User:A.Samaroo/Flooding (Trinidad and Tobago)

'''Most of us have this delusion that flooding is simply, too much water around your house. Some of us even think that it can be fun. Absolutely wrong! Flooding is a lot more than that. Flooding is extremely dangerous and has the potential to wipe away an entire city, coastline or area, and cause extensive damage to life and property. It also has great erosive power and can be extremely destructive, even if it is a foot high.'''

Link to picture depicting the dangers of flooding.

http://www.google.tt/imgres?imgurl=http://image.pbs.org/poster_images/assets/ozs7730dpbeh21zskg64_1.png.resize.710x399.png&imgrefurl=http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/10e8bfa3-077f-4ecd-9fa2-801ba72da92e/the-earth-drowning-in-rubbish-clipart/&h=399&w=529&tbnid=GBVlr4xY-MoIKM:&docid=nEwoAspyNRBKLM&ei=DEVNVpzAKcnnmAGmgomoAw&tbm=isch&ved=0CCQQMygHMAdqFQoTCJz28tbIm8kCFckzJgodJkECNQ

What is Flooding.
'''Flooding is a natural event that can have far reaching effects on people and the environment. Put simply, flooding is too much water in the ‘wrong’ place! Also, flooding is the accumulation or an overflow of an expanse of water that covers land that is usually dry. Every flood is different. They can occur suddenly and recede quickly, or may take days or even months to build and then discharge. They occur at irregular intervals, and many decades can pass between significant floods. On the other hand, there are many situations where several large floods occur within short periods of time.

Link to picture Displaying Severity of Flooding

http://www.toonpool.com/user/856/files/flooding_139435.jpg

Causes of Flooding
Some causes of flooding are:


 * Prolonged rainfall- When rain falls for a prolonged period of time, the soil can become saturated. When water is unable to infiltrate into the saturated soil, it is forced to flow over the soil, thus increasing surface runoff. Rivers that are unable to accommodate excess rain water overflow their banks onto neighboring flood plains.
 * Intense/Heavy rainfall- When rain falls heavily; the rain drops hit the ground with a force. This can cause the rain drops to bounce off the soil instead of infiltrating into the soil. The water from the rain is then forced to flow over the surface instead, thus increasing the surface runoff.
 * Relief- It refers to the difference in height between the highest point and the lowest point on land. When rain falls, the surface runoff can move very quickly from mountainous or hilly areas to low lying areas making these low lying areas more prone to flooding.
 * Deforestation- It is the lack of vegetation encourages water to flow over the surface rather than infiltrate into the soil thus increasing surface runoff. v Poor land use practices- Slash and burn agriculture, over-cultivation and over-grazing eventually cause the soil to become infertile and unable to sustain vegetative growth. Consequently, the lack of green cover encourages water to flow over the surface rather than infiltrate into the soil thus increasing surface runoff.
 * Improper waste disposal- Oftentimes, garbage that is not properly disposed enters into drainage systems and clogs drains. This obstructs the free flow of the water that enters into these drains causing water to back up during rainfall flooding the surrounding area. A buildup of garbage can also obstruct the natural flow of water in rivers and streams.

Effects Of Flooding

 * Economic- During floods roads, bridges, farms, houses and automobiles are destroyed. People become homeless. Additionally, the government deploys firemen, police and other emergency apparatuses to help the affected. All these come at a heavy cost to people and the government. It usually takes years for affected communities to be re-built and business to come back to normalcy.
 * Environment- The environment also suffers when floods happen. Chemicals and other hazardous substances end up in the water and eventually pollute the water bodies that floods end up in. Flooding causes massive leakages in nuclear plants and has since caused high radiation in that area. Additionally, flooding kill animals and other insects are introduced to affected areas, distorting the natural balance of the ecosystem.
 * Animals and people- Many people and animals have died in floods. Many more are injured and others made homeless. Water supply and electricity are disrupted and people struggle and suffer as a result. In addition to this, flooding brings a lot of diseases and infections including military fever, pneumonic plague and dysentery. Sometimes insects and snakes make their ways to the area and cause a lot of havoc.

Keep leaves and debris out of drains

 * Avoid piling yard waste like fallen leaves and sticks in your yard, where it could wash into City drains. Keep it in a yard waste bin or other container.


 * Use a rake or broom to remove leaves and debris from the tops of storm drains, and then place the material in your yard waste cart.

Click Link to see image of Cleaning Debris to prevent flooding.
 * If the drain is still clogged after you’ve removed the debris, call our drainage problem hotline at (206) 386-1800 to report it.

http://www.cliparthut.com/clip-arts/884/raking-leaves-clip-art-884224.gif

Maintain your gutters and downspouts

 * Clean the gutters and drainage downspouts attached to your roof twice a year. Just one wind or rainstorm can clog a well-flowing drainage system.


 * Inspect for leaks or damage to rain gutters that could cause a flat roof to flood.


 * Direct flows from downspouts away from your foundation, without discharging flows to adjacent properties.

Click Link to view image of guttering maintenance.
 * Never discharge water over the edge of a steep hill.

http://images.inmagine.com/400nwm/imagezoo/izs009/izs009315.jpg

Maintain your drainage systems
Maintaining the drainage system on private property is the owner's responsibility.
 * Check your property’s drainage system. This is especially important on commercial properties that have catch basins or other drainage systems. Maintaining these systems is the property owner's responsibility.


 * The best way to find out what’s in your pipes is to ask a professional to “video inspect” your underground drainage system.


 * If you have a driveway that leads down from the street, be sure to clear the drain at the bottom of the slope.

Click Link to view image of Drainage Maintenance.
 * If you live at the base of a hill or on a cliff, ensure that drainage and retaining walls are properly functioning.

http://www.aceelectricsewerservicect.com/var/m_1/1a/1a1/319258/596329-drain-cleaning-cartoon.jpg

Reduce runoff from your property that causes flooding

 * Collect water in rain barrels and cisterns.


 * Create rain gardens. A rain garden acts like a native forest by collecting, absorbing, and filtering storm water runoff from rooftops, driveways, patios, and other areas that don’t allow water to soak in. See the following list of resources including a manual for developing rain gardens.


 * Use permeable pavement in place of concrete or asphalt.


 * Grow a green roof. Green roofs extend the life of roofing materials by blocking ultraviolet radiation and moderating temperature extremes. They can also slow storm water runoff, reduce building heating and cooling costs, cool and clean the air, and provide habitat and attractive greenery in urban environments.

Click link to view image depicting creation of rain garden to prevent flooding.

http://southcoastherald.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2015/02/children-work-garden-26795522.jpg