What Causes Flooding?

7/27/2018 (Permalink)

Besides the unfortunate pipe burst, what normally causes floods? Floods can happen anywhere and can be caused by human-made structures or nature.
The most common cause of a flood is heavy rains. Cities have drainage systems for the sole reason of heavy rains. However, if the system becomes overwhelmed an overflow can occur.
Overflowing rivers are another cause of flooding. Even if you do not experience heavy rains in your area, flooding can occur from rivers if you live upstream of a location that did have heavy rains.
Many urban cities use concrete to build their water basins in case of heavy rains. Even though concrete is durable, it is not permeable so when these basins fill up the water has nowhere else to go and can cause flooding in low-lying areas.
Winter months can also cause flooding. Melting snow and ice, in large quantities, can cause low-lying areas to flood. This only occurs when there is a winter of heavy snowfall.
Flooding can be a severe problem depending on where you live. Check your residential flood maps to see if your home falls in an at-risk area so you can prepare yourself for possible floods. If you home does flood, call SERVPRO of Hicksville and Plainview so we can help you start the restoration process.