http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/floods/ Flood Research News. Current research into flood prediction, flood preparedness, risk assessment. Is climate change contributing to extreme weather and an increase in flooding? en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/floods/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106121918.htm The epic flooding that hit the Atlanta area in September of 2009 was so extremely rare that, six weeks later this event has defied attempts to describe it. Scientists have reviewed the numbers and they are stunning. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106121918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101555.htm In Bangladesh cholera epidemics occur twice a year. Scientists have tried, without much success, to determine the causes -- and advance early detection and prevention efforts. Now, researchers have proposed a link between cholera and fluctuating water levels in the region's three principal rivers -- the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134709.htm Coastal towns and cities in the northwest are woefully unprepared for a large-scale natural disaster. In response, geotechnical engineers are working to develop a series of tsunami evacuation buildings up and down the northwest coast. They would be the first buildings of their kind in the United States. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105317.htm Houses on stilts, small scale energy generation and recycling our dishwater are just some of the measures that are being proposed to prepare our cities for the effects of global warming. A new study outlines how major cities must respond if they are to continue to grow in the face of climate change. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020162337.htm Diverting sediment-rich water from the Mississippi River below New Orleans could generate new land in the river's delta in the next century. Openings in Mississippi levees could build new land in sinking delta. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020162337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009092348.htm A new study has found that sea levels have been rising across the south coast of England over the past century, substantially increasing the risk of flooding during storms. Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009092348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006201354.htm A new map plots the most accurate predictions yet for land uplift and subsidence and shows that southern Ireland and Wales, and southern and eastern England are continuing to sink, whilst Scotland is rising, at rates less than previously predicted. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006201354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929151920.htm Restoring rivers to their natural state is now hit-and-miss, primarily because scientists don't really know what makes a river meander. A scale model using alfalfa sprouts to represent vegetation now shows that strong banks and fine sediment are key. With the help of this large flume model, researchers hope to explore effects of climate change and land use on Earth's meandering streams and rivers. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929151920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090920204459.htm A new study indicates most of the world's low-lying river deltas are sinking from human activity, making them increasingly vulnerable to flooding from rivers and ocean storms and putting tens of millions of people at risk. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090920204459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818150034.htm The results of a Wildlife Conservation Society study that rapidly measures stream habitat have been adopted by a government agency working with private landowners to restore waterways throughout the US. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818150034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090801095806.htm The Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (16 to 14 million years ago), considered generally to be the warmest period in Earth's history within the past 25 million years, saw a major shift in climate from global warming to cooling. This reversal of climatic warming has proven difficult to understand because of the limited range of available records. Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090801095806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730141600.htm While policymakers across of the globe are relying on environmental restoration projects to fuel emerging market-based environmental programs, a new article in Science by two noted ecologists warns that these programs still lack the scientific certainty needed to ensure that restoration projects deliver the environmental improvements being marketed. Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730141600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090717104618.htm Tropical cyclone Nargis made landfall in the Asian nation of Myanmar on May 2, 2008, causing the worst natural disaster in the country's recorded history. Researchers now report on a field survey done three months after the disaster to document the extent of the flooding and resulting damage. Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090717104618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706161304.htm New research finds cell phone towers can help predict the next big flood. Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706161304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608143837.htm As demands on rural land increase and we are all having to deal with the effects of climate change, we may need to take a fresh look at our priorities, according to leading academics meeting in the UK. Research from the Relu Program will be important for the complex policy decisions about land use that need to be taken at national and regional level. Is it time for a debate on a land use planning system for the countryside? Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608143837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424114650.htm Levees and floodwalls surrounding New Orleans -- no matter how large or sturdy -- cannot provide absolute protection against overtopping or failure in extreme events, says a new report by the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424114650.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422085343.htm Researchers in Europe are using grid technology to reduce the hazards of flash floods. After the extreme European floods of 2002, which heavily affected southern France, the French government reformed and consolidated their flood warning systems. Now the European project CYber-Infrastructure for CiviL protection Operative ProcedureS (CYCLOPS) is using the Enabling Grids for E-sciencE (EGEE) Grid infrastructure to model flooding to help forecasters and authorities make decisions in emergency situations. Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422085343.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402143744.htm In 2008, residents of Hispaniola experienced one of their worst hurricane seasons in recent memory. Hispaniola, the Caribbean island containing Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is located directly within the hurricane belt, and was pummeled by five tropical cyclones last year: Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike, and low over the Dominican Republic on Sept. 24 what would become Kyle after moving north. More than 800 people were reported dead or missing from these storms. Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402143744.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325092203.htm Engineers claim that building estuary barrages in the North West could provide more than 5% of the UK's electricity. Researchers examined ways to generate electricity from tidal sources of renewable energy in the Eastern Irish Sea. The study showed that four estuary barrages, across the Solway Firth, Morecambe Bay and the Mersey and Dee estuaries, could be capable of meeting approximately half of the North West region's electricity needs. Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325092203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090315155112.htm Global warming is expected to cause the sea level along the northeastern US coast to rise almost twice as fast as global sea levels during this century, putting New York City at greater risk for damage from hurricanes and winter storm surge, according to a new study. Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090315155112.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303123814.htm Effects of climate change projected for Oregon's Upper Willamette River Basin, including Eugene-Springfield, will threaten water supplies, buildings, transportation systems, human health, forests, and fish and wildlife, according to a new report. Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303123814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090123101207.htm Did a catastrophic flood of biblical proportions drown the shores of the Black Sea 9,500 years ago, wiping out early Neolithic settlements around its perimeter? A geologist says that, if the flood occurred at all, it was much smaller than previously proposed by other researchers. Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090123101207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090123111515.htm Significant loss of life, destroyed property and businesses, and repairs to infrastructure could be avoided by replacing Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps with ones that contain high-accuracy and high-resolution land surface elevation data, says a new report from the National Research Council. Sun, 25 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090123111515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120143617.htm Scientists are studying a system that, in rice field tests, cuts water use by 24 percent. Rice, one of the world's most important foods, is a labor-intensive crop that also requires plenty of water. Often, water pumped to flood rice fields comes from shallow aquifers that are dwindling. Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120143617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090119210423.htm While many of the world's fisheries are in serious decline, the coastal Mediterranean fishery off the Nile Delta has expanded dramatically since the 1980s. The surprising cause of this expansion, which followed a collapse of the fishery after completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1965, is run-off of fertilizers and sewage discharges in the region. Considered pollutants in the West, discharges help to feed millions in Egypt. Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090119210423.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090108095425.htm When extremes of drought and flood come in rapid succession, the extent of damage to vegetation may depend in part on the sequence of those events, according to a new study. Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090108095425.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090108101627.htm Storms across the UK are set to increase in intensity by up to 30 percent in the next 75 years, new research shows. Scientists predict that severe storms – the likes of which currently occur every five to 25 years across the UK – will become more common and more severe in a matter of decades. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090108101627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090107085320.htm Scientists have discovered only the second example of a meteorite impact that occurred at the same time as massive volcanic activity. The first time such a coincidence was observed, at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, was the catastrophic event thought to be responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090107085320.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210150116.htm Home foundations and frames built of a lightweight composite material that may bend - but won’t break - in a hurricane and can simply float on the rising tide of a storm’s coastal surge? Sounds too Sci-Fi? Maybe like something from the distant future? Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210150116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217124426.htm Satellites that were designed to measure sea level over the world's oceans can serve a valuable purpose over land, a new study has found. Researchers used satellite to measure the height and extent of flooding in North America, South America, and Asia. Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217124426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081223091435.htm Researchers have produced an Environmental Risk Index relating to ponds containing lixiviates, polluting liquids from tips or composting plants, which are near river courses. The aim of the study is to quantify their environmental risk and protect surrounding areas. Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081223091435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216104023.htm Three major global climate-change projections scaled down to Oregon's Rogue River Basin point to hotter, drier summers with increasing wildfire risk, reduced snowpack and rainier, stormy winters, according to a new report. Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216104023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081211161741.htm Where natural disasters strike, political corruption is soon to follow, say the authors. But it's not the wind and rain that turns good folks bad; it's the money that floods in afterwards from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Hurricane-prone states like Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana, which receive large amounts of FEMA money, tend to have more corruption convictions per capita. States like Nebraska and Colorado, which receive almost no FEMA dollars, have least corruption. Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081211161741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081121162107.htm The combined global land and ocean surface average temperature for October 2008 was the second warmest since records began in 1880, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA. Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081121162107.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081120144244.htm Flash floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States, and because of their unpredictability they’re the leading weather-related cause of death for Americans. They usually arrive with little or no warning, but researchers are now trying to predict where and when they will occur ― using lightning. Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081120144244.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081121092458.htm "Waterproof" versions of popular varieties of rice, which can withstand two weeks of complete submergence, have passed tests in farmers' fields with flying colors. Several of these varieties are now close to official release by national and state seed certification agencies in Bangladesh and India, where farmers suffer major crop losses because of flooding of up to 4 million tons of rice per year. This is enough rice to feed 30 million people. Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081121092458.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118144857.htm New satellite data have helped scientists crack the case of a speeding Antarctic glacier -- a finding that promises to help improve sea level forecasts. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118144857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118071428.htm Marginal plants, particularly trees, play a crucial role in sustaining the biodiversity of Europe's big river systems, according to new research. This finding provides important clues for protecting Europe's rivers against a combined onslaught from human development and climate change, which are tampering with existing ecosystems and changing both the physical and biological forces acting upon them. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118071428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081106065555.htm To be effective, flood warning systems use rainfall data available in real time. These data come from the ground observation network and estimations made based on the national network of climate radars operated by Météo France. Today, mountain zones are only partially covered by this rain detection technology. Within the INTERREG project, a new generation of radars is being tested by Cemagref in the Var department, a mountainous region with a high flood risk. The radar is currently located in the countryside immediately inland from Nice. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081106065555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081031112041.htm Humanitarian aid workers responding to devastating flooding in Honduras have received assistance from space, with satellite images of affected areas provided rapidly following activation of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters. Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081031112041.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081023175131.htm China's farmers and merchants should take advantage of new opportunities that could help mitigate some effects of the annual flooding behind the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River. The reservoir's water level behind the dam will peak at 575 feet above sea level during the winter. The reservoir pool will extend over 400 square miles -- equivalent to the land area of Hong Kong. By summer the water level will drop 100 feet. The flooding and receding water will repeat every year. Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081023175131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014134102.htm A new article suggests that Formosan subterranean termites played a large role in the destruction of floodwalls and levees during Hurricane Katrina. Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014134102.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002172434.htm The most comprehensive geological review ever undertaken of the upper US Gulf Coast suggests that a combination of rising seas and dammed rivers could flood large swaths of wetlands this century in one or more bays from Alabama to Texas. The findings stem from bayfloor sediment samples, radiocarbon tests and seismic surveys compiled over 30 years. Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002172434.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151316.htm The songbird has a friend in the beaver. According to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the busy beaver's signature dams provide critical habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds, particularly in the semi-arid interior of the West. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085543.htm Extreme flood events in floodplain grasslands affect carabid beetles and molluscs more than plants. Biologists did several years of observations before and after the Elbe floods of August 2002 in this study. Flow variations are known to be most important drivers in structuring riverine communities. However, until now, the effects of extreme flood events on the flora and fauna of floodplains have been largely unknown, despite the fact that such events are likely to become more frequent as a result of climate change. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924111015.htm Scientists have released two new studies, including a report finding that climate change will cause significant impacts on Florida's coastlines and economy due to increased sea level rise and hurricane storm surge. Property damage is expected to increase. A second study recommends that the state of Florida adopt a series of policy programs aimed at adapting to these large coastal and other impacts as a result of climate change. Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924111015.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918091337.htm Improved agricultural productivity can help developing countries reduce their reliance on international emergency food relief following natural disasters. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918091337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926143747.htm A long-term collaboration between Rice University and the Texas Medical Center paid off during Ike when researchers predicted accurately that Brays Bayou would not overflow its banks. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926143747.htm