Clean-up activities following floods often pose hazards to workers and volunteers involved in the effort. Potential dangers include electrical hazards , carbon monoxide exposure, musculoskeletal hazards , heat or cold stress, motor vehicle-related dangers, fire, drowning, and exposure to hazardous materials. In planning for and reacting to flood disasters, managers provide workers with hard hats, goggles, heavy work gloves, life jackets, and watertight boots with steel toes and insoles.
Europe is at the forefront of the flood control technology. With many countries around Europe at or below the sea level, the problems of floods and rising sea levels are ever increasing. Countries like the Netherlands with projects such as the Zuiderzee works and the Delta works could prove to be important models for other countries around the world to follow.
These sorts of humongous projects could be key in combating the increasing effects of global climate change such as: rising sea levels, an increase in the frequency and severity of some natural disasters, and even increased durations of dry or rainy seasons. The tremendous amount of damage that Katrina did to New Orleans could have been mostly prevented if New Orleans had such an intricate flood control system as the Netherlands.
The result of Katrina was that the state of Louisiana sent politicians to the Netherlands to take a tour of the complex and highly developed flood control system in place in the Netherlands.
Even though many of these projects around the world are designed to fight floods like a or even 10, year flood; these projects can still prove to be key instruments in the fight against global climate change. The Netherlands is the world leader in flood control and has been battling the sea for centuries and new ways to deal with water are constantly being developed and tested. Projects such as the underground storage of water, storing water in reservoirs in large parking garages 9 , and even something as simple as turning a playground during normal conditions into a small lake during heavy rainfall weather all show how the Netherlands is actively trying to combat the increasing dangers of rising sea levels.
China has recently gone to the Netherlands and requested their help in combating the large scale drought that is occurring around China. The Dutch are going to help China develop a drought warning system as well as new water management programs and contribute to flood defense research. Flood control will become an ever increasing issue in world politics and as more and more countries start feeling the effects of a global increase in the sea level then it will be time for action and the Netherlands will certainly be at the forefront of this action and furthermore used as an example for many countries when it is time for them to start dealing with issues of the sea.
There are many disruptive effects of flooding on human settlements and economic activities. However, flooding can bring benefits, such as making soil more fertile and providing nutrients in which it is deficient.
Periodic flooding was essential to the well-being of ancient communities along the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers , the Nile River , the Indus River , the Ganges and the Yellow River , among others.
The viability for hydrologically based renewable sources of energy is higher in flood-prone regions. This article has been created using materials from Wikipedia - Click here to read the related Wikipedia article on Flood control.
Zoran Vojinovic and Michael B. Emergency Planning Strategy. Flood Control and Disaster Management Flood control refers to all methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters Wikipedia. Causes of Floods Floods are caused by many factors: heavy precipitation, severe winds over water, unusual high tides, tsunamis, or failure of dams, levels, retention ponds, or other structures that contained the water. Periodic floods occur on many rivers, forming a surrounding region known as the flood plain.
Severe winds over water Even when rainfall is relatively light, the shorelines of lakes and bays can be flooded by severe winds—such as during hurricanes—that blow water into the shore areas. Unusual high tides Coastal areas are sometimes flooded by unusually high tides, such as spring tides, especially when compounded by high winds and storm surges. Effects of Floods Flooding has many impacts. Control of Floods Some methods of flood control have been practiced since ancient times.
But the issue of whether rivers should be dredged is not clear-cut. The Environment Agency says that while dredging can improve general land drainage, it cannot prevent rivers from flooding, due to the huge volumes of water involved. Professor Dan Parsons from the University of Hull says: "it is the water surface slope of the river, rather than the river bed that is most important in moving water through a landscape.
In lowland reaches, where rivers meet tidal forces, dredging can actually make matters worse by reducing this surface slope. Dredging is also costly, sometimes harmful to the environment, and can weaken riverbanks as well as the foundations of bridges and weirs.
After a major flood, large volumes of silt may accumulate in slow-flowing areas and the river may need to be dredged repeatedly. The money is due to be available from April this year and will help build 2, new flood and coastal defence schemes. The funding was announced after a series of floods caused major damage in the Midlands, Wales and South Yorkshire.
Flooding can come from all sorts of water sources, including groundwater, reservoirs and surface water. But cities and towns that lie on rivers or near the sea are most at risk. Generally speaking, increased rainfall causes flooding inland, while high tides and storms are behind much coastal flooding - and both can happen together.
Flooding has always been an occasional part of life in such areas, but experts warn that climate change is worsening the situation. In early , Environment Agency chairwoman Emma Howard Boyd said that some communities might eventually have to move entirely. Researchers have also warned that coastal areas in Northern Europe are also at higher risk of flooding in the coming years because of rising temperatures. Flood planners 'must prepare for worst'.
Farmers urged to do more over floods. Flooding 'devastating' to villagers. Agency 'worked socks off' for floods. Minister faces anger over flooding. Farmers protest against subsidy cuts. Water is usually stored in a reservoir behind the dam.
This water can then be used to generate hydroelectric power or for recreation purposes. Expensive to build. Settlements and agricultural land may be lost when the river valley is flooded to form a reservoir.
Flood walls Can be used to raise the height of the river bank to a level where the river might not burst its banks. Can be permanent features or incorporated into the design of an area and become invisible. Levees and embankments Artificial levees can be built along river banks so that if the river floods, the water will not be able to breach the wall and cause damage. Levees can be expensive and can spoil the look of rivers.
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