Most floods are created because an area is very dry and when it gets a sudden influx of large amounts of water there is too much water to be soaked up so the area just becomes flooded because there is nowhere else for the water to go. Also floods can occur when rivers or lagoons or dams are overfilled with the large volume of water so the water overflows and floods the area around it. Because Australia is one of the driest countries in the world, floods are one natural hazard that many communities have experienced.
A good example of devastating flooding in Australia was in 1998, the town called Katherine, in the Northern Territory. It was struck with massive amounts of water, some reported from 350-500 mm of rain falling within a 48 hour timeframe. The catchment area was already filled with previous rains so when this hit came, there was nowhere else for the water to go but in the town. Within no time the town was below 2 meters of rainwater which caused the whole town to be flooded. Katherine is very familiar with floods as they have they more than most places.
Responses by individuals include knowing the history of floods in their area; have a set evacuation plan if things get to out of hand so they know what to do. Responses by groups include educating everyone about what to do in the case of a flood and how to live in these circumstances. Responses that the government that are educating the local police so they know how to handle a town that has been struck, and they also prepare for when floods hit, they had plans to help save lives.
There would be many impacts of a flood, some of these include a physical damage where bridges, sewer systems, roadways can be destroyed. People and livestock could die because of drowning in the flood waters. There is also a very big chance of the water for the town to become contaminated. Crops and harvests could be destroyed from the water so the farmers will lose their money from that. An economic effect is the decline in tourism, and the cost of rebuilding and food shortage which leads to price increase.
