A Look at the Different Types of Floods That Can Cause Damage to Your Home | SERVPRO® of Kingston/New Paltz

11/13/2020 (Permalink)

Living in the Hudson Valley doesn't protect us from all flooding, stay in the know and be prepared.

Flooding is an extremely dangerous weather event, while you might not think it can occur in Ulster County, it can and does, and can happen when least expected.

However unlikely floods might seem, every year they impact around 75,000 people across the United States, causing billions of dollars of property damage in the process.

In the easiest terms, floods occur when there is too much water, let’s look at the various types of floods and why they happen.

There are 5 major types of floods that can occur due to different conditions. Each can be destructive in varying ways and they can cause issues for those impacted by them in vastly different ways.

Types of Floods That Can Lead to Damage to Your Ulster County Property

-A River Flood

A river flood can happen when the banks of a river are not high enough to contain the water within. These are generally caused by slow-moving, steady rain or a combination of rainfall and snowmelt that causes the river to overflow. Living near the Hudson River and its many tributaries, we’ve seen some disasters from their banks overflowing.

-A Coastal Flood

Impacting areas along the coast, coastal floods are caused by high tides coupled with heavy rainfall. Coastal floods are especially prominent in areas that are low-lying and located on the ocean.

-Storm Surges

A storm surge occurs when a severe storm creates wind, waves and low pressure that lead to a much higher tide. Storm surges happen quickly and flood large areas at a time, and they are considered an extremely dangerous type of flood. There have been a few notable hurricanes in our area that have caused considerable storm surges. Remember Super Storm Sandy?

-Inland Flooding

When a rain-producing storm lingers over an area for a long time or heavy rains fall quickly, inland flooding can occur, creating too much moisture for the regular drainage systems to absorb. Inland flooding can also occur when dams or levees fail.

-Flash Floods

The most dangerous type of flooding, flash floods usually occur within six hours of a storm beginning and often provide little notice that they are developing. They can occur within minutes and are considered the deadliest type of flood there is due to the lack of notice and preparation or evacuation time.

If your home, property or business has received any damage due to a flood or another incident, we are here when you need us most. You can reach us 24/7, we’re always here to help and faster to any size disaster!