Scientists fear that global
warming will trigger more floods—and
other extreme weather
events. Floods damage property (roads, buildings, bridges),
hurt agriculture (lost crops and soil erosion),
and can bring illness and loss of life. Floods, droughts,
hurricanes,
and tornadoes
can cost society millions or billions of dollars. Scientists
caution that the frequency, duration, and intensity of such
disasters may change with global warming.
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Source: National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Floods are not new. Virtually every ancient culture has a
myth about devastating floods that once soaked the world.
Scientists are predicting extreme rainfall and greater flooding
due to global warming. Particularly hard-hit will be low-lying
areas. Higher latitudes (farther north or south, depending
on your hemisphere), which already receive lots of precipitation,
are expected to receive even more.
Click
to enlarge image 
The effects of flooding—contaminated water, disease outbreaks, moldy houses, and injuries—carry economic and personal loss.
Source: United Nations Environment Programme
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HOW FLOODS CAN HURT US
Mild, seasonal flooding can be a blessing, especially to
farmers. But rushing water can destroy whole communities,
drowning victims, and sweeping away homes.
Major health problems from floods are less obvious than
the rushing water. (See more at Health & You below.) Yet they can be more devastating in the long run. Floods bring a slew
of health problems, from cholera
to respiratory infections.
Fortunately, new technologies
such as radar, satellites, and computer modeling have greatly
improved weather forecasting. That gives people more time to evacuate before waters rise. Advances
in medicine and engineering help us control the spread of flood-related illness—or even the flood itself.
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High winds: Lashed by the wind, rivers
may overflow their banks.
