Four common types of flood explained

A flood is an overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land.
To plan for floods, you need to understand the type – or types – of flood you may face. Why? There are several
different kinds of flood, and each one bears a different impact in terms of how it occurs, how it is forecast, the
damage it causes, and type of protection you need. Shown here are the four main types of flood.

Fluvial floods (river floods) Pluvial floods (surface water floods)

SNOWFALL
C
ES
SI
V
E
RA
IN

WATER
STRAIN ON DRAINS
OVERFLOWING WATER DRAINAGE AWAY
SYSTEM

NORMAL RIVER
LEVEL

Flash flooding Coastal flood (storm surge)

RA
FA

HIGH WINDS
IN

E
EM
RA

TR
E
EM

EX
TR

STORM SURGE
EX

S WATER COMES
OU
GER ASHORE
DAN RIS
DEB
Fluvial floods (river floods)

SNOWFALL
EX
CE
SS
IV
E
RA
IN

OVERFLOWING WATER

NORMAL RIVER
LEVEL

A fluvial, or river flood, occurs when the water level (volume) of rainfall in an area. Other factors include soil
in a river, lake or stream rises and overflows onto water content due to previous rainfall, and the terrain
the surrounding banks, shores and neighboring land. surrounding the river system. In flatter areas, floodwater
The water level rise could be due to excessive rain tends to rise more slowly and be shallower, and it often
or snowmelt. remains for days. In hilly or mountainous areas, floods
can occur within minutes after a heavy rain, drain very
The damage from a river flood can be widespread as the
quickly, and cause damage due to debris flow.
overflow affects smaller rivers downstream, which can
cause dams and dikes to break and swamp nearby areas. To determine the probability of river flooding, models
consider past precipitation, forecasted precipitation,
The severity of a river flood is determined by the
current river levels, and well as soil and terrain conditions.
duration and intensity of rainfall, i.e. the amount
Pluvial floods (surface water floods)

E
S ID
LL
HI
W N
FL OWS DO
W AT E R

WATER
STRAIN ON DRAINS
DRAINAGE AWAY
SYSTEM

1. 2.

A pluvial, or surface water flood, occurs when heavy 2. Run-off or flowing water from rain falling on elevated
rainfall creates a flood independent of an overflowing terrain, e.g. hillsides, that are unable to absorb the
water body. A common misconception about flood water. Hillsides with recent forest fires are notorious
is that you must be located near a body of water sources of pluvial floods, as are areas where the natural
to be at risk. Yet pluvial flooding can happen in any ground has been paved.
location — urban or rural — even in areas with no
Pluvial floods occur gradually, which provides people time
water bodies in the vicinity. There are two common
to go indoors or leave the area. The level of water is low
causes of pluvial flooding:
to the ground (rarely more than one meter) and causes
1. Intense rain saturates an urban drainage system. no immediate threat to lives. However depending on the
The system becomes overwhelmed and water flooded area it may cause significant economic damage.
flows out into streets and nearby structures.
Flash flooding

EX

EX
TR

TR
EX

EM

EM
TR

E
EM

RA

RA
E

IN

IN
RA

FA

FA
IN

L
FA

L
L L

U S
N G ERO
DA RIS
DEB

Flash floods are caused by extreme rainfall events or the Flash floods are very dangerous and destructive not only
sudden release of water over a short period of time. because of the force of the water, but also the hurtling
They occur within minutes to hours after a heavy rain debris that is often swept up in the flow. Understanding
event, and produce raging torrents of water that move the process of flash floods and where they occur can
with great speed. While the majority of flash floods are reduce the human toll and cost to property, and reduce
triggered by torrential rain falling within a short amount risks for first responders.
of time (like during intense storms), they can also occur
You can learn more in Zurich’s report ‘Flash Floods:
even if no rain has fallen via sudden release of water from
The underestimated natural hazard’.
a levee, damage to a dam or by a sudden release of a
debris or ice dam upstream.
Coastal flood (storm surge)

HIGH WINDS

STORM SURGE

WATER COMES ASHORE

Coastal flooding is the inundation of land areas along The severity of a coastal flood is determined by several
the coast by seawater. Common causes of coastal factors, including the strength, size, speed, and direction of
flooding are high tide, tsunamis and storm surge. the windstorm. The onshore and offshore topography also
plays an important role. To determine the probability and
Storm surge is created when high winds from a
magnitude of a storm surge, coastal flood models consider
windstorm push water onshore — this is the leading
this information in addition to data from historical storms
cause of coastal flooding and often the greatest threat
that have affected the area.
associated with a windstorm. In this type of flood,
water overwhelms low-lying land and often causes
devastating loss of life and property.