Hurricane Milton in Florida: How a flash flood occurs – Opinion

In Florida there is a hurricane Milton Flash flood warnings issued. The region around Tampa Bay is particularly affected; 41 centimeters of rain fell there within a few hours. Flash floods form within six hours of rain and are considered treacherous flood events. They can form in depressions, troughs and streams within seconds, and enormous amounts of water then flow extremely quickly to the surface. They are life-threatening, especially because of the element of surprise – people can suddenly find themselves trapped in their cars, in underpasses and basements. Because they flow so quickly, their destructive power is considerable. The floods can sweep away roads, cars, houses and bridges. Climate change increases the risk of flash floods because extreme weather events such as heavy rain become more frequent. The type of soil the rain hits is crucial for a flash flood: very dry soils into which a lot of water does not seep in quickly, or soils saturated by rain form the basis on which heavy rain becomes a catastrophe. If the topology then forces the rain into a few narrow valleys, torrential floods (like in the Ahr Valley in 2021) can occur.

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