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Flooding Effects: Loss of Lives

Flooding can have devastating effects, including loss of life, property damage, economic impacts, and psychosocial effects. It is the number one cause of severe weather deaths, killing hundreds each year by drowning, destroying buildings, or causing waterborne illnesses. Floods also cause extensive property damage by washing away cars and damaging buildings, foundations and infrastructure. The economic impact on communities is immense, hindering business and development through damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure as well as the high costs of relief and recovery. Flooding can also cause lasting trauma through loss of homes and lives.

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69 views

Flooding Effects: Loss of Lives

Flooding can have devastating effects, including loss of life, property damage, economic impacts, and psychosocial effects. It is the number one cause of severe weather deaths, killing hundreds each year by drowning, destroying buildings, or causing waterborne illnesses. Floods also cause extensive property damage by washing away cars and damaging buildings, foundations and infrastructure. The economic impact on communities is immense, hindering business and development through damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure as well as the high costs of relief and recovery. Flooding can also cause lasting trauma through loss of homes and lives.

Uploaded by

Ken Zi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Flooding Effects

No matter what causes of a flood, it can have devastating effects on your


community. There are actually many dangerous flooding effects. Besides
physical danger, floods also cause economic and social problems. In this section,
we’ll cover the most common flood effects.
Loss Of Lives
The gravest effect of flooding is death. In fact, flooding is the number one severe
weather killer. Floods have claimed thousands of lives throughout history. But
how does flooding kill?
Floods kill by carrying people away in fast-moving water or drowning them. It only
takes six inches of water to wash a person away. Floods can also kill people by
destroying buildings and creating unsafe environments. One often-overlooked
deadly effect of flooding comes from waterborne illnesses.
From 2010 to 2018, the National Weather Service recorded hundreds of flooding
deaths across the United States. Texas saw most of those deaths, with the 8-
year total sitting at 212 fatalities.
Property Damage
Since it only takes two feet of flood water to wash a car away, flooding can also
cause great loss of property. Surely you’ve seen images of cars floating away in
flood waters. This is why it is so important to avoid flooded areas when driving.
You don’t want to be in your car when it gets washed away in the flood!
Flooding also causes property damage to buildings by blowing out windows,
sweeping away doors, corroding walls and foundations, and sending debris into
infrastructure at a fast pace. Not to mention the furniture and items inside a home
or business that are damaged when flood waters make it inside. 
Economic Impacts
The economic impact of flooding can be devastating to a community. This comes
from damage and disruption to things like communication towers, power plants,
roads, and bridges. This brings business activities in an area to a standstill.
Oftentimes, major flooding results in dislocation and dysfunction of normal life
long after flood waters recede.
Flooding hinders economic growth and development because of
the high cost of relief and recovery associated with floods.
In frequently flooded areas, there is less likely to be any investment in
infrastructure and other developed activities.
Psychosocial Flooding Effects
Flooding can also create lasting trauma for victims. The loss of loved ones or
homes can take a steep emotional toll, especially on children. Displacement from
one’s home and loss of livelihood can cause continuing stress and produce
lasting psychological impacts.

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