Flood in America: statistics for the last 100 years

Although the flood in America is nottoo frequent phenomenon, it is different scale. This fact can be confirmed by the floods that occurred in 1927, 1993 and 2009. The main feature of the American floods is that they are in most cases caused by hurricanes. In addition, they sometimes contributes to the relief of some US states. For example, with prolonged rainfall, canyons are instantly filled with water, which quickly leads to truly disastrous consequences.

Flood in America 1927

Flood. A photo

One of the most destructive AmericanThe flood is considered to be the spill of the Mississippi River, which occurred in 1927. In terms of destructiveness, this natural catastrophe is often compared to the notorious hurricane Katrina 2005. In the summer of 1926, heavy rains began, due to which the water level in many tributaries of the Mississippi became critical. And in April 1927, long-term and incessant rainfall provoked the release of the named river from its banks.

Поток почти вдвое превысил высоту Ниагарского waterfall. It is no wonder that he easily demolished a dam near Greenville. Several more dams were damaged. In general, 10 states were flooded. Arkansas suffered the most. The water began to decline only by August. The consequences of the flood were catastrophic:

• 700 thousand people are left without housing;
• 246 people died;
• property damage was $ 400 million.

It is worth noting that the named disaster had significant political and social consequences. In addition, it is displayed in the culture (literature and music).

Flooding in America 1993

The reason for this flooding became permanentsnowfalls and rains that continued throughout the autumn and winter of 1992-1993. As a result, the water level in many rivers exceeded the norm by 7 times. Mississippi and Missouri, as well as their tributaries have spilled. Natural disaster lasted about six months (April-October). The consequences were as follows:

• 32 people died;
• 800 thousand km were flooded²;
• destroyed tens of thousands of homes.

After the flood described by the US authoritiesbegan to revise policies regarding floodplains. Much attention was paid to the location of dams and dams, as well as the control of wetlands. The government also decided to buy land from the residents of the flooded areas, located on the territories of the flood of the rivers. There were organized natural areas, the flooding of which will be less dangerous.

2008 America Flood

In the summer of 2008, a number of people collapsed on US territory.cyclones, which provoked heavy rains that caused flooding. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes. In Iowa, the river flooded the whole city. The roads were blurred, bridges destroyed, there was no electricity. The water began to subside only half a month after the “start” of the disaster. As a result of this natural disaster, 24 people died (the flood in Russia in 2012 claimed 171 lives), while in Iowa 40 thousand people were left without shelter. In addition, farms were flooded, which is why food prices have risen substantially.