If you own a home, the threat of flooding has probably crossed your mind — but did you know there is more than one kind of flood? While we may associate different types of flooding with similar damage, including ruined possessions and mold issues, recovering from a flood may be easier if you and the professionals assisting you understand what type of flood you battled. This information can help to guide your treatment process.
Types of Floods
Here are the five main types of floods stemming from natural disasters:
- Flash floods: Flash floods cover a small area, but they’re powerful enough to ruin big objects, like cars. There aren’t different types of flash floods. These floods can have a few different causes, though. They happen when a heavy rain produces a deluge of water, raising the height of a stream or causing water buildup in an area that is usually dry, such as a street. Flash floods can pop up when falling rainwater backs up sewers, too.
- River floods: When rain or snow runoff leads to increased water levels, rivers can flood over riverbanks, often leading nearby structures to get submerged by water.
- Coastal floods: Coasts often have fewer defenses than other areas that experience floods. Powerful waves during a storm can rise over dunes and impact surrounding areas.
- Urban floods: A city’s drainage system can become overwhelmed when a lot of rain falls in a short period. Urban environments lack the natural drainage that more rural locations have. The water is forced into the street, where it can cause structural damage and even sweep away cars and people.
- Pluvial floods: These floods occur in rural areas. They can overtake agricultural equipment, turning from puddles to ponds quickly.
Types of Flood Damage
What type of damage do floods cause? We can divide it into two categories.
The human damages prompted by flooding can be devastating. People die in serious floods, such as those caused by hurricanes and other natural disasters. You frequently hear about families who lose members because a rescue party failed to show up or people couldn’t get out of their homes. We can replace things, but we can’t replace people. Pets may also become casualties of floods.
The other type of damages suffered in a flood is material. These damages are not as personally devastating, but they certainly feel overwhelming for anyone who has suddenly lost things dear to them, such as old family photos or mementos from their wedding. The things destroyed in a flood may be covered by insurance, but some are irreplaceable. Grieving over the personal and material losses from a flood is necessary to get to a healthier place of acceptance.
Flood Cleanup Services in Chicago
No matter what type of flood you suffer on your property, ServiceMaster of Lincoln Park can assist you in the aftermath. We offer emergency water removal and flood cleanup services to treat your property immediately. We can also help with future mold mitigation. Call us at 773-346-6767 to learn more about our services and schedule an appointment.
