Flooding
Floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States, and may occur during any month of the year in North Carolina. A flood is defined when water overflows onto land that is normally dry. Not all floods are alike; they happen on different scales of space and time. The main types of floods are:
Source: Hurricane Ivan | WikiMedia
Flash floods can occur within a few minutes or hours of heavy rainfall or from a dam or levee failure. These floods can destroy structures, knock down trees, roll boulders, and create new waterways.
Floods can be magnified in urban areas. As land is converted from fields and woodlands to roads and parking lots, it loses its ability to absorb rainfall. During periods of urban flooding, streets can become swift moving rivers.
Flat areas near rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs are vulnerable to river floods. Some river floods occur when winter or spring rains fill river basins with too much water too quickly. These floods can also happen when storm systems move slowly or from heavy rains associated with hurricanes or tropical systems.
Area floods are long-lived and do not usually threaten life. Standing water in flat areas, such as an open field, is just one example of an area flood. Area floods can cause damage to crops and cause livestock to become displaced. In addition, the standing water from this type of flooding can serve as a breeding ground for insects and diseases.
Did You Know?
The state record for 24-hour precipitation of 22.22” has stood since 1916. However, a rainfall total of 18.00 inches in Southport, NC (Brunswick County) from Hurricane Floyd in 1999 came close to challenging the record. The same area that was impacted by the Flood of 1916 saw a similar event when heavy rains from Hurricanes Frances and Ivan moved over western North Carolina in 2004.