• Are there different types of flooding?
    There are two basic kinds of floods, flash floods and the more widespread river flooding. Flash floods generally cause greater loss of life and river floods generally cause greater loss of property. A flash flood occurs when runoff from excessive rainfal...

  • Does a shortage of rain mean that a drought will occur?
    A period of below-normal rainfall does not necessarily result in drought conditions. Some rain returns to the air as water vapor when water evaporates from water surfaces and from moist soil. Plant roots draw some of the moisture from the soil and return i...

  • How are floods predicted?
    Floods are a dangerous hazard throughout the world, and most people underestimate the power of flood waters. On average, in the United States, about 165 people are killed and about $2 billion of damage occurs each year. Several types of data can be colle...

  • How can I find flood maps?
      For flood insurance maps, contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Flood Map Division or their Map Service Center.         Telephone: 1-800-358-9616       FAX: 1-800...

  • How dangerous is flooding?
    Floods are a dangerous hazard throughout the world. On average in the United States, about 165 people are killed and about $2 billion of damage occurs each year. Most people underestimate the power and destructiveness of flood waters.  ...

  • What causes drought?
    A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems. Precipitation (either rain or snow) falls in uneven patterns across the country. The amount of precipitation at a particular location varies from year to year, bu...

  • What is the Palmer Index?
    The Palmer Index (more properly called the Palmer Drought Severity Index) was developed by Wayne Palmer of the U.S. Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service) in the 1960's and uses temperature and rainfall information in a formula to determine ...

  • When does a drought begin?
    The beginning of a drought is difficult to determine. Several weeks, months, or even years may pass before people know that a drought is occurring. The end of a drought can occur as gradually as it began. Dry periods can last for 10 years or more. During t...

  • Why doesn't a drought go away when it rains?
    Rainfall in any form will provide some drought relief. A good analogy might be how medicine and illness relate to each other. A single dose of medicine can alleviate symptoms of illness, but it usually takes a sustained program of medication to cure an ill...

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