• Frequently asked questions about floodsflood image by brelsbil from Fotolia.com
  
  Providing some of the most dangerous weather conditions, floods tend to strike in a hurry. Without warning, large areas can be devastated by floods--damaging cities, homes, and buildings. Understanding how floods work and their causes are some of the best preventative measures to be ready for them when they strike.
  
  

What are the flooding dangers from hurricanes and tropical storms?

• Some of the worst flooding can be attributed to very quick downpours that occur on very short notice--often caused by tropical storms and hurricanes. On top of the high winds and debris, flooding is the most damaging component of these storms. Heavy rainfall can occur far inland, sometimes reaching hundreds of miles.
  
  Often, for tropical storms especially, rainfall and flooding tends to collect into one place. One such example was in 2001 when the tropical storm Allison caused 30 inches of rain in Houston within only a couple of days. The massive amount of rain contributed to more than 2,700 destroyed homes and over 70,000 houses that received flood damage.
  
  

What are some of the most dangerous seasons on the West Coast for flooding?

• The Western Coastal portion of the United States is an area that is very prone to receiving lots of rainfall during certain periods of the year. During the months of November through April, heavy flooding occurs frequently on the west coast. The floods are often considered extra dangerous due to the facts that they often create mudslides--which are prone to areas that have been deprived of vegetation, normally caused by wildfires in the same regions. To counteract flooding, thousands of miles on the west coast have levees that are designed to protect homes from flooding.
  
  

What is a flash flood?

• Flash floods are considered the number one most devastating weather killer within the United States. Flash floods consist of very rapid rises in water-levels, that normally occur in low-lying areas of land, caused from very intense rainfall from severe thunderstorms in a short duration of time. The thunderstorms that cause flash flooding can also tear out trees and destroy buildings. Flash floods can occur within a few hours, often accumulating within only 6 hours.