When Nature Strikes: Flash Floods
Almost anywhere you are, heavy rainfall can produce a dangerous flash flood. Even if you are camping high on a mountain, a slow-moving thunderstorm can cause streams to rise quickly and threaten your campsite. Flash floods can occur in areas that are far away from where the rain falls: you could be riding in a car in a desert and water which fell many miles away in the mountains can rush toward you down what is normally a dry stream bed.
This episode of "When Nature Strikes" teaches you that flash floods are one of the deadliest weather threats in the U.S. During the past thirty years, more than 125 people each year have been killed by flash flooding. For comparison, on average, 73 people are killed by lightning, 68 by tornadoes, and 16 by hurricanes, although these numbers can vary greatly from year to year.
After you read the discussion, play the accompanying 'Jeopardy Game'.
"What Should You Do When Flash Floods Threaten" classroom activity
"When Nature Strikes" is produced by NBC Learn in partnership with the National Science Foundation.
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