When a Storm Becomes a Flood

3/10/2022 (Permalink)

Since 1980 there have been over 280 unique weather and climate based events in the United States where the damage of the disasters have exceeded over 1 billion dollars and equating to over 1.8 trillion dollars per NOAA.

One of the most costly events that contribute to this astronomical number of damage is floods by rainfall. One recent example of this came in the form of Flooding in Tennessee to which featured damages worth over $3 billion dollars.

Let's take a minute to learn more about rain and flood:

How Fast Do Raindrops Fall from Sky?

Raindrops fall between 7 and 18 miles per hour (3 and 8 meters per second) in still air. The speed of raindrops varies depending on their size. When raindrops reach speeds of more than 18 miles per hour, air friction breaks them up.

What is a Flood?

Flooding is defined as days of rain or snow that has melted into rivers and water ways. There are main types of flooding in the United States:

Flash Flooding: Flash flooding is defined as sudden and quick floodings. These flash floods are caused by excessive amounts of water moving too fast for the drainage system to take it away quickly. Flash floods can last for up to 10 minutes, but sometimes go on much longer. Flash flooding tends to kill more people than any other type of flood because they are least prepared for it.

River Flooding: A river flood occurs when water covers the ground and accumulates on a riverbed. This can be caused by rain, melting snow, or even high tides. The water may rise gradually over days or hours or it may happen very quickly. The USGS defines a "high-water event" as one in which all the surface water present on a drainage basin is discharged to its outlet in a period of no more than 24 hours. River floods are often natural disasters due to the damage they cause downstream, threatening lives and property.

Coastal Flooding: Coastal flooding occurs when high tides or storm surges that are caused by intense storms lead to an overflow of seawater onto land. Coastal flooding is most often associated with coastal areas, but can happen inland too (such as in the case of the Tennessee floods).

Protecting Your Property From Flood Waters

This is why it’s so important to know the differences between a lot of rain and a potential flood. If you feel that flood waters have done damage to your property in the past, present or future, then it’s time to be proactive and make the call to SERVPRO Wilson County  Contact us 24/7 at (615) 449-5000 today for help!