Sky-Hi file photo
Coming off a well above-average snowpack, the conditions in Grand County are currently right for flooding.
Grand County Emergency Management is currently monitoring the flows, rivers and reservoirs across the county. There is no remarkable flooding at this time, however, according to officials.
A flood watch is currently in effect for the area, which means conditions are favorable for flooding to occur, but not that it will occur.
If temperatures remain high for a long period of time, according to officials, Grand County could be upgraded to a flood advisory, which means flooding is not expected to be bad enough to issue a warning.
Williams Fork below Williams Fork Reservoir, for example, would be considered flooded if it reaches 7 feet, designated as the National Weather Service Flood Stage. As of June 19, it was at only 3.84 feet. The highest recorded peak stage for the specific body of water was in June 2010, when it reached 6.07 feet.
How floods occur
A flood occurs when water inundates land that’s normally dry, which can happen in a multitude of ways.
Excessive rain, a ruptured dam or levee, rapid melting of snow or ice, or even an unfortunately placed beaver dam can overwhelm a river, spreading over the adjacent land, called flood plain.
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Most floods take hours or even days to develop, giving residents time to prepare or evacuate. Others generate quickly and with little warning. So-called flash floods can be extremely dangerous, instantly turning a babbling brook or even a dry wash into rushing rapids that sweep everything in their path downstream.
Floods cause more than $40 billion in damage worldwide annually, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in the United States, losses average close to $8 billion a year. Death tolls have increased in recent decades to more than 100 people a year
When floodwaters recede, affected areas are often blanketed in silt and mud. The water and landscape can be contaminated with hazardous materials such as sharp debris, pesticides, fuel, and untreated sewage. Potentially dangerous mold blooms can quickly overwhelm water-soaked structures.Residents of flooded areas can be left without power and clean drinking water, leading to outbreaks of deadly waterborne diseases like typhoid, Hepatitis A, and cholera.
