A flood consists of the invasion or covering of water in areas that in normal conditions remain dry, it is also considered as the excessive abundance of something or thing; for example, " there is a flood of mosquitoes in the house ."
Floods are caused when the soil and vegetation cannot absorb all the water when it rains, it flows without the rivers being able to channel it nor the natural ponds or artificial swamps created by means of dams can retain it. River floods are the result of heavy rain or torrential rain, to which melt snow is sometimes added, causing rivers to overflow. Coastal areas are flooded by unusually high tides caused by strong winds at the ocean surface, or by a tidal wave or tsunami.
Much of the earth's surface is affected by floods, especially the equatorial and tropical areas. Among the rains that produce large floods are those caused by summer gales in Asia and Oceania, cyclones in the Caribbean area such as the El Niño phenomenon, which affects a large part of Central and South America.
Floods damage property, threaten the lives of humans and animals, erode the soil and sediment excessively, make drainage difficult and prevent land from being used productively.
Other effects of the floods in conjunction with the rains are that they cause landslides and landslides that destroy houses and human lives, as well as the supports of the bridges, the banks of the roads, and other structures, in addition to navigation and the supply of hydroelectric energy.
