Facts About Floods

  • Flooding is the most frequent type of natural disaster in the United States – although flooding isn’t always a natural disaster.
  • Floods can happen any time of the year, not just during rainy season.

Floods can happen even during times of extreme drought.

  • Areas that have recently experienced a fire are more prone to flooding when it rains.
  • Just two feet of rushing water can move a vehicle – including SUVs and trucks!
  • Most standard homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood damage..
  • There are five types of flood events:
    1. Aerial flooding – caused by heavy rainfall or snowmelt.
    2. Catastrophic flooding – caused by structural failure of a levee or dam.
    3. Coastal flooding – caused by rising sea levels from a storm surge, typically (but not always) caused by a hurricane.
    4. Riverine flooding – caused by water overflowing from rivers, streams, lakes, or ponds.
    5. Urban flooding – caused by an overwhelmed drainage system or storm sewer system.