Over
the
past
hundred
years
,
no
other
natural
disaster
in
the
US
has
caused
more
death
and
____________________
than
floods
.
They
can
____________________
any
place
,
any
day
,
any
time
and
they
will
likely
only
get
worse
.
As
people
____________________
around
coastal
regions
and
____________________
,
our
growing
population
will
confront
the
awesome
power
of
water
.
For
thousands
of
years
,
farmers
have
depended
on
____________________
floods
.
The
water's
irrigated
their
____________________
and
fertilized
their
____________________
.
Today
excess
water
is
____________________
into
reservoirs
and
power
hydroelectric
____________________
.
But
when
water
levels
____________________
suddenly
,
far
more
than
the
ground
can
absorb
,
a
flood
occurs
.
____________________
floods
are
a
perfect
example
.
Sudden
storms
unleash
a
torrential
____________________
.
The
____________________
moves
with
surprising
force
.
At
a
depth
of
2
feet
,
the
water
can
push
aside
a
car
.
In
fact
half
of
all
the
deaths
from
flash
floods
involve
____________________
.
But
floods
occur
in
many
other
ways
.
____________________
rains
and
thawing
snowfall
can
____________________
rivers
,
storm
____________________
caused
by
hurricanes
and
tsunamis
inundate
the
____________________
.
Landslides
and
____________________
can
displace
large
volumes
of
water
.
Dams
break
,
____________________
fail
.
In
the
great
Mississippi
flood
of
____________________
,
several
of
these
factors
came
into
play
.
Over
10000
square
miles
of
the
Midwestern
United
States
were
overwhelmed
with
rain
.
In
a
cruel
twist
,
the
____________________
dams
known
as
levees
along
the
upper
Mississippi
river
forced
the
water
to
flow
____________________
faster
and
stronger
.
Communities
further
____________________
were
____________________
with
the
full
brunt
of
the
Mississippi
.
2
/
3
of
all
the
levees
were
____________________
.
Though
towns
rallied
to
protect
their
lives
and
livelihoods
,
the
____________________
was
still
immense
.
Over
10
billion
dollars
in
damages
,
____________________
homes
flooded
or
destroyed
and
some
____________________
people
were
killed
.
At
the
start
of
the
century
,
another
____________________
flood
wreaked
havoc
,
this
one
coming
from
the
sea
.
The
storm
surges
of
hurricane
Katrina
submerged
____________________
of
the
city
of
New
Orleans
.
Over
____________________
people
died
in
the
floods
.
The
____________________
has
been
estimated
at
over
80
billion
dollars
.
In
some
ways
,
the
New
Orleans
disaster
was
unique
.
Much
of
the
city
lies
____________________
sea
level
,
and
despite
years
of
warning
,
the
city
was
____________________
unprepared
to
handle
a
breach
of
the
levees
which
kept
it
dry
.
But
we
are
still
____________________
.
Sea
levels
may
rise
,
coastlines
could
erode
,
rain
____________________
might
change
,
____________________
could
melt
,
and
then
the
waters
would
rush
in
.
