Flooding in South Africa
FLOODING IN SOUTH AFRICA
INTRODUCTION
The aim of this assignment is to give background information about flooding in South Africa. These would be carried out through the means of research on journal entries, web research and different literatures. The nature of flooding, the main causes of flooding, the effect of development of flooding hazards and the effect of the economic status of people regarding flooding hazards will be taken into consideration.
Definition of key terms
Flooding
An overflow of water onto normally dry land. The inundation of a normally dry area caused by rising water in an existing waterway, such as a river, stream, or drainage ditch. Pounding of water at or near the point where the rain fell. Flooding is a longer term event than flash flooding: it may last days or weeks (MRX webmaster, 2010).
Flash flooding
Flooding whereby it takes a very short period of time to form. In most cases flash floods few form and take place
Nature of floods
There are few places on Earth where people need not be concerned about flooding due to their location. Rain is not the only impetus for flood even a broken dam wall can be the stimuli of a flood.
A flood occurs when water overflows or inundates land that 's normally dry. This can happen in a multitude of ways. Most common floods are when rivers or streams overflow their banks. Excessive rain, a ruptured dam or levee, rapid ice melting in the mountains, or even an unfortunately placed beaver dam can overwhelm a river and send it spreading over the adjacent land, called a floodplain. Coastal flooding occurs when a large storm or tsunami causes the sea to surge inland (National Geographic Society, 2011).
Most floods take hours or days to develop, giving residents enough time to prepare or evacuate. Others happen quickly and with little warning. These flash floods can be extremely dangerous and cause major damage to the landscape and the habitants of such an area.
Disaster specialists have
INTRODUCTION
The aim of this assignment is to give background information about flooding in South Africa. These would be carried out through the means of research on journal entries, web research and different literatures. The nature of flooding, the main causes of flooding, the effect of development of flooding hazards and the effect of the economic status of people regarding flooding hazards will be taken into consideration.
Definition of key terms
Flooding
An overflow of water onto normally dry land. The inundation of a normally dry area caused by rising water in an existing waterway, such as a river, stream, or drainage ditch. Pounding of water at or near the point where the rain fell. Flooding is a longer term event than flash flooding: it may last days or weeks (MRX webmaster, 2010).
Flash flooding
Flooding whereby it takes a very short period of time to form. In most cases flash floods few form and take place
Nature of floods
There are few places on Earth where people need not be concerned about flooding due to their location. Rain is not the only impetus for flood even a broken dam wall can be the stimuli of a flood.
A flood occurs when water overflows or inundates land that 's normally dry. This can happen in a multitude of ways. Most common floods are when rivers or streams overflow their banks. Excessive rain, a ruptured dam or levee, rapid ice melting in the mountains, or even an unfortunately placed beaver dam can overwhelm a river and send it spreading over the adjacent land, called a floodplain. Coastal flooding occurs when a large storm or tsunami causes the sea to surge inland (National Geographic Society, 2011).
Most floods take hours or days to develop, giving residents enough time to prepare or evacuate. Others happen quickly and with little warning. These flash floods can be extremely dangerous and cause major damage to the landscape and the habitants of such an area.
Disaster specialists have
References: Drep Operation International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, 1.February.2011. MRX webmaster, 2010. National Weather Services. [Online] Available at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mrx/hydro/flooddef.php [Accessed 13 March 2013]. National Geographic Society, 2011. Natural Disasters: floods profile. [Online] Available at: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/floods-profile/ [Accessed 12 March 2013]. Parker, J.D2000.floods.Tangler and Francis, National Academy Press, Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre, Thailand. SAPA. 2013. Floods causes havoc across South Africa, Mail and Guardian, 20 January 2013.