Floods Explained for Kids 🌊 Natural Disaster - What Causes a Flood?

[00:00:15]Rain is pouring hard and fast, more than 8 in in just an hour, turning river water brown with mud.

[00:00:35]Just about any place on Earth can experience flooding. When so much rainfalls that the ground can't absorb it or waterways can't hold it, the overflowing water becomes a destructive force.

[00:00:54]Earthworms wiggle up to the ground as the soil becomes too wet for them. A flood might be coming.

[00:01:14]Floods can form slowly over several days or overwhelm an area with little warning. How quickly a flood forms often depends on the habitat.

[00:01:35]Slow forming river flooding happens in regions called flood planes. These are large flat areas of land along waterways with very shallow banks. When big storms hit, the water overflows the banks and spreads across the plains.

[00:02:11]But too much water can destroy crops and damage homes. Rushing water can disrupt ecosystems by moving aquatic plants and animals to other habitats.

[00:02:26]And if flooding is so severe that it flows into local water treatment facilities, experts must monitor the incoming water to make sure the water is safe.

[00:03:05]Another type of flooding is called a flash flood. When a flood happens within 6 hours of a heavy rainfall, as much as 8 in an hour with no place to go, the moving water tears through the highways, valleys, and canyons, washing away vehicles, roads, bridges, and houses.

[00:04:02]Quickly melting ice and snow can also cause flash flooding, especially when mountain snow melt overflows the waterways below.

[00:04:29]Scientists believe that warming temperatures caused by climate change are increasing the risk of floods all over the world, especially in coastal and low-lying areas.

[00:04:44]Scientists think that climate change could also cause stronger hurricanes with more rain and higher winds causing bigger storm surges.

[00:05:07]Here are some key points on how to survive a flood.

[00:05:12]Know your neighborhood. Research how close you are to the streams.

[00:05:17]Put together an evacuation plan and share it with everyone in your household.

[00:05:24]Conduct flood drills to practice evacuating quickly.

[00:05:35]Now you have learned about floods and what you can do to survive a flood.

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[00:05:50]Thanks for watching.