
misery. The rush of water demolishes and carries away the houses, top-soil, men and animals. It
inundates large area under cultivation, wrecks public services and makes life miserable.

Floods, however, have always brought out the best in men. They organize rescue and relief for
people whom they do not know and from whom they expect no personal gain. Voluntary
organizations arrange relief camps and provide medical facilities.

Floods also bring out the worst in men to the fore. People and politicians try to cash on the sufferings
of people. They make collections in the name of relief and misappropriate for personal benefit.

The increasing incidence of floods can be definitely brought down by construction of dams and
forestation in the catchments areas. Desilting of rivers in the plains will also help. But these things
can be done by government alone as these require big resources, organization and manpower. But
people can also contribute at individual level by planting trees and preventing denudation of
vegetable cover.
Flood is usually an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land and the inflow of tide onto
land. Floods are the most frequent and costly natural hazards, causing almost 90 percent of all the
damage related to natural disasters. Floods usually cause large-scale loss of human life and wide
spread damage to properties. This damage is known as flood damage. Unimaginable damage will
be caused to agriculture, thereby affecting the United State's planning and this will upset its financial
budgeting, thereby slowing down the economy as a whole.
The effects of flood damage can be categorized into three types, namely, primary, secondary and
tertiary. The primary effects of flood damage include physical damages like damage to bridges, cars,
buildings, sewer systems, roadways, and even casualties like people and livestock death due to
drowning. The primary effect of floods is due to direct contact with the flood waters. The velocity of
water tends to be high in floods and consequently, discharge increases as velocity increases.
Because of excess rainfall, the rivers and streams flow with higher velocities wherein they are able
to transport larger particles like rocks as suspended load. Such large particles include not only rocks
and sediment but during a flood it could also include large objects such as automobiles, houses and
bridges. Massive amounts of erosion during the floods can undermine bridge structures, levees, and
buildings causing their collapse.
During floods, water will also enter human built structures causing water damage. The flood damage
to houses include ruining of furniture, damage to the floors and walls of the house and damage to
any other item that comes in contact with the water. Automobiles on the roads get stranded in the
floods and they get carried away by the flood waters or water enters into the automobile, which
results in damage that cannot be easily repaired. The flood water carries sediment as suspended
load. As the flood waters recede, the sediments get deposited and things and structures including
the interior of buildings usually get covered with a thick layer of stream-deposited mud. Farmlands
affected by floods face a huge loss as they usually result in crop loss. Livestock, pets, and other
animals are often carried away by the strong currents of the flood water. Humans who get caught in
the high velocity flood waters often get drowned.
Among the secondary effects of flood damage are the disruption of many essential services like gas
and electricity. Flood damage also includes the contamination of the drinking water supply, if sewage
treatment plants are flooded. This poses a greater threat because this may result in disease and
other health hazards, especially in under developed countries. The public transportation systems
may also be disrupted during floods, resulting in shortages of food and other supplies.
Tertiary effects of flood damage are generally long-term effects like the location of river channels
that may change because of flooding; fewer new channels will develop, leaving the old channels dry.
Farmlands with crops get destroyed by the sediment deposition caused by the floods. People may
not be able to make it to their workplace due to disruption of services. The floods may also result in
destruction of wildlife habitat.
Although floods have some advantages, if we look at it in a broader perspective we can conclude
that largely, floods cause havoc to life and property of mankind. By following various preventive
measures the effects of flood damage can be reduced to a great extent.
Floods are there every year in India. During rainy season from July to September,
many parts of the country suffer from devastating floods. Flood is one of the major
calamities that afflict the country regularly. Floods result in much havoc and vast scale
destruction of life and property.
India can very proudly boast of an extensive network of rivers. They are the very life-
giving natural gifts of nature, but they turn into things of sorrow and suffering when they
are in spate and floods.

In Northern India the Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Gomuti, Ganado, Koki, Chamber
etc., are the main rivers. They are often in floods during monsoon when there is excess
of rains in their catchments areas. The heavy to very heavy rainfall causes them to
discharge maximum quantity of water, resulting in frequent floods. Consequently, large
parts of many states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Punjab,
Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat are affected by devastating floods.
loods are caused by many things. Many times it rains too much, other times a dam breaks; however,
the effects of floods devastating. Floods can cause environmental losses as well and economical
losses, land is washed away, homes are ruined, and people sometimes even die. This essay is about
the causes and effects that flood have on our world.

Causes:
Floods are caused by many things. One cause of a flood is when water exceeds the capacity of the
area it is in; thus causing it to overflow outside the waters boundary. Another cause is the amount of
rain that a certain area of land gets. When too much water has rained over a certain area, sewers
start getting flooded, creating a backup and water starts to flow on streets. One more way of flooding
is when dams break. Massive dams that hold water back prevent flooding. When the gate breaks, the
water flows out of it and creates a flood.

Climates and environments have a lot to do with flooding also. A higher altitude might be exposed
to more rain than a lower altitude. Also a damper, wetter climate creates it more susceptible for rain,
which causes it to flood (flash flood) more frequently than a hot and dry climate. Hurricanes also
effect floods to. When a hurricane reaches land, there is an enormous amount of water that is carried
along with it. This water dumped on land and as water levels rise, flooding is created.

Effects:
The effects of floods are devastating. Many times floods can destroy everything. Houses can be
torn off their foundation because the water has made its structure weaker, tar can be been pulled off
road causing major pot holes, earth can be sunken in creating a different landscape, tons of trees
have the possibility of being ripped out. To see the effects after a flood is not a pretty site. Water has
to be pumped out of flooded civilian areas.

Another thing that floods effect is the environmental and economical situations. When floods
occur, there is a large amount of water that runs over the ground. Loose soil, rocks, and landscape
can be dramatically altered, leaving behind a rugged, changed terrain. Loose soil can create mud
slides, which create hazardous situations for living things nearby. The economy after the flood can be
one of the greatest effected. Billions of dollars have been donated by a countries government to
rebuild and payback what was lost. Many times these things include houses, roads, buildings, cars,
schools, etc. Another thing that people loose in the event of floods is their jobs; consequently, after
water damaging buildings and such, businesses can be run down, bankrupt and even, in existent.
This causes lots of people to be jobless, which in effect, creates no way of paying for daily needs.

During floods, humans can lose so much. One of the most dangerous things a person could lose
would be their life. If a person gets caught in a flood and is swept away, they have the risk of
drowning in the water. Many times people die not only from the flood itself; but the effects after the
flood such as starvation, hazardous objects floating in the water, and much more. Because of the
water, it is harder for medical services to help civilians. The people rely on the aid workers to bring
refugees food; consequently, if the aid workers have a hard time getting through the water, many
families starve to death.

Floods are part of everyday lives. They are caused by too much rain, hurricanes, breaking of
dams, etc. Many times the effects are devastating. The environment and economy are destroyed, land
is washed away, houses are destroyed, and peoples lives are changed forever.
In the rainy season rivers and canals are full to the brim. Sometimes
water rises so high that it overflows the banks. Fields, and sometimes
houses, lie under water. This great rise of water is called a flood.
Image Source: hhrd.org/images/e-news_images/latest/SituationWorsened/enews_SituationWorsened_Floods1.jpg

Causes of the flood

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The flood is caused in many ways. Sometimes rain falls heavily for
days together. The rain water of mountains flows down the river.
Sometimes the river cannot hold so much water. Then the water flows
down the river and floods the adjacent lands. Sometimes snow melts
in mountains. The water flows down the river and floods the country.
A flood is also caused by the breaking of the embankment of a river.
The water of the river rushes through the breach and floods a vast
tract of land. Recently Government has made many dams to store the
surplus water of some rivers. This helps to prevent flood. But these
dams sometimes become full to the brim. It is then necessary to allow
the stored-up water to flow out. As a result, a sudden rush of water
overflows the banks of rivers and canals and causes flood.

The scene of a flooded area and its effects

During a flood the water of the river rises very high. It sweeps away
everything that comes in its way. Crops are destroyed. Many houses
are ruined. Many people are rendered homeless. Their belongings are
washed away. Many people and cattle are drowned. The sufferings of
the people know no bounds. Railway lines remain under water, and
sometimes, these are also washed away. The Whole area under a flood
presents a very horrible sight. The miseries of the people cannot be
fully described. Famine and epidemic diseases break out as the after-
effects of a flood.

Measures to help the sufferers

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People try their utmost to help the flood-Btricken people. They start
relief committees. Money, food, medicine and cloth are collected.
Volunteers are sent to the Hooded area to help the people. Food, cloth
and money are distribued to them. Medicine also is distributed free to
them. The Government also grants them help. It grants peasants loans
of seeds and money and provide people with work.

Some notable floods

Floods are common to all countries. Floods occur every year in some
parts of India. In Bengal, there was a terrible flood in 1913. It is known
as the Damodar flood. Large areas of land in the districts of Burdwan,
Hooghly and Midnapur were flooded. The North Bengal flood of 1922
also caused a great loss of life and property. A terrible flood visited
North Bengal and East Bengal in 1931. In 1934 a terrible flood caused
a great loss to the people of Assam. Their condition became extremely
miserable. The people of other parts of India came forward to help the
sufferers. In recent years, terrible floods have caused great loss to
Assam, North Bengal and Bihar. In Southern India also there have
been terrible foolds by the rise of water in the Cauvery and other
rivers. In 1987, a terrible flood affected Assam, North Bengal, North
Bihar and eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. It also caused great loss of
lives and properties of men, crops and domestic animals. It is an irony
of fate that just during this time there had been an unprecedented
drought in other parts of India. Thus the Government of India had a
very hard time to face the situation. It had to help both the flood-
stricken and drought-stricken people to mitigate their sufferings.

Preventive Measures
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We cannot fully check the occurrence of the flood. We should try to dig
a large number of passages for water. We should see that water may
flow away easily. Railway bridges should be made in large numbers.
Some of the river banks should be raised and embankments must be
made strong. Dams should be made to store the excess water of these
rivers.
Conclusion
The flood is a great evil. But it has some good effects. It makes the soil
fertile. It also washes away all impurities of land. Still we never
welcome a flood in a terrible form.