Flash flood
As a flash flood (English flash flood ), a sudden flood is referred to, which is usually associated with a subsequent sudden flood.
From a flash flood or flash flood we speak, " [ ... ] if befall within six hours after a heavy rain event or a dike break and after the break another barrier ( landslides, ice dam ), suddenly huge masses of water over an area. "
Causes
The causes may be different: heavy rainfall, storms, dissolving blockages in the normal course of the river, such as ice dams, or by a dam failure. To flash flooding occurs when more water is available than can be accommodated by the next downstream river system or from the ground. The outflowing water is flowing at high speed down and collects in low -lying areas. Most frequently, flash floods after heavy rainfall in normally dry areas.
Hazard potential
The tidal waves can, however, move from there for miles. They tear often with items that endanger people and property in the course of additional flooding.
Flash floods are because of their suddenness very dangerous. Vehicles offer little to no protection against being swept away. Already water level of 50 centimeters can tear an SUV with it. In some desert areas, dry and poorly absorbing riverbeds, called wadis, swell in seconds into raging torrents and a danger to hikers and vehicles can be even after far away cloudbursts.
Warnings of so-called flash floods are often found in the dry Southwest, where roads or trails traverse dry river beds.
Historical examples
- Floods in the Pyrenees 2013
- Flash flood in Toowoomba Australian, State of Queensland, early 2011
- Flash flood in the southern Thai province of Trang 2007
- Boscastle flood of 2004
- Elbe flood of 2002
- Or the 1997 floods
- Flash flood in Antelope Canyon in 1997
- Canyon Lake dam break in 1972
- Tangiwai - train accident in 1953
Variants
- A lahar is a volcanic mudflow.
- In Grand Canyon National Park were from the U.S. Department of Interior in 1996, 2004 and 2008 artificial flash floods brought about in order to achieve a renaturalisation.
Metaphorical use of the term
The lexeme has long been used historically always in a figurative sense. So it served as a metaphor to criticize the large number of anglicisms in German everyday parlance.