FLOODS AND HEAVY RAIN
Second only to fire s, floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters
in the United States. On a worldwide basis, floods account for 39 percent more loss of
life than earthquakes. According to FEMA, flooding has caused the deaths of more than
10,000 people in the United States since 1900, with more than $1 billion in property
damage each year. Flooding is a major component of almost 9 of every 10 presidential
disaster declarations that result from natural phenomena.
The onset of a flood can be gradual or sudden, and it can occur in areas where it is
not normally expected. Heavy rains are usually the root cause. A summer storm in
Colorado in 1976 was responsible for the deaths of 100 campers and vacationers— ...