A message on the cause of flooding. Report on the topic of flooding. What does urgent emergency work include?

A report on life safety on the topic “Flood” will briefly tell you everything about this natural phenomenon.

Flood message

Flood is a natural phenomenon, wayward disaster. It is a river flood due to melting ice, snow or as a result of prolonged downpours and rains. Most often, this disaster occurs in cities and villages located on river banks.

During a flood, the water level can rise to significant heights. In this case, people should be evacuated to a safe place and the evacuation itself should be notified in advance. Children are transported first. The rescue operation is being carried out by rescue workers.

Causes of floods

During floods, water levels depend on several factors. Scientists have identified the main causes of this natural disaster:

• Long and heavy rains

In regions with high air humidity and warm climate intense rainfall causes land flooding. For example, back in Ancient Egypt The peasants noticed that the Nile flooded abundantly every year, so they used this knowledge to determine the harvest. In areas with cold and temperate climate There is much less precipitation, so floods are rare here.

• Melting snow and glaciers

Spring melt water create serious problems for residents who live near mountain slopes or places with snowy climates. Melting snow leads to increased water levels in rivers. It overflows its banks and floods populated areas.

• Raising the bottom

At the mouths and deltas of rivers, there is a constant change in the bottom topography, as mineral deposits accumulate in it. In this case, the water rises quite slowly and the flood itself can be prevented simply by cleaning the river bed.

• Tsunami

Due to the activity of volcanoes, giant waves arise. Their appearance is difficult to predict, and even more so to prevent. Tsunamis cause terrible disasters; the water washes away and floods everything in its path. Tsunamis through landslides can also occur in bays and lakes, but this phenomenon is rare.

• Strong hurricanes and winds

Wind is the reason for the appearance of large waves on the coasts or in certain sections of the river bed, which can flood nearby areas.

• The groundwater

Local destruction earth's crust or tectonic shifts lead to the fact that The groundwater come to the surface.

• Sat down

Mudflows cause rapid flooding of mountain rivers. Sometimes they can go out of the channel. Such floods have serious consequences.

• Human factor

Types of floods

Depending on what caused the phenomenon, floods are of the following types:

1. High water. Long-term and regular increases in water levels in the spring are associated with melting snow and rainfall. Lowlands are flooded.
2. Flood. A water spill caused by spring, autumn or even summer long rains. It can be short-term and local. The water level may rise in winter due to sudden warming and large amounts of snow.
3. Zazhor. Accumulation in narrow places and bends loose ice leads to a rapid increase in water level in the river bed. This phenomenon is typical in the off-season.
4. Congestion. This is when the ice melts unevenly big rivers, and it accumulates in one place, creating a dam. Then the coastal areas of land are flooded with water for a short time. Congestion often occurs in late winter or in early spring.
5. Wind surge. A strong wind squall leads to a sharp rise in water in one place.

There is also a classification of floods according to the degree of danger:

1. Low level. Floods occur periodically, once every 5-10 years. The habitual rhythm of the residents is not disrupted, and no serious damage is observed.
2. Dangerous. Occurs once every 20-25 years. Farmland and coastal homes are flooded. Partial evacuation required. The consequences of floods may require material investments.
3. Particularly dangerous. Occurs once every 50-100 years. They destroy small settlements, most cultivated lands, regional infrastructure and cause death. Floods of this level are a national disaster.
4. Disasters. Occurs once every 200-300 years. They lead to tragic consequences: a huge number of people die, cities are destroyed, rural settlements, arable land, natural landscapes, utilities and communications. Flood disasters are a disaster on a planetary scale, which is practically impossible to prevent.

The biggest floods in human history

• Flood of St. Mary Magdalene, 1342. There have been torrential rains in Central Europe for several weeks. The largest European rivers overflowed their banks: Main, Elbe, Rhine, Moselle.
• Flood in Denmark and Germany, 1634. Hurricane winds provoked waves that broke through a dam on the shores of the North Sea and flooded large areas. The disaster killed 8,000 people.
• Flood in China, 1887. Prolonged heavy rains led to a rise in water levels in the Yellow River. More than 900,000 people died, more than 2,000,000 people were left without homes.
• Flood in China, 1931. This catastrophe is considered the greatest in human history after the Flood. The Yangtze River overflowed its banks and flooded a land area of ​​300,000 km2.
• Flood in Bangladesh, 1991. The disaster was the result of a tsunami, when entire cities were washed away from the coast.
• Flood in St. Petersburg, 1824. In the Neva, the water level rose by 4 meters.

As you can see, the consequences of floods can be very different, however, they are always serious. Often this natural phenomenon is caused by natural anomalies.

Humanity has suffered from floods since ancient times. Each of us has heard the story of Flood, flooded Earth and destroyed all living things except the “passengers” of Noah’s Ark.


Scientists believe that something similar took place in Mesopotamia in the third or fourth millennium BC. At that time, the populated lands in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates seemed to people like the whole Universe, so massive floods They associated them with a global disaster.

As many years ago, today flooding is considered one of the most dangerous natural disasters and often leads to loss of life and economic damage. Why is this happening? And what are the consequences of floods?

What do you mean by flood?

Extensive inundation is called a flood. large areas water from rivers, lakes, seas, oceans. Many regions of the Earth are susceptible to such disasters. Floods often occur in river valleys Western Europe, on Chinese rivers Yellow River and Yangtze, in the USA and Canada.


In the territories of the former Soviet Union Floods most often affect areas along the banks of the Dnieper, Amur and Volga.

Why do floods happen?

There are many reasons for floods. The most common are those that lead to rivers overflowing and overflowing along the coastal plains. Areas located in lowlands are characterized by periodically recurring floods associated with melting snow. Often in spring period During ice drift, large blocks of snow and ice cause congestion in the river bed, resulting in water rising above the main level of the banks.

On islands, the mainland coast of seas and oceans, from time to time a so-called wind surge occurs, when, under the influence strong wind the water surface rises above sea level and floods large areas of land. More catastrophic are tsunami waves, which arise from tremors and eruptions of underwater volcanoes, and then hit the coast.

Other causes of flooding include damage to reservoirs or dams, landslides that block river channels, and storm surges and seiches ( standing waves in closed reservoirs - lakes, ponds).

What types of floods are there?

Depending on their scale, floods are divided into several types. Small ones occur mainly on small rivers and cover small areas. Their frequency is on average 5–7 years, and the degree of flooding does not exceed 10%. Dangerous floods cause more serious damage and inundate up to 20% of land, which disrupts people's lives and often requires their evacuation.


Particularly dangerous are natural disasters that cover the entire river basin and flood populated areas. As a result, there is a need for a massive export of population and valuables. The worst are catastrophic floods that completely paralyze industry and agricultural activity over large areas. They can lead to loss of life and humanitarian disasters that require the participation of the international community.

Consequences of floods

Major floods lead to irreversible consequences and cause enormous material damage. Damage occurs as a result of flooding highways, infrastructure, residential buildings, tunnels, bridges. Water destroys agricultural land, causes the death of domestic animals, and in particularly catastrophic cases, people die from flooding.

the main task Rescuers during a natural disaster are searching for victims and providing assistance in the shortest possible time. The success of rescue teams largely depends on rapid response to the current situation and the use of effective methods of operational reconnaissance and detection of people in flooded areas.

The largest floods in history

Humanity knows many large floods that were catastrophic in nature. In 1953, storm surges off the coast of Western Europe caused many rivers to rise sharply, causing extensive property damage and the deaths of 2,000 people.


The 2004 tsunami, which flooded Indonesia, Thailand, India and several other Asian countries, is recognized as the deadliest in history. modern history. Waves rushing onto the shores Indian Ocean, penetrated deep into the coast and led to the death of more than 225 thousand people.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused an overflow sea ​​water through levees and flooding more than 80% of the territory of the city of New Orleans, in which different sources between 1,300 and 1,600 people died.

Report on the topic:

"Flood"

performed by: Armina Sargsyan

Faculty: State Medical University 10th group

Flood- this is a significant flooding of an area as a result of a rise in the water level in a river, lake or sea during snowmelt, rainfall, wind surges, congestion, floods, etc. A special type includes floods caused by wind surges of water into river mouths. Floods lead to the destruction of bridges, roads, buildings, structures, cause significant material damage, and high speeds water movement (more than 4 m/s) and high altitude rising water (more than 2 m) causes the death of people and animals.

The main cause of destruction is the impact on buildings and structures of hydraulic shocks from a mass of water, ice floes floating at high speed, various debris, watercraft, etc. Floods can occur suddenly and last from a few hours to 2-3 weeks.

There are also reasons caused by human activity. In recent centuries, especially in the twentieth century, anthropogenic factors have played an increasingly important role in increasing the frequency and destructive power of floods. Among them, first of all, deforestation should be mentioned (maximum surface runoff increases by 250-300%), irrational agricultural practices. A significant contribution to the increased intensity of floods and high waters was made by: longitudinal plowing of slopes, over-compaction of fields when using heavy equipment, and over-watering as a result of violation of irrigation standards. Average flood flows in urbanized areas have approximately tripled due to the growth of impervious covers and development. A significant increase in maximum flow is associated with the economic development of floodplains, which are natural flow regulators. In addition to the above, several reasons should be mentioned that directly lead to the formation of floods: improper implementation of flood protection measures leading to the breaking of embankment dams, destruction of artificial dams, emergency operation of reservoirs and others.

Types of floods

High water - a periodically repeated rather long rise in water levels in rivers, usually caused by spring melting of snow on the plains or rainfall. Floods low-lying areas. A flood can become catastrophic if the infiltration properties of the soil have significantly decreased due to its oversaturation with moisture in the fall and deep freezing in the harsh winter. Spring rains can also lead to increased flooding, when its peak coincides with the peak of the flood.

Flood - an intense, relatively short-term rise in the water level in the river, caused by heavy rains, downpours, and sometimes rapid melting of snow during thaws. Unlike floods, floods can occur several times a year. A particular threat is posed by the so-called flash floods associated with short-term but very intense downpours, which also occur in winter due to thaws.

Congestion - clogging of the riverbed by a stationary ice cover and accumulation of ice floes during the spring ice drift in narrowings and bends of the river bed, restricting the flow and causing a rise in the water level in the place of ice accumulation and above it. Jam floods form at the end of winter or early spring, and arise due to the non-simultaneous opening of large rivers flowing from south to north. The exposed southern sections of the river in its flow are dammed by the accumulation of ice in the northern regions, which often causes a significant increase in the water level. Jam floods are characterized by a high and relatively short-term rise in the water level in the river.

Zazhor - ice plug, accumulation of in-water, loose ice during winter freeze-up in narrowings and bends of the riverbed, causing water to rise in some areas above the level of the main riverbed. Jam floods form at the beginning of winter and are characterized by a significant, but less than jam, rise in the water level and a longer duration of the flood.

Wind surge - a rise in water levels in sea estuaries large rivers and on windy areas of the coast of seas, large lakes, reservoirs, caused by the impact of strong winds on the water surface. They are characterized by a lack of periodicity, rarity and significant rise in water level, and, as a rule, short duration. Floods of this type were observed in Leningrad (1824, 1924), the Netherlands (1953). However, this type of flood is very short-lived.

Classification of floods by scale.

Low (small) - they are observed on lowland rivers. Covers small coastal areas. Less than 10% of agricultural land is flooded. They hardly disturb the rhythm of life of the population. The frequency of recurrence is 5-10 years, causing minor damage.

Dangerous - cause significant material and moral damage, cover relatively large areas of river valleys, and flood approximately 10-20% of agricultural land. They significantly disrupt the economic and everyday life of the population. Lead to partial evacuation of people. Repeatability 20-25 years.

Particularly dangerous - cause great material damage, covering entire river basins. Approximately 50-70% of agricultural land and some populated areas are flooded. They paralyze economic activity and sharply disrupt the everyday life of the population. They lead to the need for mass evacuation of the population and material assets from the flood zone and the protection of the most important economic facilities. Repeatability 50-100 years. A striking example of this is the flood in Tomsk in 1947.

Catastrophic - lead to loss of life, irreparable environmental damage, cause material damage, covering vast territories within one or more water systems. More than 70% of agricultural land, many settlements, industrial enterprises and utilities are flooded. At the same time, economic and production activities are completely paralyzed, and the lifestyle of the population is temporarily changed. The evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people, an inevitable humanitarian catastrophe requires the participation of the entire world community, the problem of one country becomes a problem of the whole world. If a city is located close to a river experiencing flooding, at a not very high place, as a rule, it too is flooded.

Flood protection measures

1) reducing the maximum water flow by redistributing the flow over time;

2) regulation of flood flow using reservoirs;

3) straightening the river bed:

4) construction of enclosing dams (shafts);

5) carrying out bank protection and dredging works, filling low places;

6) plowing land across slopes and planting shelterbelts in river basins;

7) terracing slopes, preserving tree and shrub vegetation.

Prompt preventive measures include:

1) warning the population about the threat of flooding;

2) early evacuation of the population, farm animals, material and cultural assets from potentially flooded areas;

3) partial restriction or cessation of the functioning of enterprises, organizations, institutions located in areas of possible flooding, protection of material assets.

Before evacuating, to protect their home (apartment) and property, everyone must take the following mandatory actions:

1) turn off water, gas and electricity;

2) extinguish burning heating stoves;

3) move valuable items and belongings to the upper floors of buildings (attics);

4) cover (if necessary) the windows and doors of the first floors of houses with boards or plywood.

When receiving an evacuation warning, you must quickly gather and take with you:

1) personal documents placed in a waterproof bag;

2) money and valuables;

3) medical first aid kit;

4) a set of outerwear and shoes for the season;

5) bed linen and toiletries;

6) three-day supply of food. It is better to put things and food in suitcases (backpacks, bags).

All evacuees must arrive at the evacuation assembly point by a specified time to be registered and sent to a safe area.

After the Great Flood inundated the entire surface of our planet, floods are considered one of the most dangerous natural disasters in the world. While they may not look as grandiose and impressive as a sudden tornado or typhoon, and often give people time to leave the dangerous area, the consequences of floods are no less dire.

Thus, the largest documented flood in the world occurred in China in the thirties of the last century, when the longest and deep river country, the Yangtze, together with the neighboring Yellow River, overflowed its banks after prolonged rains, destroying dams and flooding more than 300 thousand hectares of fertile land (in some areas the water did not drain for about six months). When the river waters calmed down, the consequences of the flood were so catastrophic that the world shook: according to official data alone, the death toll exceeded 3.7 million people.

A flood is the inundation of large areas, which was caused by a rise in water levels in lakes, rivers, seas after heavy rainfall, snow melting, or a dam breaking, which led to the release of water far beyond the borders. coastline.

Despite the fact that in most cases the population can be warned about the approach of a natural disaster, warnings are often ignored due to the fact that local residents refuse to leave their homes in the hope that the disaster will bypass them. And it’s completely in vain: the advancing water spares no one and not only destroys buildings (especially buildings with a shallow foundation and constructed of wood), but often leads to human casualties.

Speaking about the causes of floods, hydrologists identify the following factors:

• Long rains - this type of flood occurs only in humid areas, which are characterized by a large number of precipitation. For example, numerous downpours, which often fall in the summer on the Abyssinian Highlands, supplying the Nile with water, lead to the river annually flooding the entire valley of the mouth. Despite the fact that the soil here is ideal for the development of agriculture, it is impossible to delay harvesting, otherwise it will be destroyed by the rising waters.
• Melting snow - the cause of flooding is the intense melting of the snow cover, when the water entering the ground is quickly directed to nearby rivers, sharply increasing the amount of water in them, as a result of which even a very small river increases in size many times over.
• Tsunamis - floods that bring with them tsunamis most often become catastrophic, often flooding the entire coast and going deep up to four kilometers. A tsunami is formed in the ocean as a result of a shift lithospheric plates Also, huge waves can form in lakes and bays after large landslides fall into them from a height.
• Raising the bottom - over time, any river accumulates sediment in places where it bends, which causes flooding. The depth of the river in these places decreases, but the flow expands, flooding the coastal strip.
• A reservoir breakthrough is an extremely destructive element, since the flow of water that breaks through is extremely strong, and therefore is not inferior in strength to a tsunami: it demolishes everything that is in its path, regardless of the weight of the object.

What are floods like?

Naturally, not all types of floods lead to catastrophic consequences. Those that occur most frequently are not as destructive as those that occur once every few decades, but the effects of such floods are felt over a significant period. Therefore, hydrologists, focusing on the consequences of floods, classified the elements into four groups and gave them a description.

Small floods created lowland rivers, cover small coastal areas, occur once every five to ten years, and the population easily copes with the consequences of floods of this type.

Floods classified as “Dangerous” are much more serious. They happen less frequently, once every 20-25 years. Covering fairly large areas of land located in river valleys, they cause significant material damage, flooding 10 to 20% of crops. In some cases, partial evacuation of the population is even required.

Floods, which hydrologists call “Particularly Dangerous,” occur once every fifty to hundred years. Having overflowed its banks, the river waters completely fill the river basins, destroying from 50 to 70% of crops, and in some cases, populated areas. As a result, all agricultural activities and the life of the region are paralyzed, and the way of life is sharply disrupted local residents, especially considering the fact that during particularly dangerous floods, mass evacuation of the inhabitants of the dangerous area is required.

The most dangerous types Floods in the world are classified as “Catastrophic” (this is the type of flood that befell China in the thirties of the last century). They flood the area of ​​one or more water systems, destroying almost all agricultural land, settlements (including cities), and causing massive loss of life. The country usually copes poorly with the consequences of floods of this scale and needs international assistance, since disasters often cause humanitarian catastrophe.

In addition to the classification according to the consequences of flooding, there are the following types of floods, based on the description of this phenomenon:

1. High water. This type of flood on the plains inundates low-lying areas and occurs in the spring during snowmelt or after rain. Usually refers to small floods, but in some cases, if the soil was very saturated with moisture in the fall and was very frozen in winter, the consequences of the floods can be catastrophic.
2. Flood. A rapid but short-term rise in water levels in rivers is called a leash. This type of flood can occur several times a year, as its occurrence is primarily influenced by heavy rainfall and, in some cases, rapid melting of snow during thaws.
3. Congestion. The jam forms in early spring due to the blockage of rivers by stationary ice block or several ice floes that slow down the river flow and cause water to rise above the ice. Floods of this type are characterized by a high but short rise in the water level in the river.
4. Gluttony. Ice flooding occurs due to an ice plug, which is a concentration of loose ice in narrowing areas of the river. During this flood, the water does not rise as much as during jams, but at the same time this flood lasts longer.
5. Wind surge. This flood is characterized by a large rise in water and is caused by wind. Since air flows need to properly disperse the wave to do this, the wind surge is usually fixed at sea ​​coast, at the mouth of the river, on large lakes and reservoirs. Predicting this flood is not easy, since it is characterized by a lack of periodicity and short duration.
6. Break in the reservoir. Floods of this type are formed due to the failure of a reservoir, dam, or dam. Despite their short duration, these floods are dangerous due to their suddenness and unpredictability, as a result of which a significant area is under water, and many objects that are in the path of the water are destroyed.

What to do in case of floods

To reduce the risk of occurrence and minimize the consequences of floods, flood protection is created in reservoirs - shallows are poured, riffles are deepened, and to regulate river flow, protective dams are built on the seashore, and reservoirs are built on rivers that level out the flow of the river flow, increasing it in summer and decreasing it in the spring.

Unlike other natural disasters, scientists predict the likelihood of a flood quite accurately (unless, of course, they are the result of events that are not easy to predict, such as a tsunami or a dam failure). Once warned of an impending disaster, people have time to put in place the necessary flood protection.

If a catastrophe of enormous proportions is coming, special services they begin to evacuate the population (however, these actions are not always successful, since many refuse to leave their homes).

People living in areas prone to floods must know the rules of behavior during floods in order to correctly calculate their actions in the conditions emergency situations. To do this, it is necessary to study in advance the boundaries of possible flooding, and also take into account all the hills and places that will be least affected by the elements, and where it will be possible to wait out the flood. It is also worth finding out in advance where boats, rafts or Construction Materials so that in case of disaster they can be made into a floating craft.

The danger zone should be left as soon as information about flooding appears. It is also worth taking with you a pre-prepared backpack with documents, medicines, valuables, warm clothes and a two-day supply of food. Before leaving the house, you need to turn off the electricity, turn off the gas, extinguish the fire in the stoves, it is advisable to secure light objects outside the room so that they do not float away. Window and door openings should be locked, and if possible, the outside should be covered with boards or shields.

If you can’t leave the house, you need to get out onto the roof and attach a banner so that rescuers know where to look for you. If it is night outside, you need to signal your location with a torch or flashlight. When rescuers approach, you need to calmly, without sudden movements, get into the rescue boat, and then listen to their instructions.

If there is no help, and the water remains and threatens to flood the shelter, you need to take a raft or an object that can be used instead of a floating device and swim in the right direction, not forgetting to send distress signals. If people are found in the water along the way, everything must be done to save them. To do this, you need to calm the drowning person down and then throw him a rope. If a person is in a state of panic and does not understand anything, you need to swim up to him from behind and tow him by the hair so that he cannot drown the rescuer.

Returning after a flood, before going home, you need to make sure that the building is strong and will not collapse, and then ventilate the room. Before turning on electrical appliances, or even lighting a match, be sure to check the gas pipeline, electrical wiring, as well as water supply and sewerage for serviceability (it is advisable to do these actions with specialists). After making sure that everything is in order, you need to pump out water from the basements, dry the rooms, and clean the wells from dirt.

People have long built cities near rivers, seas and other large bodies of water. They served as transport, a source of fish, and natural protection. Modern settlements have been preserved in place of old ones. But at the same time, some of them have become areas of flooding that occur on a regular basis. Why is this happening and what does it mean?

Essence

Most people probably know the biblical story about the Great Flood, in which almost all of humanity perished. Perhaps this in itself is an indicator that flooding is extremely dangerous phenomenon, bringing destruction, chaos and death to all living things. They may not look as impressive as earthquakes or typhoons, but their power should not be underestimated.

Flood is essentially the inundation of large areas due to various reasons. They can be either quite rapid or occur gradually. In other words, huge volumes of water end up where they shouldn't be - on land. There are several classifications of floods, both according to the criterion of danger or scale, and according to the consequences.

Quite often, floods accompany other natural disasters. Thus, an earthquake may be accompanied by a tsunami and subsequent flooding of coastal areas. After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans also experienced flooding, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

Causes of floods

They may occur due to various events, and this affects their character. If we talk about more or less general causes of floods, they can be as follows:

• Prolonged precipitation. Heavy and prolonged rains in low-lying areas create a situation where moisture simply has nowhere to go. If she doesn’t have time to leave, flooding results.
• Rapid melting of snow. Sometimes in spring the temperature rises very quickly and sharply. At this time, all the snow that fell during the winter begins to melt. If its volume is large, there is a danger of both local and fairly extensive flooding.
• Raising the bottom of reservoirs. In any river or lake, over time, some sediment appears in the form of remains of dead organisms and plants, silt, and sometimes even garbage. This can cause the seabed to rise and, accordingly, change the coastline, sometimes with flooding of areas that were previously out of danger.
• Reservoir breakthrough. Any engineering structures built by man have their own safety margin. Sometimes dams fail due to some event, and then we can expect a destructive, but rather short-lived flood.
• Tsunami. A wave formed in the ocean after strong tremors quite regularly devastates coastal areas, for example, in the countries of Southeast Asia.

An additional contributing factor to flooding can be clogged drains in the city's sewer system, which can result in consequences that are much more devastating than they otherwise would be. What could they be like?

Consequences

Flooding, as has already become clear, is no joke. It has some damaging factors. As you know, water is a universal solvent. With prolonged exposure to some materials, it can completely destroy them. Cracks appear in the walls of houses and agricultural crops are destroyed. Another serious danger is the wave itself, if the flood is fast enough. It literally demolishes the walls of buildings, leaving behind rubble, under which people remain. There is a special classification indicating the scale and danger of each specific flood:

• Small or low. They are observed when large rivers flood in low-lying, flat areas. They are characterized by a relatively small scale and practically do not affect the rhythm of life of the population.
• Dangerous. Cover up to 20% of agricultural land and quite large areas. Often lead to partial evacuation.
• Particularly dangerous. They disrupt the usual way of life and paralyze Agriculture, covering up to 70% of crops. Lead to mass evacuation.
• Catastrophic. Cause enormous moral and material damage, flooding one or more settlements, there are victims. Hundreds of thousands of people are being evacuated, and a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe is occurring.

Yes, a flood is not a sudden earthquake; you can often protect yourself from it. But it’s hard to argue with the fact that this is still an extremely dangerous phenomenon.

High Risk Areas

Low-lying areas, near which there are large bodies of water, are the first to be hit. For example, Venice is regularly flooded, despite any countermeasures. The same can be said about the Netherlands. The capital of this country, Amsterdam, has been battling the elements for a long time, fighting the sea for every meter of land. There are also areas in Egypt where the Nile overflows especially abundantly, but this happens regularly and naturally.

There are cities located at the mouths of large rivers or simply along their beds. Their residents also may not always feel safe.

Countermeasures

Fortunately, in most cases, scientists can more or less accurately predict flooding. In this case, the number of victims and casualties is significantly reduced, since it is usually possible to begin evacuation in time. If flooding is regular and not too large-scale, it makes sense to build special buildings: dams and sluices that can protect the city from rising water levels. When flooding has already happened, all that remains is to clear the rubble and save people while waiting for the moisture to subside.

People who are aware of the increased risk of flooding in their area should also be familiar with what to do in the event of a disaster. First of all, it is worth studying the location of the hills and the safest places nearby. If there is information about a disaster, you must follow everything recommended by local authorities. If they tell you to stay at home, you should do so. If evacuation is organized, instructions must be followed. Before leaving the house, you need to turn off all communications as much as possible and secure light items.

Floods in Russia

The areas in the Russian Federation where flooding occurs most frequently are St. Petersburg and Krasnodar region. In the latter region, this natural disaster occurs almost every year. The last major one happened in 2012, when the city of Krymsk suffered the most from the disaster, which was almost completely destroyed.

In 2013, a large-scale natural disaster was observed in Far East. It was due to the fact that in about a month more than the annual norm of precipitation fell over the territory, as a result of which the rivers overflowed their banks. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the previous winter was very snowy, and spring came late, so the hydraulic systems were already saturated. Despite the enormous scale of the flood, no deaths were reported in Russia, while in China the number of victims and missing people was almost 200.

In St. Petersburg, hydrologists have been closely monitoring the behavior of rivers and canals for many years, tracking the slightest rise in water levels. Fortunately, in last years serious problems was not observed.