South Asian Flash Flood Guidance System

South Asian Flash Flood Guidance System

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has launched the South Asian Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS), which is aimed at helping disaster management teams and governments make timely evacuation plans ahead of the actual event of flooding. Data from World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) suggest that across the world, about 5,000 people die annually due to flash floods.

What are Flash Floods?

Flash floods are a type of a rapid floods that usually occur after an intense rainfall, causing a sudden rush of water in low-lying areas.

Flash floods are usually characterized by raging torrents after heavy rains that rip through river beds, urban streets, or mountain canyons sweeping everything before them.

These are highly localised events of short duration with a very high peak and usually have less than six hours between the occurrence of the rainfall and peak flood.

The flood situation worsens in the presence of choked drainage lines or encroachments obstructing the natural flow of water.

What are the causes of Flash Floods?

Flash flooding is a sudden, fast-moving flood of water that covers a relatively small area and that often causes damage. Flash floods are often caused by intense, short-duration rainfall, by dam failure, or by melting ice. Some other major causes of Flash Floods are:

• A flood takes place when the level of water exceeds its area making it overflow.
• The amount of rainfall is another factor that could contribute to flooding. Excess rainfall leads to the flooding of sewers thus having the water flow out on the streets.
• Breaking of a dam also causes water to flow out with a massive speed flooding all that comes its way.
• Other than the mentioned causes, the climate of a region also plays a vital role in floods. An area located at a higher altitude will receive more rainfall than those at a lower altitude. A wet or damp climate is more susceptible to rains causing flash floods rather than a dry climate.
• Hurricane is another reason in which huge amounts of water is carried and dumped on land which causes a rise in water levels, creating floods.

What are the concerns of Flash Floods?

Numerous lives and properties are lost each year when flash floods occur throughout India. Some of major concerns of Flash Floods are

• The flooding water causes potholes and at many places trees are ripped off their roots.
• There is a change in the terrain and the landscape which is caused by accumulated or unning water which has various deposits like loose soil, rocks etc.
• The more lasting effects are seen on the economy of the region affected by floods.
• The adverse effect of flood other than on the obvious houses, buildings etc, is seen on the emotional state of the people where they have lost their family, homes and jobs. People fight to fulfill their daily needs and this goes on for a long time.
• Although help is received from every part, what is lost never is returned and so the effects of floods are more of everlasting kinds.