Floods

A flood can be caused by a rainstorm, rising sea levels, a tropical cyclone, snow melting faster than usual or a dam breaking. A flood can develop very quickly or over a longer period. Climate change increases heavy rainfall in some areas, which increases and intensifies floods. 

Sudden floods caused by heavy rain focused on a small area are particularly risky. When a sudden flood strikes, there is only a little time for evacuation.

Floods are among the most common natural disasters. They often cause significant damage to buildings, infrastructure and livelihoods. Fields are flooded and livestock is at risk in flood areas. At worst, floods claim lives. 

After flooding, the risk of infections increases as the dirty water contaminates water sources and spreads diarrhoeal diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever.

The Red Cross prevents flood damage

The Red Cross

• supports and assists public authorities in building early warning systems
• supports communities in detecting areas and buildings most vulnerable to floods and improving their flood structures, such as building flood walls and ditches
• trains volunteers to respond to floods by issuing early warnings in communities and evacuating people and livestock during floods
• supports communities in diversifying livelihoods by e.g. training, providing equipment and tools and small-scale capital so that floods do not collapse the livelihoods of communities and people.

The Red Cross helps at times of flooding

The Red Cross

• trains volunteers who rescue and evacuate people from flood areas
• provides temporary shelter for people during floods
• helps people affected by floods by distributing food, clean water and emergency supplies
• provides first aid and basic health care services
• prevents the spread of infectious diseases by providing clean water and toilets and monitoring the spread of diseases, among other things
• helps communities rebuild after disasters.