Floods – What We Should Know

Last week, the whole Queensland area particularly Toowoomba and Brisbane – the third largest city in Australia experienced the wrath of nature through an inland tsunamis and floods everywhere. Unimaginable, terrifying and devastating – that is how they described it. It has been months of non-stop rains that led to this. It killed almost 100 people, damaged houses, crippled coal industry and crops, caused extensive destructions, and left most Australians a trauma that they would bear in a much longer time.

The reason – floods. Flood is an overflow of the huge amount of water onto the normally dry land. Flood occurs when the overflowing water submerges land and causes deluge.

Constant rains are one of the major causes of floods. The level of water in rivers or lakes rises due to heavy rainfalls. When the level of water rises above the rive banks or dams, the water starts overflowing, which causes floods. The water overflows to the areas adjoining to the rivers, lakes or dams, causing floods or deluge. The flood water causes havoc and great destruction in the areas where it flows. Floods occur more in the regions that get heavy rainfalls.

Generally, floods occur more in the low-lying areas or the areas below the sea level. One of the main reasons is that rivers flow slowly in these areas. The volume of water increases in the low-lying areas. When the level of water rises in these regions, it causes floods.

Floods also occur more in the coastal regions. Floods, in the coastal regions, are caused due to high tides, storms, cyclones, hurricanes, or tsunamis. When the level of water rises above the sea level, it causes floods in coastal areas or coastal lowlands.

There are also several human causes of floods. Deforestation is one of the major causes of floods. Trees are being cleared fast from large areas. As result, soil is easily eroded, and the eroded soil gets settled at the bottom of rivers and seas, which raises the level of water in rivers and seas, which consequently causes floods. Too much abuse of our natural resources is another reason. Improper waste management is also considered one of the causes of floods.

In this case, like elsewhere, floods have been making noise since year 2000 to different parts of the world. Oftentimes, we are not aware of this. With nature changing dramatically on its course, we should also plan and make some abrupt changes to how we deal with it.

A 20-year ago flood control plan and dam management might not work with the way nature changes it course especially the rain patterns. Perhaps some new findings and new process should be implemented. Along with us being aware of global warming, government should find ways to help prevent major flooding in the future.

In addition to this, can we check our motives in bringing in progress to the next level? If it is at our nature’s or land’s expense, at the risks of lives of our fellowmen, at the expense of losing thousands of dollars worth of business…then think again. Find alternative ways before it is too late. Human lives and the trauma that it will bring are priceless. Although this saying has been used so many times, I will say it again - prevention is better than cure. It’s about time we double check everything that has been happening around us. Check our motives. Give high respect to nature and what it can bring to us – disasters just waiting to happen.