However, floods have enormous destructive power. Yearly flooding has left millions of tons of nutrient-rich soil behind. ![]() Famously fertile flood plains like the Mississippi River valley in the American Midwest, the Nile River valley in Egypt, and the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East have supported agriculture for thou sands of years. This sediment can be full of nutrients, benefiting farmers and agribusinesses in the area. Effects of Floods When floodwaters recede, affected areas are often blanketed in silt and mud. All 50 states of the United States are vulnerable to flooding. Floods are the second-most widespread natural disaster on Earth, after wildfires. Coastal flooding, also called estuarine flooding, happens when a large storm or tsunami causes the sea to rush inland. ![]() The land surrounding a river is called a flood plain. Heavy rain, a broken dam or levee, rapid icemelt in the mountains, or even a beaver dam in a vulnerable spot can overwhelm a river and send it spreading over nearby land. ![]() The most common is when rivers or streams overflow their banks. Sometimes, floods develop quickly and with little warning. Generally, floods take hours or even days to develop, giving residents time to prepare or evacuate. There are few places on Earth where people don’t need to be concerned about flooding. A flood happens when water overflows or soaks land that is normally dry.
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