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BookmarkA flood is an overflow of water, an expanse of water submerging land, a deluge.
Since prehistoric times people have lived by the seas and rivers for the access to cheap and quick transportation and access to food sources and trade; without human populations near natural bodies of water, there would be no concern for floods.
However fertile soil in a river delta is subject to regular inundation from normal variation in precipitation.
Floods from the sea can cause overflow or overtopping of flood-defenses like dikes as well as flattening of dunes or bluffs.
Land behind the coastal defence may be inundated or experience damage.
A flood from sea may be caused by a heavy storm (storm surge), a high tide, a tsunami, or a combination thereof.
As many urban communities are located near the coast this is a major threat around the world.
In western countries, rivers prone to flooding are often carefully managed.
Defenses such as levees, bunds, reservoirs, and weirs are used to prevent rivers from bursting their banks.
Coastal flooding has been addressed in Europe with coastal defenses, such as sea walls and beach nourishment..
For more information about the topic Flood, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:
Levee — A levee, floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial embankment or dike, usually earthen, which parallels the course of a river. The main ... > read more
Floodplain — A floodplain, or flood plain, is flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a stream or river that experiences occasional flooding. It includes the ... > read more
List of major natural disasters in the United States — This is a list of major natural disasters in the United ... > read more
Coastal management — Coastal management or coastal defence is used throughout the world for many different purposes, but predominantly to reduce coastal erosion and ... > read more
