Book 7, Question 46
Why Do Flash Floods Happen So Quickly?
A flash flood is a flood that arrives fast, with little warning. Very hard rain can fall faster than the ground and drains can soak it up, so the water has nowhere to go. Flash means fast, and the water can rise much faster than you expect.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 7
More fun facts
- Flash floods can happen within minutes of heavy rain.
- A mountain creek only 6 inches deep can become a 10-foot-deep raging river in less than an hour.
- Roads, parking lots, and buildings stop rain from soaking into the ground, so cities can flood fast.
- The rain that causes a flash flood may fall far upstream, where you can't see it.
- Melting snow and ice jams on rivers can also cause flash floods.
- In the United States, floods kill more people each year than tornadoes, hurricanes, or lightning.
Sources: NOAA
Questions kids ask
How fast can a flash flood happen?
Within minutes of heavy rain.
Can it flood where it isn't raining?
Yes. Rain far upstream can send a flash flood down to you.