Floods can be natural or man-induced occurrences. Natural phenomena such as climate change, hurricanes, weather systems, and snowmelt can cause floods. Man-induced floods are those caused by failures of dams and levees and by inadequate drainage in urban areas. Improved warning systems and evacuation planning have lowered fatalities, but economic losses have increased due to increased property development in areas prone to flooding.
In the United States, around 160 deaths due to flooding occur annually in a typical year, and more than half of all fatalities during floods are auto related. Floods annually cause billions of dollars in damages. Although certain areas are more prone to floods than others, they can occur at any place. Storms and hurricanes are the principal causes of floods in the eastern United States and the Gulf Coast. Rainstorms and snowmelt are the principle causes of floods in the western United States.
The costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States was the flooding precipitated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Katrina caused more than fifteen hundred deaths and over two hundred billion dollars in damages. The costliest river-related flood occurred in the Midwest in 1993, and caused twenty billion dollars in damages.
Floods can occur rapidly and with little warning. Rapid evacuation of an area is often necessary, leaving little time for gathering supplies, personal items, and mementos. Having an emergency backpack is particularly relevant if you live in a flood-prone area.
