Flood types explained by Chief Meteorologist Alan Sealls
1,151 views · Published 31 December 2018 · 1:31 · Indexed 30 October 2026
Channel: WKRG · 2018 · News & Politics
Depending upon where you live, you might have to deal with flash floods, areal floods, river floods, and coastal floods. They are all about rising water but it's the speed that it rises and falls and what makes it fall that makes the difference. Flash flooding happens rapidly, in a flash. It may take just a few minutes for water to rise in a spot that was totally dry. If you are not aware of what is happening, these can quickly become deadly. Areal flooding is when flooding happens over an area and then typically takes a long time for the water to recede. It's not unusual for a flash flood to be later called an areal flood because it is slow to end. Note that areal is not the same as aerial! River flooding is caused by runoff into rivers from heavy rain. It may happen when rain falls over a large area of tributaries that feed a river or it can happen when intense rain falls over hilly or mountain areas where the water is quickly funneled into a river. That means it is possible to get river flooding on a sunny day, when it is raining somewhere in the distance. Coastal flooding is another type of flooding that can occur on a sunny day, simply because it is caused by wind pushing water from bays, lakes, rivers and shorelines onshore. It's like the storm surge of a tropical storm. All of these can happen together or separately, depending on the weather pattern. When it comes to flooding, it's critical to also know that a Watch means watch and be prepared. A Warning means it is happening or imminent. An Advisory means it is happening but not to the degree of a warning. WKRG-TV Chief Meteorologist Alan Sealls
