Floods are the most common and most costly natural disasters in Europe. A river, or fluvial flood, occurs when the water level in a river or lake rises and overflows onto the neighboring land. The rise in the water level in the river could be due to excessive rain or snowmelt, and depends also on land use. A river flood can cause downstream dams and dikes to break and flood nearby areas. River floods can also overlap with Flash floods – due to intense rainfalls – and/or Coastal floods, caused by storm surges. Download this quick guide to learn more about the on the ground solutions for tackling river floods.
