A Look at the Different Types of Floods That Can Cause Water Damage to Your Home | SERVPRO® of Kingston/New Paltz

1/28/2021 (Permalink)

You might not live in a flood zone, but there are plenty of different kinds of floods that can damage your home!

Flooding is an extremely dangerous weather event, and it can happen when it is least expected. While a flood may seem like an event unlikely to happen, every year they impact around 75,000 people across the United States, causing billions of dollars of property damage in the process.

In simple terms, floods occur when there is too much water, but we will be looking at the various types of floods to give you a greater understanding of why they happen.

 The National Severe Storms Laboratory lists out five types of floods that can occur due to different conditions. While all these floods can be destructive, they can cause issues for those impacted by them in vastly different ways.

The Types of Floods That Can Lead to Water Damage

A River Flood

A river flood takes place when the banks of a river are not high enough to contain the water within. These are generally caused by slow-moving, steady rain or a combination of rainfall and snowmelt that causes the river to overflow.

A Coastal Flood

Impacting areas along the coast, coastal floods are caused by high tides coupled with heavy rainfall. Coastal floods are especially prominent in areas that are low-lying and located on the ocean.

Storm Surges

A storm surge occurs when a severe storm creates wind, waves and low pressure that lead to a much higher tide. Storm surges happen quickly and flood large areas at a time, and they are considered an extremely dangerous type of flood.

Inland Flooding

When a rain-producing storm hovers over an area for a long time or heavy rains fall quickly, inland flooding can occur, as it creates too much moisture for the regular drainage systems to absorb. Inland flooding can also occur when dams or levees fail.

Flash Floods

The most dangerous type of flooding, flash floods occur within six hours of a storm beginning and often provide little notice that they are developing. They can occur within minutes and are considered the deadliest type of flood there is.

If your home or business is dealing with water damage due to a flood or another incident, we are here to help. You can get in touch with us 24/7, we’re available around the clock and ready to help.