The three types of floods… and yes they can all occur in Southern Maryland!

7/14/2019 (Permalink)

The three types of floods… and yes they can all occur in Southern Maryland!

A flood is an overflow of large amounts of water in what is normally pretty dry areas. There are three main types of floods that can occur depending on your geographical area. The scary thing about floods is that each kind is different and requires different actions to prepare and to recover. The three main types of floods are Fluvial (river), Pluvial (surface) and Coastal Floods.

Fluvial floods (river floods)

A Fluvial flood happens when the water level in a river overflows the surrounding areas due to excessive rain or snow melting. The damage from river floods can be widespread depending on the river, lake or stream size and the area around it.

Pluvial floods (flash floods and surface water)

Flash Floods and overwhelmed drainage systems make up the Pluvial flood family. Pluvial floods occur when extreme sudden rainfall hits an area and causes a flood that is not caused by an overflowing body of water.  An Overwhelmed drainage system water flows out into the surrounding areas and could potentially flood surrounding areas. Flash floods occur with torrential rain in a short amount of time. Flash floods are extremely dangerous not just because of the abundance of water but because of the potential debris associated with the area.

Coastal flood (storm surge)

Coastal flooding is conducive of areas along the coast. Coastal floods are normally caused by windstorms occurring at the same time as high tide- called storm surge. This is when the high wind forces the water to land and causes coastal floods.

Floods are very unpredictable and can happen in a moment, so it is very important that you listen to your local weather and emergency services personnel. Be prepared and be careful. If you experience flooding in Southern Maryland please do not hesitate to give us a call @ 301.753.8313.