Flood Alert

Can you imagine watching everything you own washing away in front of you whilst you are stuck in waist high waters full of rubbish and disease? It is just so terrible. This happens almost every week of the year in some parts of the world. Floods destroy property, crops, kill animals, pull down trees and power lines. They leave an area in chaos for months, sometimes years after the main event. Flooding is mostly a natural event that in some cases can be beneficial. In tropical counties, for example, Bangladesh the annual monsoons spread a light covering of soil and this helps to fertilise the fields. However, most floods are harmful and destructive and they are becoming more powerful. This is probably due to the changes in the world’s climate. Rain is not the only cause of floods. Sometimes water can be pumped from the ground, or protective barriers might break alongside rivers or the sea front. This causes a sudden rush of water to cover the ground or to fall down mountain sides onto low lying villages. It can happen at any time and often without warning. However, some coastal areas have now developed warning systems against tsunamis which are extreme waves of water from the sea. We should all take this natural threat seriously and help people in need whenever possible.