A flash flood is one of the most dangerous natural disasters because it strikes suddenly, with little to no warning. It is usually triggered when a large volume of water is released in a very short time, overwhelming the capacity of rivers, streams, or drainage systems. Unlike seasonal floods, which rise gradually, flash floods are rapid and violent, often leaving very little time for people to escape.

Causes of Flash Floods:

• The primary cause is intense or prolonged rainfall that saturates the soil and overwhelms natural or artificial drainage. In hilly or mountainous regions, steep slopes accelerate the flow of water, making valleys and low-lying areas especially vulnerable.
• Urbanisation further aggravates the problem, as concrete surfaces prevent rainwater from seeping into the ground, increasing surface runoff.
• Sudden events such as the bursting of a dam, glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs), or landslides that block rivers and later release water abruptly also trigger flash floods.
• Climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of extreme rainfall events, making flash floods more common in many parts of the world.

Effects of Flash Floods:

• The consequences are devastating because of their sudden onset and force. Flash floods wash away roads, bridges, and houses, disrupting infrastructure and essential services. Agricultural land is often submerged, leading to crop losses and soil erosion.
• Human settlements are directly threatened, with lives lost to drowning or being swept away by water carrying debris, rocks, and mud.
• Economically, the destruction leads to high costs of rehabilitation and rebuilding. Socially, displaced communities face long-term challenges such as loss of livelihood, trauma, and health risks due to waterborne diseases.
• Environmentally, flash floods can alter river courses, destroy vegetation, and affect local ecosystems

• A cloudburst is an extreme weather phenomenon in which a massive amount of rainfall occurs over a very small area within a short period of time, usually less than an hour.
• The rainfall is so intense that the ground and drainage systems cannot absorb or carry away the water quickly enough, leading to sudden floods.
• Technically, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines a cloudburst as rainfall of 10 cm (100 mm) or more within one hour over a region of about 10 km².
• Cloudbursts generally happen in mountainous or hilly regions, such as the Himalayas, where warm, moisture-laden air rapidly ascends due to the terrain.
• When this air mass cools suddenly, it condenses into dense clouds, and if the condensation rate exceeds the cloud’s ability to release water gradually, the accumulated moisture falls violently in a short span of time.
• The effects of a cloudburst can be devastating. They often trigger flash floods, landslides, and large-scale destruction of property