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Primary Effects of Floods

Millions of people are affected by floods in the United States each year. Floods cause deaths, injuries and economic consequences. The cost to the flooded area specifically and the country as a whole is felt in reconstruction bills, food prices, insurance rates and interrupted commerce. Long-term effects include the dislocation of large populations with the occasional abandonment of entire communities.

  1. Job Loss

    • Work is interrupted when floods damage businesses or facilities, which could have further repercussions. A 1996 flood in St. Maries, Idaho, closed a business for three weeks. There were just 10 to 20 workers put out of work there, but 40 percent of the city's other business relied on its operations. The federal government stepped in to put out-of-work residents back to work. The Federal Emergency Management Agency gave $1.5 million to hire displaced workers in the city to clean and repair the damage caused by the flooding.

    Water Contamination

    • Floods may damage a city's water and sewage facilities and cause water contamination. In some cities, sewage overflowed treatment facilities and authorities issued warnings to boil water before using it. Such events also pollute groundwater, rivers, lakes and oceans. Problems are exacerbated when a storm accompanies the flooding and power is lost. Pumps that could make a difference are run on electricity. The effects of contaminated water are lasting ones that can require mitigation efforts years into the future.

    Ground Contamination

    • Floods usually happen swiftly and people sometimes don't have chemical containers high enough above the flood point to keep them being washed away. One garage or business with hydraulic oils, grease, petroleum products, and other waste oils low enough to be taken away in the flood is bad, but a city full of such things can cause serious damage. Add to this the flooded houses where heavy duty cleaners and household chemicals are under the sink and the damage to the environment grows.

    Property Loss

    • Property loss is one of the greatest effects of flooding for most people, especially when nearby dams or levees are ruptured or overflow. Floods put an entire communities underwater, destroying houses and cars. Floods also cause farmlands to be unusable and kill livestock. The use of city facilities may be lost until they are cleaned or repaired, and city streets and highways may become unusable as they fill with tons of debris.

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