By Daily Nation
It is the rainy season again in Kenya and with the rain comes the danger of flooding.
Reports of families being swept away in their houses and motorists drowning in the murky waters have already started pouring in. In order to prevent further loss of life and perhaps property, we need to understand what causes floods and what to do in the event of flooding in our area.
According to National Geographic, flooding tends to occur when there is sudden heavy rainfall over a short period of time, which causes water to rise very rapidly.
The heavy but short bursts of rainfall being experienced in the country result in streams and rivers breaking their banks and areas without good drainage systems become waterlogged, resulting in the floods.
Factors that enhance the risk of floods, according to the Kenya Natural Disaster Profile by the United Nations Development Program Enhanced Security Unit, include:
- Location of settlement in the flood plains
- Cultivation of crops along slopes adjacent to the floodplains, causing massive erosion and destruction of trees in the catchments.
- Lack of awareness of the flood hazard by the local communities
- Where the capacity of the soil to absorb water is reduced due to erosion or the existence of concrete.
- Poor building materials leading to non-resistant structures and foundations that cannot withstand the running waters. Read more>>
