Floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States. They can have severe impacts, ranging from localized effects on neighborhoods to widespread devastation affecting entire river basins and multiple states.
Floods can develop at different rates; some may take days to build, while flash floods can occur suddenly, sometimes in just a few minutes without any prior warning signs, like visible rainfall.
Flash floods are particularly dangerous due to the rapid onset and the powerful wall of water they create, which can carry rocks, mud, and debris—often sweeping away anything caught in their path.