FLOODS

       How do floods happen?
Over half of the world is covered with water, and we need it to stay alive, 
but in the last couple of years it has been a real pain for some people.

They have been forced out of their homes when lots of rain 
has fallen in a short space of time and caused a flood.


Why doesn't the water run away?
Rivers are formed over a large number of years by the 
movement of water over and through land.
The river forms so that the water will have somewhere to go.
Floods happen when more water tries to fit into the river than
there is space for, and the river bursts its banks.


Why do the same places flood?
The ground in different bits of the country is 
made up of different types of soil and rock.
Some combinations are able to soak up more water than others.
If a place that cannot soak up much water is rained on heavily, 
there is nowhere for the water to go and flooding happens.

The ground can only soak up so much water, to a level called 
the water table. The water table is higher in certain areas of 
the country, making those locations much more at risk.


Why do floods happen so often?
Changes in the world's weather have meant Britain's climate has 
changed and areas of the country are more rained on than in the past.
These areas can't deal with the amount of water that has suddenly 
appeared, causing floods.
by CBBC
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