Preparing For The 2018 Flood Season
Are you ready for the 2018 flood season? Most parts of the world are experiencing heavy rains, and according to meteorological experts, the rains may continue for a few more weeks. Therefore, it’s important for everyone to be prepared for this year’s flood season.
Heavy rains are not the only cause of floods. The phenomenon can also be caused by overflowing of rivers, clogged drainage systems, strong winds at the coast or lake regions, excessive melting of snow and ice and dam breakage as well.
Meteorological experts have discovered that heavy rainfall over extended time periods is the main cause of flooding across the world. Excess rain forces water to flow towards dry land, resulting in floods
Riverbanks can also get overflowed. This occurs when they hold unusual amounts of water upstream, and the water is forced to flow downstream to low-lying areas that are commonly known as floodplains.
The water in oceans and lakes can be forcefully carried by hurricanes and strong winds on to dry land that surrounds the large water bodies, leading to floods.
Dams are structures that are used to hold water for generating electricity and for many other uses. When water volumes exceed the capacity of dams, flooding occurs.
During winter, snow and ice usually build up in the highlands. When summer comes around or temperature rises, the snow and ice melts, resulting in floods in low-lying areas.
The town or city that you live in undoubtedly has drainage systems maintained by the local government. If they were poorly designed and constructed, or they get clogged by soil and other materials, don’t get surprised when flooding happens.
Consequences of floods
The immediate effects of this phenomenon include, but are not limited to; loss of valuable human lives, the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera, damage to property, the death of livestock, displacement and destruction of crops, among others.
Economic activities may slow down or halt completely when physical infrastructure like communication masts, power plants, bridges, power lines and roads get destroyed. Flooding can disrupt people’s way of living. In most cases, people are forced to relocate to safer areas, leaving behind their property.
Disruptions to industries can result in loss of livelihoods. Complete destruction or severe damage to facilities can deny victims supply to clean water, gas supply, electricity supply, wastewater treatment, health-care, transport, education, and communication. Whole communities can become economically vulnerable when land in floodplains loses value, when breadwinners lose their sources of income and when victims’ purchasing power substantially reduces.
According to psychologists, people who lose family members and property can be traumatized for many years. Therefore, it’s important for all stakeholders to find ways of preventing and controlling floods.
Are there machines that I can use to control floods?
Yes. There is assorted machinery that you can use to control floods caused by heavy rainfall, blocked drains, and other agents. Progressive Innovation offers all the equipment needed for flood management.
The ProBagger-12 and Instee Levee-Builder, for instance, can help you manage floods. It’s a unique and accurate sandbagging machine that can produce as many as 400 sandbags every 60 minutes.
The Quick Levee-Builder is an exceptionally heavy duty machine that can create a levee measuring 200 feet and 42 inches (in length and height respectively) in not more than 90 minutes.
The two aforementioned machines are offered by Progressive Innovations at very competitive prices. If you’d like to make adequate preparations for the 2018 flood season, please get in touch with us.
