Facts about Floods

1. 08

   Flood waters recede at an average rate of one foot per day, but saturated soil can remain waterlogged for weeks, preventing crops from growing and spreading waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid.

   FloodsMay 14sharehealthagricultureaftermath
2. 07

   Australia's 2010-2011 Queensland floods inundated an area larger than France and Germany combined, affecting over 200,000 people across 70 percent of the state.

   FloodsMay 14sharegeographymeasurementdisaster
3. 06

   Levees along the Mississippi River system span over 1,500 miles and require constant maintenance, with a single breach capable of inundating thousands of square miles within hours.

   FloodsMay 14shareinfrastructuremeasurementgeography
4. 05

   Over 2 billion people worldwide live in areas at high risk of flooding, with river floods affecting approximately 81 million people annually according to World Bank estimates.

   FloodsMay 14sharegeographystatisticsinfrastructure
5. 04

   Flash floods can reach speeds of 20 miles per hour and carry boulders weighing several tons, making them capable of destroying reinforced structures in seconds.

   FloodsMay 14sharephysicsmeasurementdanger
6. 03

   Bangladesh experiences devastating monsoon floods annually between June and September, with the 2004 floods displacing 7 million people across 36 percent of the country's land area.

   FloodsMay 14sharegeographyclimatedisaster
7. 02

   In 1993, the Mississippi River flooded 20 million acres across nine states, causing approximately 50 deaths and 15 billion dollars in damages.

   FloodsMay 14sharegeographymeasurementmodern
8. 01

   The 1931 China floods killed an estimated 1 to 4 million people, making it the deadliest natural disaster in recorded history.

   FloodsMay 13sharehistorydisastermeasurement