How Are Floods Bad?
Once people began constructing permanent buildings on floodplains, they became vulnerable to the destructive forces of floods. Moving water is extremely powerful because of its weight, and the force that it concentrates on anything in its path. In addition to simply pushing against structures, flood waters often erode away the soil and stones surrounding building and bridge foundations, weakening them. Floods also bring mud; lots of it. And they leave it everywhere in damp, reeking deposits crawling with insects and other creepy life forms. If you have ever experienced flood waters in your home, you will understand why the cleanup from floods is so appalling. Floods are the most destructive natural events in the United States because about half of the nations cities and towns are built along rivers! As mentioned above, floods increase in catchments that have been deforested and paved over. Sometimes catastrophic floods are caused, indirectly, by human built structures such as dams and
