What is flood and how dangerous is it?

Over the past few years, in the Russian Federation, due to large-scale floods , many major natural disasters have occurred. In addition to significant material damage, the elements even took human lives. Regular news bulletins that are broadcasted by central television channels were full of words and terms that are understandable only to weather forecasters. What is flood and how can it be dangerous? Not every inhabitant of our country knows the answer to this question.

Determination of flood and its main causes

So, what is flood? The definition of this term is quite simple, it is the highest level of the river at a certain time of the year, and repeats itself from season to season, that is, having a certain regularity, which can be predicted in advance with allowance for minor fluctuations. The term "high water" has an antonym - "meadow", which comes on the river in the droughty period, and is also quite dangerous for the surrounding nature.

In fact, it is not enough to know what is flood, it is also necessary to understand its causes. Scientists in this issue are divided into two main areas:

• Flood in connection with the thawing of snows. Typical for rivers in mountain regions, usually runs from late February to mid-July.
• Flooding due to certain climatic conditions (rainfall of the river). The situation of this nature is most vividly illustrated by the floods in the Far East.

In some cases, these two reasons can be interrelated. Rivers, whose water level depends on the melting of snow, can be forecasted even in winter. So, experts take into account such characteristics as the height of the snow cover, the degree of freezing of the soil and much more.

Experienced people know what the flood of the river is. Under certain unpleasant conditions, it can lead to flooding, a significant flooding of the vicinity of the reservoir. Most often, similar situations in Russia occur in the Primorsky and Krasnodar regions, on the Yenisei, Oka and Lena rivers .

One should not only understand what is flood, it is very important to know how to act during its offensive. If your home is in a potential danger zone, first-aid items must be collected and kept at hand. They include documents, a mobile phone, money, a minimum of warm clothes and food, the necessary medicines. It is necessary to provide in advance and remember the evacuation plan, take care of the presence of a raft or materials for its emergency creation. During heavy flooding or flooding, it is forbidden to overcome water by swimming at a level of more than 1 meter above the ground. If a distress signal sounds, it is necessary to act calmly, but without delay, any delay may pose a potential hazard to the life and health of all those living in the risk zone.

What to do during a strong flood?

Leaving the house, if possible, it is necessary to perform a number of actions to ensure the safety of their property:

• Turn off electricity;
• Shut off the gas;
• As much as possible to fix all large objects;
• Values that can not be taken with you, put on top shelves, lofts, in a closed closet, tightly packed;
• Windows and doors to close with the help of boards, gratings.

When emergency evacuation during a flood, observe the basic rule - listen to the crew of the rescue crew.

What to do after the descent?

Knowing and understanding what the flood is, what its scale can be, be careful and after the water runs off. So, going back to buildings, especially private homes, you should make sure of their integrity and the absence of the possibility of collapse. Do not include light in the house, do not use gas until you are convinced of the integrity of the main communications. Before entering the premises must be carefully cleaned and dried, spoiled things thrown out, just like all the products that were inside the flooded apartment.

What is dangerous flood in the spring?

What is the spring flood, than it differs from the usual increase in the water level in the river, what is dangerous? As a rule, it begins even at a time when ice can lie on a pond in an insignificant amount. Despite the visual strength, it is already very thin and does not withstand the slightest load. Special attention in this case should be paid to small children who like to play around rivers and ponds.