Current:Home > StocksWhat causes flash floods and why are they so dangerous?-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
What causes flash floods and why are they so dangerous?
View Date:2024-12-23 20:41:14
An entire summer's worth of rain hit parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and New England over the course of just a few hours this week. Some of the flooding was so powerful it damaged roads, bridges and homes. One woman in New York was killed and heavy rains in the region continue to fuel dangerous floods.
Nationally, floods are the most common natural disaster and flash flooding is the most dangerous type. So far this year, flooding has killed 34 people in the U.S. — 24 of those people died while driving. Since 1980, flood damage in the U.S. has on average cost more than $4 billion every year.
What causes flash floods?
Flash floods develop when heavy rains hit in a short time. If there's more rain than the ground or sewage can absorb, that extra water flows downhill — a flash flood. Flash flooding can happen anywhere in the country and is most common in low-lying areas with poor drainage. These floods can develop within minutes and can even occur miles away from where a storm hits.
Most infrastructure systems across the country are not designed to handle the level of precipitation that has hit the Northeast, Janey Camp, a research progressor and director of Vanderbilt University's Engineering Center for Transportation and Operational Resiliency, told CBS News.
"We've been on borrowed time for a while," she said. "Infrastructure in general is designed based on historical information and the trends no longer align with historical data."
Camp, who is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers Committee on America's Infrastructure, helped write the group's 2023 report that gave the country's stormwater infrastructure a D grade.
How does climate change affect flash floods?
A warmer atmosphere holds more water and leads to heavier rainfall, which dumps water quickly, rather than gradually across a season.
For every 1.8-degree Fahrenheit increase in global temperatures, the atmosphere can hold 7% more water. And Earth's temperature has, on average, risen nearly 2 degrees since 1880.
So as global temperatures rise, flash flooding gets more severe and more common. At the same time, drought is spreading across the U.S., which creates dry ground that struggles to absorb heavy amounts of rainfall.
Experts predict flash flooding will become more common and more severe in the U.S., particularly in the Mississippi River Valley, Midwest and Northeast.
"We know the climate is changing. There's still a lot of uncertainty with exactly what will happen, but we do know one thing is very true: that it will be very unpredictable from season to season. We'll see the extremes become more extreme," said Joshua Faulkner, research assistant professor and Farming and Climate Change Program Coordinator at The Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Vermont.
Why are they so dangerous?
Flash flood waters can move more quickly than coastal or river flooding. Six inches of fast-moving water is powerful enough to sweep adults off their feet, while 12 inches can carry away cars and 18 to 24 inches can carry away trucks and SUVs. According to FEMA, nearly half of all flash flood fatalities are auto-related.
Flood waters can carry dangerous debris and contaminants like raw sewage, agriculture waste or chemicals. They can bring down still-active power lines and spread disease by polluting water sources.
What should you do in a flash flood?
The best way to stay safe from flash flooding, experts and officials say, is to be prepared, heed warnings and stay away from flood waters.
If local officials issue an evacuation warning, leave immediately via your community's evacuation routes. If you're driving through a flash flood and your vehicle stalls, immediately abandon it and seek higher ground. If you're in need of shelter, find the nearest Red Cross location.
Know if your community is prone to flooding, have a go-bag, waterproof important documents, buy flood insurance and have an emergency plan for you and your family, pets included.
Camp said those who can afford to be prepared, do so — so when disaster strikes, first responders can give their attention to the people who need it most.
- In:
- Climate Change
- Severe Weather
CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy.
TwitterveryGood! (868)
Related
- Dick Van Dyke says he 'fortunately' won't be around for Trump's second presidency
- Saltwater Luxe Floral Dresses Will Be Your New Go-Tos All Summer Long
- Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny Were Twinning During Night Out at Lakers Game
- Illinois becomes first state in U.S. to outlaw book bans in libraries: Regimes ban books, not democracies
- 'I know how to do math': New Red Lobster CEO says endless shrimp deal is not coming back
- Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny's Latest Date Night Proves They're In Sync
- Kit Keenan Shares The Real Reason She’s Not Following Mom Cynthia Rowley Into Fashion
- Damar Hamlin is discharged from Buffalo hospital and will continue rehab at home
- Only 8 monkeys remain free after more than a week outside a South Carolina compound
- China's COVID surge prompts CDC to expand a hunt for new variants among air travelers
Ranking
- Tom Brady Admits He Screwed Up as a Dad to Kids With Bridget Moynahan and Gisele Bündchen
- 27 Stars Share Their Go-To Sunscreen: Sydney Sweeney, Olivia Culpo, Garcelle Beauvais, and More
- Saudi Arabia’s Solar Ambitions Still Far Off, Even With New Polysilicon Plant
- 5 low-key ways to get your new year off to a healthy start
- Deommodore Lenoir contract details: 49ers ink DB to $92 million extension
- Italy’s Green Giant Enel to Tap Turkey’s Geothermal Reserves
- Can Trump Revive Keystone XL? Nebraskans Vow to Fight Pipeline Anew
- Did Damar Hamlin experience commotio cordis? What to know about the rare phenomenon
Recommendation
-
'Climate change is real': New York parks employee killed as historic drought fuels blazes
-
Here's How North West and Kim Kardashian Supported Tristan Thompson at a Lakers Game
-
Thwarted Bingaman Still Eyeing Clean Energy Standard in Next Congress
-
Donald Trump’s Record on Climate Change
-
Can I take on 2 separate jobs in the same company? Ask HR
-
It’s Not Just Dakota Access. Many Other Fossil Fuel Projects Delayed or Canceled, Too
-
A U.N. report has good and dire news about child deaths. What's the take-home lesson?
-
FEMA Flood Maps Ignore Climate Change, and Homeowners Are Paying the Price