The Differences Between a Flood & a Flash Flood

Causes

• Regular floods are the result of heavy rain or melting snow and an overflow of water from its regular path, usually in rivers or streams. Flash floods can occur from sudden severe rainfall resulting from a major storm or the failure of a dam or levee.

Speed

• Regular flood waters usually move body of water that has overflowed. Flash floods are often swirling and move at a very high velocity. The speeds of flash floods can be enough to uproot trees, carry rocks or boulders and clear away houses or vehicles.

Debris and Damage

• Regular flood waters may contain some debris, but flash floods usually contain much more and larger debris. While the damage may be devastating to buildings affected by a regular flood, the damage done by flash floods is often absolute. For example, a home flooded by a regular flood might still be standing and repairable, but flash floods can take out entire buildings, leaving nothing but rubble.