A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land.

Flooding may result

from the volume of water within a body of water, such as a river or lake, which
overflows or breaks levees, with the result that some of the water escapes its usual
boundaries.
Floods can also occur in rivers, when flow exceeds the capacity of the river channel,
particularly at bends or meanders. Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses
if they are placed in natural flood plains of rivers. While flood damage can be virtually
eliminated by moving away from rivers and other bodies of water, since time out of
mind, people have lived and worked by the water to seek sustenance and capitalize on
the gains of cheap and easy travel and commerce by being near water. That humans
continue to inhabit areas threatened by flood damage is evidence that the perceived
value of living near the water exceeds the cost of repeated periodic flooding.
Effects
Primary effects
hysical damage ! "an damage any type of structure, including bridges, cars,
buildings, sewerage systems, roadways, and canals.
Secondary effects
Water supplies ! "ontamination of water. "lean drinking water becomes scarce.
#iseases ! $nhygienic conditions. %pread of water&borne diseases.
"rops and food supplies ! %hortage of food crops can be caused due to loss of
entire harvest.
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*owever, lowlands near rivers depend upon river silt deposited
by floods in order to add nutrients to the local soil.
Trees ! +on&tolerant species can die from suffocation.
Control
,n many countries across the world, rivers prone to floods are often carefully managed.
#efenses such as levees,
'-)
bunds, reservoirs, and weirs are used to prevent rivers from
bursting their banks. When these defenses fail, emergency measures such as sandbags or
portable inflatable tubes are used. "oastal flooding has been addressed in .urope and
the Americas with coastal defences, such as sea walls, beach nourishment, and barrier
islands.