FLOODING | geography16

Definition: An overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land:

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2015/2016 has seen an increased occurence of storms and floods.
In 2015, The Met Office decided to name severe winter storms, in the same way as hurricanes. By naming storms, it allows increased communication with the public about an approaching severe storm.
“In this way the public will be better placed to keep themselves, their property and businesses safe,” explains the Met Office website.

Stubbins Ramsbottom

More-rochdale-flood

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radcliffe-flooding

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River Irwell Lowry

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Littleboroughevacuation

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Middleton

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Waterside pub

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Close Park radcliffe

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Irwell vale evacuation

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All images are collected from the North West, England. Images are from Rochdale Town Centre, Radcliffe, Ramsbottom, Summerseat.

Key words: Infiltration, interception, surface runoff etc.

Physical causes:

Antecedant weather conditions, such as prolonged rainfall.
Relief of the basin affects how quickly water will enter the river. If a drainage basin is steep, water will reach the river faster.
Number of tributaries into the river. If a river has a large amount of tributaries, the river discharge will be higher.
Impermeable ground means that infiltration can not occur. This increases surface runoff.
Sparse vegetations means interception is low, so more rain reaches the ground.

Human causes:

Deforestation. This results in low interception rates, so more rain reaches the ground as surface runoff.
Building on floodplains: creates surfaces that are impermeable and do not allow infiltration. This means there will be more surface runoff.
Building flood defences: Can result in flooding up or downstream in another area.