Flood

flood

Subclass of	natural disaster, high tide
Has effect	death, property damage, dam failure, flood damage
Handled, mitigated, or managed by	flood control, waterproofing

A flood be overflow of water (anaa sometimes oda fluids) wey cover land wey normally dey dry. For de sense of "flowing water", dem sanso fi use de word for de inflow of de tide. Floods be important issue for agriculture, civil engineering den public health.

Human activities wey dey change de environment often dey increase how severe floods go be den how often dem go happen. Examples of dese human changes include land use changes like deforestation den removal of wetlands, changes for waterways, anaa flood control measures such as levees. Global environmental problems too dey affect de causes of floods, especially climate change, wey dey cause stronger water cycle activity den sea level rise.

For example, climate change dey make extreme weather events happen more often den dem dey become stronger too. Dis one dey lead to stronger floods den increase de risk of flooding. Natural types of floods include river flooding, groundwater flooding, coastal flooding den urban flooding, wey some people dey call flash flooding. Tidal flooding fit include elements of both river den coastal flooding processes for estuary areas. There be also intentional flooding of land wey otherwise for remain dry. Dis one fit happen for agricultural, military, or river management purposes. For example, agricultural flooding fit happen when dem dey prepare paddy fields for growing semi-aquatic rice for plenty countries.

Flooding fit happen when water overflow from water bodies such as rivers, lakes, seas, anaa oceans. For such cases, de water dey pass over anaa break levees, causing some of de water to escape from ein normal boundaries.

Flooding fit also happen because rainwater gather on ground wey already soak with water. Dem dey call dis kind flood areal flood. De size of a lake or any oda water body naturally fit change because of seasonal changes for precipitation den melting snow. However, dem no dey consider dese changes in size as floods unless dem cause damage to property anaa drown domestic animals. Floods sanso fi happen for rivers when de amount of water wey dey flow pass de capacity of de river channel, especially for bends anaa meanders of de waterway. Floods often dey cause damage to houses den businesses if dem buildings dey inside de natural flood plains of rivers. People fit avoid river flooding damage if dem move go live far from rivers. However, for plenty countries, people traditionally dey live den work near rivers because de land for there usually dey flat den fertile. Besides, rivers dey provide easy transportation den access to trade den industry.

Flooding fit damage property den also cause secondary effects. For de short term, e fit increase de spread of waterborne diseases den vector-borne diseases, such as diseases wey mosquitoes dey transmit. Flooding fit also make residents leave dia homes for long periods of time or permanently.

Floods be one important area of study for hydrology den hydraulic engineering.

Large number of people for de world dey live close to major coastlines, while plenty major cities den farming areas too dey near floodplains. Because of changing climatic conditions, de risk of coastal den river flooding dey increase significantly.

Types

View of flooded New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

Flooding of a creek because of heavy monsoon rain den high tide for Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Flood for Jeddah, covering King Abdullah Street for Saudi Arabia

Overland flooding near Georgetown, Minnesota, for de Red River Valley of de North

Areal flooding

For spring season, floods be common for Ostrobothnia, one flat area for Finland. House wey flood surround for Ilmajoki, South Ostrobothnia.

Floods fit happen for flat or low-lying areas when rainwater or melted snow dey come more quickly than de ground fit absorb am or than de water fit flow away. De extra water gather for one place, sometimes reaching dangerous levels. Surface soil fit become fully soaked with water, wey go stop further infiltration, especially for places where de water table dey near de surface, such as a floodplain, or during heavy rainfall from one storm or a series of storms.

Infiltration too dey very slow or almost impossible through frozen ground, rock, concrete, paved surfaces, or roofs. Areal flooding usually start for flat areas like floodplains den local depressions wey no connect to any stream channel, because de speed of overland flow depend on de slope of de land. Endorheic basins fit experience areal flooding during periods when rainfall pass evaporation.

River flooding

January 27 Baron River flooding, Cairns

Flood fit happen for all types of river den stream channels, from small ephemeral streams for humid areas, to normally-dry channels for arid regions, go reach big rivers like de Amazon. When overland flow happen for farm land, e fit cause muddy flood where sediments dey carried plus de runoff as suspended material anaa bed load. Local flooding fit increase because of blockage for drainage, like landslides, ice, debris, anaa beaver dams.

Slow rising floods normally dey happen for big rivers wey get large catchment areas. De increase for water flow fit come from long rain, fast snowmelt, monsoon rains, anaa tropical cyclones. But big rivers too fit experience fast flooding if de area be dry climate, because dem fit get large basin but small river channel, den rainfall fit be very heavy for small part of de basin.

For very flat areas like de Red River Valley of the North for Minnesota, North Dakota, den Manitoba, mixed type of river den areal flooding fit happen, wey people dey call am "overland flooding". Dis one different from "overland flow" wey mean surface runoff. De Red River Valley be former glacial lakebed wey Lake Agassiz create, den for 550 miles river course, e drop only 236 feet, meaning say de slope very small.

For dis kind flat land, spring snowmelt no dey happen same time everywhere. If snowfall heavy den snow melt fast, water fit push out from tributary rivers, move overland, then join another river far downstream anaa even enter another stream completely. Overland flooding fit be very dangerous because e no dey easy to predict, e fit happen suddenly, den e fit travel far distance for flat land.

Fast flooding events wey dey include flash floods dey happen more for small rivers, steep valleys, rivers wey flow over hard rock, anaa normally-dry channels. De cause fit be heavy thunderstorm rain anaa sudden release of water from dam, landslide, anaa glacier. For one case, flash flood kill eight people for waterfall area insyd narrow canyon wen water flow jump from about 50 to 1,500 cubic feet per second (1.4 to 42 m³/s) insyd just one minute.

Two more floods happen for same place within one week, but nobody dey there those days. De deadly flood come from thunderstorm wey happen for part of drainage basin, where steep bare rock slope dey den thin soil already full plus water.

Flash floods be very common for normally-dry channels inside arid areas, wey dem dey call arroyos for southwest United States. For dis kind place, first flood water wey arrive dey lose strength secof e dey soak into sandy river bed. So de front of de flood dey move slow pass de water behind. Secof dis, de flood become faster as e dey move downstream until soil soaking no matter again den flow rate become very strong.

Dis one dey help people take precautions den give warning ahead of time so dem fit prepare for flooding conditions. For example, farmers fit move dema animals comot from low-lying areas, den utility services fit arrange emergency plans to reroute services if e become necessary. Emergency services too fit make sure say dem get enough resources ready before time so dem fit respond quickly when emergencies happen. People sanso fi evacuate areas wey flood go affect.

To make flood forecast for waterways more accurate, e dey important to get long history data wey link stream flows to past rainfall events. If you combine dis historical data plus real-time information about water levels in catchment areas—like space left insyd reservoirs, groundwater levels, den how much soil den underground water systems don already soak (saturation of aquifers)—then flood prediction go become more accurate.

Radar rainfall estimates den normal weather forecasting methods too be important part of good flood forecasting. For places wey good data dey available, dem fit predict how high flood go rise den wen e go reach certain places plus good accuracy den enough early warning. Flood forecast output usually show de maximum expected water level den de estimated time wey e go reach key points along de river. E sanso fit help calculate de statistical return period of flood.

For many developed countries, urban areas wey dey at risk of flooding dey protected against wat dem call 100-year flood—dat one mean flood wey get about 63% chance (1 − 0.99¹⁰⁰, anaa roughly 1 − 1/e) to happen insyd any 100-year period.

According to de U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) Northeast River Forecast Center (RFC) for Taunton, Massachusetts, one simple rule for urban flood forecasting be say e need at least 1 inch (25 mm) of rain within about one hour to cause serious water gathering on non-absorbent surfaces. Chaw NWS RFCs sanso dey issue Flash Flood Guidance and Headwater Guidance, wey show de amount of rain wey fit cause flash flooding anaa flooding for big water basins.

Coastal flooding

Coastal areas fit flood when storm surges mix with high tides den big wave events for sea, make waves overflow flood defense systems. For serious cases, tsunami or tropical cyclones fit also cause this kind flooding. Storm surge from either tropical cyclone or extratropical cyclone dey fall inside this category.

Storm surge be “extra rise of water wey storm create, over and above the normal predicted astronomical tides”.

Because of effects of climate change (like sea level rise den increase in extreme weather events) plus more people wey dey live for coastal areas, damage from coastal flooding don increase and e dey affect more people pass before.

Flooding for estuaries normally dey happen when storm surge wey come from strong winds and low barometric pressure combine with big waves wey dey meet strong upstream river flow.

Intentional floods

Intentional flooding of land wey normally go remain dry fit happen for agricultural, military, or river-management purposes. This one be form of hydraulic engineering. For agriculture, flooding fit dey used when dem dey prepare paddy fields for growing semi-aquatic rice for many countries.

Chinese Kuomintang soldiers during the 1938 Yellow River flood

Flooding for river management fit happen when dem dey divert flood water from river wey don reach flood stage upstream, move am go areas wey dem consider less valuable, so say more important places go no suffer. This fit be done on the spot (ad hoc), or e fit be permanent, like the so-called overlaten (meaning “let-overs”), wey be intentionally lowered part for Dutch river levees, like the Beerse Overlaat for left levee of the Meuse between the villages of Gassel and Linden, North Brabant.

Military flooding dey create obstacle for battlefield wey go slow enemy movement. Dem fit use am for both attack and defense purposes. Since the method be form of hydraulic engineering, e dey important to differentiate between controlled flooding and uncontrolled ones.

Examples of controlled flooding include the ones wey Netherlands use under the Dutch Republic and later states, like the Hollandic Water Lines, the Stelling van Amsterdam, the Frisian Water Line, the IJssel Line, the Peel-Raam Line, den the Grebbe line.

For military flooding to count as controlled, dem must consider civilian people well-being—give dem time to evacuate, make sure say the flooding fit be reversed, and try reduce damage to environment (ecology). The impact fit also affect underground water system (hydrogeology) if the flood stay long.

Uncontrolled flooding examples include the second Siege of Leiden during the Eighty Years' War, the flooding of the Yser plain during First World War, and also the Inundation of Walcheren plus the Inundation of the Wieringermeer during Second World War.

Causes

Flood wey come from Cyclone Hudhud for Visakhapatnam, India

Floods fit happen because of plenty different things, or sometimes combination of dem. E fit be long heavy rain wey fall for one place or across whole river basin, quick snow wey dey melt fast, strong wind wey dey push sea water, unusual high tide, tsunami, or when dam, levee or other water control structure break down. Human activities too fit make flood worse, like when people build plenty concrete ground wey no dey absorb water, or when bush burn or wetland wey dey normally hold water don reduce.

During rain, part of the water go soak enter soil, part go remain for small ponds, some go enter grass and plants, some go even evaporate, but the rest go flow on top ground as surface runoff. Flood go happen when soil, river, lake or vegetation no fit take all the water again.

Human activities don make am worse too, like when people drain wetlands wey suppose store water, or when dem build roads and pavements wey water no fit enter. Because of this, water dey rush enter rivers and streams pass wetin dem fit carry or store inside natural lakes and reservoirs. About 30 percent of rainfall dey turn runoff and snow wey dey melt fit increase am too.

Upslope factors

Flash flood for Ein Avdat, Negev, Israel

River flood mostly dey happen when heavy rain fall, sometimes join with snow wey dey melt fast. If flood rise quick quick with small or no warning at all, dem dey call am flash flood. Flash flood normally dey come from heavy rain for small area, or when ground already full water from previous rain.

How water take reach river or drainage channel depend on how rain fall, where e fall, and when e fall, plus how dam release water upstream. Some water go evaporate, some go enter soil, some fit remain as snow or ice, but plenty go flow on top ground go enter rivers. The amount of water wey reach river quick quick fit change—from small one for light rain on dry ground to very big one when rain fall on snow.

Rainfall data dey measure how deep rain fall within time. Scientists dey use how often rain pass certain level to predict flood risk. Thunderstorms normally give short but heavy rain, while other types of rain fit last longer. This duration, strength, and how often rain dey happen dey very important for flood prediction.

The biggest factor wey determine how big flood go be na the size of land wey dey drain into the river (watershed). For small watersheds, how heavy rain be matter pass, but for big watersheds, how steep river channel be dey matter more.

Time of concentration na the time wey water take travel from farthest point of watershed reach the river outlet. This one dey help determine how long heavy rain must last to cause peak flood.

Downslope factors

Water wey dey flow downhill go finally meet place wey fit slow am down, like ocean, lakes, or coastal barriers. For coastal flooding, tide change dey very important. Tsunami and storm surge too fit change water level suddenly.

How fast water dey move depend on river shape, depth, speed, and sediment inside am. Bridges, narrow valleys, and other blockages fit control water level. But this control point fit change depending on how high water rise.

Vegetation growth, ice, debris, or human structures fit change how river dey flow and increase flood risk.

Flood fit repeat for rivers and create floodplain area around them. Even small rain fit still cause coastal flooding if strong wind like hurricane push sea water inland.

Climate change

High tide flooding dey increase because sea level dey rise and natural protection dey reduce.

Long-term sea level rise dey happen together with short-term flooding events, and climate change dey make extreme rainfall more frequent, so flood risk dey increase for many coastal and inland areas.

Coincidence

Sometimes flood big pass because different events happen together—like heavy rain wey come melt snow, ice wey block river, or dam wey release water. These combination events fit make flood worse pass normal prediction.

Debris like trees, buildings, and vehicles fit block river and change how water dey flow, making flood unpredictable and dangerous.

Because of this, flood risk no be only about how much rain fall, but also how all these factors combine together at the same time.

Negative impacts

Flooded walnut farms for Butte County, California after plenty atmospheric rivers hit California early 2023

Floods fit cause very serious destruction. When water dey rush, e fit destroy all kind things like bridges, buildings, houses, trees, cars, and other structures. The damage wey flood dey bring for economy, society, and environment dey always heavy, and sometimes e fit turn disaster completely.

Floods and agriculture, climate, economy, and diseases dey linked together (FACED system). Floods don already cause loss wey pass USD 1.5 trillion for agriculture between 1991 and 2023, meaning say agriculture dey very vulnerable to water disaster worldwide.

Impacts on infrastructure and society

Economic loss for agriculture and other sectors caused by floods compared to other disaster types

Plenty flood events around the world don destroy infrastructure, environment, and even human lives. Floods dey increase for frequency and severity, so the cost to society dey rise every year.

Big river flood fit happen when dam break, or when landslide, earthquake, or volcano change how river dey flow. Tsunami too fit cause serious coastal flooding.

Economic impacts

Floods dey cause loss of life and serious damage to buildings, roads, bridges, sewage systems, and other infrastructure.

Every year, flood dey cost countries billions of dollars and many people dey lose their livelihood. In Bangladesh 2007 flood, more than one million houses collapse. For United States too, flood dey cause over $7 billion loss every year.

Flood water fit cover farmland, spoil crops, and make farming impossible, which fit lead to food shortage. Some trees too no fit survive long flooding of their roots.

For communities, flood fit reduce property value and even discourage people from buying houses. Many small businesses no dey reopen after flood disaster. Flood insurance dey available for some countries to help reduce loss.

Flood damage fit also affect tourism, increase rebuilding cost, and cause food price to rise. Many people also suffer emotional and psychological stress after losing property or loved ones.

Health impacts

Flood after 1991 Bangladesh cyclone wey kill around 140,000 people

Most flood deaths dey happen because people drown due to strong currents and deep water. Some people still dey die from lack of medicine, dehydration, heat, or other sickness when help no reach dem on time.

Flood injuries dey happen during and after disaster, even to rescue workers. Falling debris and fast-moving water dey cause serious harm.

Flood water dey carry disease organisms. So diseases like cholera, hepatitis, diarrhoea, and other waterborne infections dey increase because clean water no dey available.

After flood, stagnant water fit increase mosquito breeding, which fit cause malaria and other vector diseases like dengue and yellow fever.

People too fit suffer psychological problems like depression and stress because of loss of family, home, and property.

Floods also fit damage electricity supply, water treatment systems, and sewage systems, making health situation worse. Dirty water mixing with sewage fit increase risk of serious infections like typhoid and cholera.

Road damage fit make emergency response and medical help difficult to reach affected people.

Floods also fit make houses remain wet for long time, leading to mold growth, which fit cause breathing problems like asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, and yellow fever fit increase because stagnant water remain after flood.

Floods fit also cause long-term mental health problems like depression due to trauma and loss.

Positive impacts (benefits)

Floods (especially small small ones wey dey come from time to time) fit bring plenty benefits. E fit help recharge underground water (groundwater), make soil more fertile, den increase nutrients for some farmlands. Because of this, for ancient times, people wey dey live near rivers like Nile, Tigris-Euphrates, Indus, Ganges den Yellow River dey depend on seasonal flooding for dem survival.

Flood water dey also give fresh water resources for dry and semi-dry areas wey rain no dey come regular. E fit even kill some pests for farm land. For river ecosystems, flooding dey help maintain balance and support plants and animals wey dey live for floodplain areas. E also dey carry nutrients go lakes and rivers, which fit increase fish and other aquatic life for some years.

Some fish dey even use flooded plains as place to lay eggs because food plenty there and predators few. Birds too dey benefit because food increase during flooding. Hydropower energy also dey work better for places wey flooding dey happen often.

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Protections against floods and flood risks

Flood management

For many countries, people dey try control floods by building things like dams, levees, reservoirs, weirs, and detention basins. These structures dey help reduce overflow of water.

If these systems fail, people fit use emergency things like sandbags or temporary barriers to slow water. For coastal areas, dem dey use sea walls, beach protection, and other coastal defenses.

For rivers, engineers dey try reduce erosion and control how river dey bend or change path. Urban areas too dey improve drainage systems like gutters and sewers. Some places dey remove concrete and replace am with natural drainage systems like wetlands and porous ground so water fit enter soil.

Some flood-prone areas dey even turn into parks or open spaces wey fit flood without causing much damage. House owners too fit raise buildings, install pumps, or direct water away from their houses.

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Flood safety planning

To manage flood risk well, planners dey look things like past flood records, rainfall patterns, river behavior, and land shape. Dem dey use models and maps to predict where water fit reach.

Good planning also include:

planning land use well

building strong infrastructure

monitoring rivers and rainfall

early warning systems

emergency response planning

Important public buildings like hospitals, police stations, and fire services suppose dey far from flood areas. Bridges and roads wey must pass flood zones must be strong enough to survive flood.

People also dey follow safety advice like “move go higher ground” and avoid crossing flood water when e dey move fast.

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Flood clean-up safety

After flood, clean-up work fit be dangerous. People fit face electric shock, dirty water diseases, heat or cold stress, sharp debris, and gas like carbon monoxide.

Flood areas fit also get broken glass, fallen wires, chemicals, and even dead animals. Because of this, workers dey use safety gear like gloves, boots, helmets, goggles, and life jackets.

Careful planning and protection dey important because flood clean-up work no be easy at all and e fit cause injuries if people no careful.

Flood predictions

Main article: Flood prediction

Flooding near Key West, Florida, United States due to Hurricane Wilma ein storm surge for October 2005

Flood prediction na de way experts dey try predict when flood go happen, how serious e go be, den which places e go affect. Dem dey use scientific methods, computer models, weather information, den old flood records take estimate future floods.

A series of annual maximum flow rates for a stream fit be analyzed statistically to estimate de 100-year flood and oda floods wey fit happen after specific recurrence intervals. Similar estimates from different sites for one hydrologically similar region fit be linked to measurable characteristics of each drainage basin. Dis one dey make indirect estimation of flood recurrence intervals possible for stream reaches wey no get enough data for direct analysis.

Physical process models of river channels dey well understood generally, and dem fit calculate flood depth and de area wey water go cover under particular channel conditions and flow rates. Dem dey use dis information for floodplain mapping and flood insurance. On de other hand, if a recent flood don happen, a model fit use de observed flooded area and channel conditions take calculate de flow rate.

When dem apply different channel configurations and flow rates, a reach model fit help select de best design for a modified channel. As of 2015, different reach models dey available, including 1D models, wey dey measure flood levels inside de channel, and 2D models, wey dey measure flood depths across de whole floodplain. HEC-RAS be one of de most popular software because e dey available free of charge. Other models such as TUFLOW dey combine 1D and 2D components to estimate flood depths for both river channels and floodplains.

Physical process models for complete drainage basins be more complex. Although scientists understand many hydrological processes, some processes and interactions still no dey fully understood for all scales, especially under extreme climate conditions. Basin models normally combine land-surface process components with a series of reach models. Dem fit estimate how much rainfall or melting snow go enter a channel.

For example, a basin model fit calculate de runoff hydrograph wey a 100-year storm fit produce, although de recurrence interval of de storm no always go match de recurrence interval of de resulting flood. Basin models dey commonly used for flood forecasting, flood warnings, land-use change studies, and climate change analysis.

For de United States, an integrated approach to real-time hydrologic computer modelling dey use observed data from de U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), weather observation networks, automated weather sensors, de NOAA National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC), hydroelectric companies, and quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF) of expected rainfall or snowmelt to generate daily hydrologic forecasts. De National Weather Service (NWS) also dey cooperate with Environment Canada for hydrologic forecasts wey affect both de United States and Canada, especially around de Saint Lawrence Seaway.

De Global Flood Monitoring System (GFMS) be a computer tool wey dey map flood conditions worldwide. Users from anywhere for de world fit use GFMS determine when floods fit happen for dia areas. GFMS dey use rainfall data from NASA satellites and de Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite. Dem combine dis information with land-surface models wey include vegetation cover, soil type, and terrain conditions to estimate how much water dey soak enter de ground and how much dey flow enter rivers and streams.

Users fit view rainfall, streamflow, water depth, and flood statistics every three hours on a global map. Forecasts for these parameters dey available up to five days ahead. Users fit zoom enter de map to see inundation maps with one-kilometre resolution.

Flooding for a street in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, for April 2013

Predicting floods before dem happen dey allow authorities and communities take precautions and warn people in advance. Farmers fit move dia animals from low-lying areas. Utility companies fit prepare emergency arrangements to reroute services if necessary. Emergency services fit gather enough resources before emergencies happen, and people fit evacuate areas wey flood fit affect.

To make flood forecasts more accurate, scientists need long-term historical records wey relate stream flows to previous rainfall events. Dem also need real-time information about reservoir capacity, groundwater levels, and how saturated aquifers and soils be.

Radar rainfall estimates and modern weather forecasting methods also be important parts of flood prediction. For areas wey get good-quality data, scientists fit predict flood intensity and flood heights with reasonable accuracy and enough warning time.

Normally, de output of a flood forecast include de maximum expected water level and de likely time wey de flood go reach important locations along rivers and waterways. E fit also estimate de statistical return period of de flood.

For many developed countries, urban areas wey dey at risk of flooding get protection against a 100-year flood. Dat be a flood event wey get approximately 63 percent chance of occurring at least once within any 100-year period.

According to de U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) Northeast River Forecast Center (RFC) for Taunton, Massachusetts, around one inch of rainfall within approximately one hour fit start significant water accumulation on impermeable surfaces such as roads and pavements. Because of dis, many NWS RFCs regularly issue Flash Flood Guidance and Headwater Guidance to show de amount of rainfall wey fit cause flash flooding or flooding for larger water basins.

Flood risk assessment

Main article: Flood risk assessment

Flood risk assessment be de process of determining de danger wey floods pose to people, property, infrastructure, and de natural environment based on specific hazards and vulnerabilities. De extent of flood risk fit influence de types of mitigation measures wey authorities go implement.

A large proportion of de world's population dey live near major coastlines, while many major cities and agricultural areas dey located near floodplains. Because of changing climatic conditions, de risk of both coastal flooding and river flooding dey increase for many regions around de world.

Society and culture

People wey dey seek refuge from flood for Java, around 1865–1876

Myths and religion

The Deluge, frontispiece for Gustave Doré ein illustrated edition of de Bible

For many societies throughout history, floods don play important roles for myths, religion, and traditional beliefs. Plenty ancient civilizations get stories about great floods wey destroy large parts of de world or punish humanity. One of de most famous examples be de story of Noah's Ark for de Bible, where God send a great flood to cover de Earth. Similar flood stories dey appear for cultures across Africa, Asia, Europe, and de Americas.

Etymology

De word flood come from de Old English word flōd. Dis word be common among many Germanic languages. Examples include de German word Flut and de Dutch word vloed. Dem all come from de same root wey dey connected to words like flow and float. Similar related words dey also exist for Latin, including fluctus and flumen.

For Old English, flōd mean “flowing water”, “tide”, “water wey overflow land”, “deluge”, “Noah ein Flood”, or simply a large mass of water such as a river, sea, or wave.

De Old English word flōd come from de Proto-Germanic word floduz. Related words from oda old Germanic languages include Old Frisian flod, Old Norse floð, Middle Dutch vloet, modern Dutch vloed, German Flut, and de Gothic word flodus. All of dem trace dia origin back to de Proto-Germanic root floduz.