Abstract
Floods are classified into different types depending on where the water comes from and on their generating processes. Several types of floods are described in this chapter, including river floods, flash floods, dam-break floods, ice-jam floods, glacial-lake floods, urban floods, coastal floods, and hurricane-related floods. Examples of each flood type are provided, and their dominant processes are discussed. Hydrological flood processes such as runoff generation and routing depend on the type of landscape, soils, geology, vegetation, and channel characteristics. They are driven and modulated by climate through precipitation and temperature. Also evapotranspiration and snow processes play a critical role determining, for example, before-event soil saturation. These processes vary widely around the world, and even at the same location, they vary between events. The chapter reviews methods for estimating the probability and magnitude of floods as a measure of the flood hazard. It is argued that understanding the flood processes for each of the flood types is a prerequisite for estimating the flood hazard reliably. This is particularly important if one expects the landscape or climate characteristics to change in the future.
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