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Positive Effects of Floods
By Doug Donald; Updated October 25, 2017

People have come to regard floods as disasters in terms of lives lost and property
damaged. Humans have altered the flow of natural waterways to meet their needs but
with sometimes disastrous consequences. Though floods can be devastating to
population centers, they have always been an integral part of nature's renewal process,
providing many long-term positive effects.

Renewal of Wetlands
Floods contribute to the health of ecologically important wetland areas. Healthy
wetlands promote healthy water supplies and even affect air quality. Floods inundate
wetlands with fresh waste. They also carry and deposit nutrient-rich sediments that
support both plant and animal life in wetlands. In addition, flooding adds nutrients to
lakes and streams that help support healthy fisheries.

Returning Nutrients to Soil

Floods distribute and deposit river sediments over large areas of land. These river
sediments replenish nutrients in topsoil and make agricultural lands more fertile. The
populations of many ancient civilizations concentrated along the floodplains of rivers
such as the Nile, the Tigris and the Yellow because periodic flooding resulted in fertile,
productive farmland. The construction of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt prevented the
Nile from flooding major population centers downriver, but it also depleted once fertile
agricultural lands along the banks of the river.

Preventing Erosion and Maintaining Land Mass

Elevation
Soil deposited by flood waters prevents erosion and helps maintain the elevation of land
masses above sea level. The rapidly receding land of the Mississippi River Delta is a
direct result of man-made flood controls and levees that prevent topsoil-replenishing
sediments from being deposited in the delta.

Recharge and Replenish Ground Water

Many population centers depend upon ground water and underground aquifers for
fresh water. Flood waters absorb into the ground and percolate down through the rock
to recharge these underground aquifers, which supply natural springs, wells, rivers and
lakes with fresh water.

Reference

Floods
Floods are among Earth's most common–and most
destructive–natural hazards.

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F L O O D S 1 0 1 No other kind of natural disaster in America has caused more death

and destruction than floods.

There are few places on Earth where people need not be concerned about flooding. Any place
where rain falls is vulnerable, although rain is not the only impetus for flood.

Latest News
West Japan is experiencing widespread flooding after Typhoon Lan touched down in late
October 2017. The powerful storm resulted in landslides, torrential rain, and massive waves that
injured over ninety people and left three dead.

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How Floods Develop

A flood occurs when water overflows or inundates land that's normally dry. This can happen in a
multitude of ways. Most common is when rivers or streams overflow their banks. Excessive rain,
a ruptured dam or levee, rapid ice melting in the mountains, or even an unfortunately placed
beaver dam can overwhelm a river and send it spreading over the adjacent land, called a
floodplain. Coastal flooding occurs when a large storm or tsunami causes the sea to surge
inland.

Most floods take hours or even days to develop, giving residents ample time to prepare or
evacuate. Others generate quickly and with little warning. These flash floods can be extremely
dangerous, instantly turning a babbling brook into a thundering wall of water and sweeping
everything in its path downstream.

Disaster experts classify floods according to their likelihood of occurring in a given time period. A
hundred-year flood, for example, is an extremely large, destructive event that would theoretically
be expected to happen only once every century. But this is a theoretical number. In reality, this
classification means there is a one-percent chance that such a flood could happen in any given
year. Over recent decades, possibly due to global climate change, hundred-year floods have
been occurring worldwide with frightening regularity.

Impact of Flooding
 0:00

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RARE FOOTAGE OF SOME OF THE WORLD'S WORST

NATURAL DISASTERS

Moving water has awesome destructive power. When a river overflows its banks or the sea
drives inland, structures poorly equipped to withstand the water's strength are no match. Bridges,
houses, trees, and cars can be picked up and carried off. The erosive force of moving water can
drag dirt from under a building's foundation, causing it to crack and tumble.

In the United States, where flood mitigation and prediction is advanced, floods do about $6 billion
worth of damage and kill about 140 people every year. A 2007 report by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development found that coastal flooding alone does some $3 trillion
in damage worldwide. In China's Yellow River valley, where some of the world's worst floods
have occurred, millions of people have perished in floods during the last century.

When floodwaters recede, affected areas are often blanketed in silt and mud. The water and
landscape can be contaminated with hazardous materials, such as sharp debris, pesticides, fuel,
and untreated sewage. Potentially dangerous mold blooms can quickly overwhelm water-soaked
structures. Residents of flooded areas can be left without power and clean drinking water,
leading to outbreaks of deadly waterborne diseases like typhoid, hepatitis A, and cholera.

But flooding, particularly in river floodplains, is as natural as rain and has been occurring for
millions of years. Famously fertile floodplains like the Mississippi Valley in the American Midwest,
the Nile River valley in Egypt, and the Tigris-Euphrates in the Middle East have supported
agriculture for millennia because annual flooding has left millions of tons of nutrient-rich silt
deposits behind.

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View Images
LIGHTNING STRIKES

A supercell thunderstorm strikes in South Dakota. Among the most severe storms,
supercells can bring strong winds, hail, and even tornadoes. (See more extreme weather
pictures.)

Photograph by Jim Reed, National Geographic

WINTER WONDERLAND

A gondola carries skiers to the top of Lincoln Peak in Green Mountain National Forest,
Vermont. This icy scene ran in a 1967 issue of National Geographic.

Photograph by B. Anthony Stewart, National Geographic Creative

A HARD RAIN

A man rides through four inches of rain in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, in this photo from a
1969 issue of National Geographic.

Photograph by Bruce Dale, National Geographic

WIND FIRST, THEN RAIN

Women shield themselves against strong winds that precede the monsoon in Rajasthan,
India, in this 1984 National Geographic photo.
Photograph by Steve McCurry, National Geographic Creative
PURPLE RAIN

Lightning strikes the Sand Hills of Ogallala, Nebraska, in 1990.

Photograph by Jim Richardson, National Geographic Creative

WAITING FOR THE STORM

Farmers watch growing storm clouds in the Sand Hills of Ogallala, Nebraska, in 2003.

Photograph by Jim Richardson, National Geographic Creative

AN ENCROACHING STORM

Rain clouds roll over a caramel-colored river in Wyndham, Australia.

Photograph by Randy Olson, National Geographic Creative

NO EXIT

Hurricane Dennis whipped Key West, Florida, with winds up to 90 miles an hour in 2005.

Photograph by Mike Theiss, National Geographic Creative

AFTER THE STORM

This photo from a 2006 issue of National Geographic shows Hurricane Rita’s destruction
in Holly Beach, Louisiana. The vacation spot was completely leveled by the storm.

Photograph by David Burnett, National Geographic Creative

POURING RAIN

A rainstorm drenches the streets of Dharavi, India, in 2006.

Photograph by Jonas Bendiksen, National Geographic Creative

AFTERNOON STORM

A thunderstorm pelts the Flint Hills in Strong City, Kansas.

Photograph by Jim Richardson, National Geographic Creative

A SPRING SNOWFALL

Yaks graze during a spring snowstorm along the Yalong River in China.

Photograph by Michael Yamashita, National Geographic Creative

WHITEOUT

Sledders climb a hill during a snowstorm in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Photograph by John Burnett, National Geographic

Most flood destruction is attributable to humans' desire to live near picturesque coastlines and in
river valleys. Aggravating the problem is a tendency for developers to backfill and build on
wetlands that would otherwise act as natural flood buffers.

Many governments mandate that residents of flood-prone areas purchase flood insurance and
build flood-resistant structures. Massive efforts to mitigate and redirect inevitable floods have
resulted in some of the most ambitious engineering efforts ever seen, including New Orleans's
extensive levee system and massive dikes and dams in the Netherlands. And highly advanced
computer modeling now lets disaster authorities predict with amazing accuracy where floods will
occur and how severe they're likely to be
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/floods/

After the floods: Water-borne and vector-borne diseases

// News / News and Features

Natural disasters are not the monopoly of any one country.

Sometimes it is not the event itself but the aftermath that harms more lives. Frequent fallouts of
floods, especially when they occur in the heat of the summer, are water-borne diseases and
vector-borne diseases.
In the summer of 2005, two large, well documented, and somewhat similar floods occured in
Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, and New Orleans, U.S.A. From an infectious disease
standpoint, what followed immediately after these events is typical.
Mumbai is a city of 18 million people, located on the west coast of India, surrounded on three sides
by the Arabian Sea. One day this past July, the area received nearly one meter of rain. In the
resulting floods, some 900 humans and thousands of animals died, and millions were displaced
from their homes.
New Orleans is a city of 600,000 people, located on the southern coast of the United States, by the
Gulf of Mexico, and criss-crossed by a myriad of waterways. When Hurricane Katrina moved inland
off the Gulf of Mexico and into Lousiana in August, the rains and the subsequent destruction of the
seawall resulted in the flooding of most of New Orleans. The number of dead could end up in the
thousands and the entire city needs to be evacuated.
Both floods occurred in warm, humid climates, and saw sewage and corpses floating in the streets.
Such breakdowns in sanitation systems and contamination of drinking water evoke fears of water-
borne diseases, which are contracted by either drinking or coming into direct contact with
contaminated water. The incubation period, the time between when the person is exposed to the
contaminated water and symptoms of the illness arise, can range between a few days to several
weeks. The general symptoms include fever, stomach cramps and diarrhea. In developing
countries, many of the affected are children, a significant number of whom die from dehydration,
malnutrition, other complications, and lack of antibiotics. The World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates that each year nearly two million children worldwide die from such diarrheal diseases,
most under five years of age.

Water-borne disease
Different types of water-borne diseases are prevalent in different parts of the world. For example,
this time in Mumbai, one water-borne disease expected was cholera. New Orleans, however, is
expecting to see mostly cases of hepatitis A.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection, contracted by drinking water or eating food contaminated
with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Incubation period is usually two to three days. Symptoms
include profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Rapid loss of body fluids can lead to dehydration
and shock, and without treatment, death can occur within hours. Common treatment is
replacement of lost fluids and electrolytes using oral rehydration solution. Severe cases may
require intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Cholera is endemic to India: the WHO estimates roughly
25,000 cases a year, with a fatality rate of 1%. From time to time, the U.S. has also had cases of
cholera, usually along the Gulf of Mexico.
Hepatitis A is inflammation of the liver caused by the virus hepatitis A. The incubation period is 15-
45 days, before the first signs of illness appear. Symptoms are largely flu-like: fatigue, loss of
appetite, nausea, low-grade fever, pale stools, dark urine. Skin and eyes may also become yellow
because the liver is unable to process the bilirubin in the blood. Treatment involves rest, and
avoiding alcohol and fatty/oily foods. Recovery generally takes three to six months. Several
effective vaccines are also available, and in August 2005 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
reduced the permissible age for vaccination from two years of age to one. The U.S. sees about
9000 cases of hepatitis A yearly.
In Mumbai the July floods have already resulted in some 150 deaths due to water-borne diseases.
Most of these deaths were because of one specific but lesser known water-borne disease called
leptospirosis, caused by exposure to water contaminated with animal urine: many people had to
wade through neck-deep contaminated water to get to safety. The symptoms are high fever,
severe headaches, muscle pain, chills and vomiting. The U.S. government's Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) have also recently added leptospirosis as another possible illness to
expect in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Vector-borne disease
Now, several weeks after the floods in Mumbai, the incidence of water-borne disease is on the
wane but there are rising cases of vector-borne diseases. Vector-borne diseases are those that are
transmitted to humans by an insect. They are often caused by the mosquitos that breed in the
stagnant waters, such as those left behind after a flood. Mumbai is seeing rising cases of malaria.
In New Orleans, with the receding of the floodwaters, U.S. health officials fear an increase in cases
of the West Nile virus.
Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. The parasites migrate to
the liver of the patient and then enter the bloodstream, infecting the red blood cells. The
incubation period is one to three weeks. Symptoms include fever, chills, headaches, muscle pain,
and anemia. Several types of anti-malarial drugs are available. The CDC estimates there are about
300 million cases of malaria worldwide each year, of which more than one million die, mostly
children. India has about two million cases a year, of whom 650 die.
The West Nile virus is another disease transmitted by mosquitoes. The incubation period is two to
15 days. Most people infected with the virus will not experience any symptoms, some will
experience mild flu-like symptoms, and less than 1% will develop a severe form of the disease
 which affects the central nervous system. No specific treatment exists, or is needed, unless the
central nervous system is affected. The U.S. sees about 2500 cases a year and about 100 deaths.
India has its own version of the West Nile virus, a related disease called Japanese encephalitis.
Parts of northern India are experiencing an outbreak of it this year, in which over 2000 children
are affected and already over 500 have died.

Combating water-borne and vector-borne diseases

Many water-borne illnesses are bacterial in nature and can be fought with antibiotics; however
rehydration is also a major aspect of the treatment. In its Flooding and Communicable Diseases
Fact Sheet, the WHO suggests several ways to combat water-borne diseases:
 Use clean drinking water.
 Water can also be purified by boiling or treating with chlorine.
 Use oral rehydration salts to treat dehydration.
 Use appropriate antibiotics to combat bacterial infection.
 Use analgesics to reduce fever.
 Wash hands well with soap and clean water.
 Wash any unpackaged food in clean water. Avoid any food that may have come into contact with
contaminated flood water.
 Wash all clothing that has been in contact with contaminated flood water.
 Disinfect all children's toys that have been in contact with contaminated flood water.
 Vaccinate against hepatitis A.
The CDC suggests the following ways to protect against vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile
virus:
 Use insect repellent with DEET, picardin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
 Be especially wary at dawn and dusk because more mosquitoes are active then. Wear long
sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors.
 Put screens on open windows and use nets over beds.
 Drain standing water.
In both India and the U.S., such floods are not one-off events. In India, the Monsoon rains sweep
across the country each year from June to September, often flooding various parts of the country.
The resulting breakdown of the sanitation system and contaminated water cause water-borne
diseases. Later, the stagnant water is a breeding ground for vector-borne diseases. In a more
developed country like the U.S., such diseases generally occur to a lesser degree and in a more
controlled manner, except when struck by a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina.
Better preparation against water-borne and vector-borne diseases is necessary on both sides of
the world to ride out the upcoming storms and the resulting floods, and to minimize risk and
damage to human health and life.
4/11/2011

Communicable Diseases Working Group on Emergencies. Flooding and Communicable Disease Fact
Sheet. World Health Organization. Available from:
http://www.who.int/hac/techguidance/ems/flood_cds/en/ [accessed 2005 Oct 4]
World Health Organization. Cholera. Available from: http://www.who.int/topics/cholera/en/
[accessed 2005 Oct 4]
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation. Global Water Supply
and Sanitation Assessment 2000 Report. World Health Organization and United Nations Children's
Fund; 2000. Available from:
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/globalassess/en/index.html [accessed
2005 Oct 4]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fight the Bite! Avoid Mosquito Bites to Avoid Infection.
Department of Health & Human Services, U.S.A. Available from:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/prevention_info.htm [accessed 2005 Oct 4]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frequently Asked Questions about Malaria.
Department of Health & Human Services, U.S.A. Available from:
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/faq.htm [accessed 2005 Oct 4]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information for Clinical and Laboratory Support for
Diagnosis, Management and Treatment of Leptospirosis in the Aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S.A. Available from:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/katrina/leptoclin.asp [accessed 2005 Oct 4]
http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/En/News/NewsAndFeatures/Pages/After-the-floods-Water-borne-
and-vector-borne-diseases.aspx