Geography 10
Floods in Nova Scotia
Ms. Ripley
Name:_______________________
Instructions: Read the following documents and answer the questions:
Section 1:
1. Which river flooded in Lunenburg County?
2. Which Highway was flooded in Lunenburg County?
3. How did rescuers reach the accident scene?
4. Why might the accident have been prevented?
5. On which date did the accident happen?
Geography 10
Floods in Nova Scotia
Ms. Ripley
Name:_______________________
Section 2: Why are these words and numbers used in the article?
1. 90mm
2. Philip Black and Little
3. Decks
4.170
5. 150
6. High tide
7. Upper Stewiacke
8. A few hours
Geography 10
Floods in Nova Scotia
Ms. Ripley
Name:_______________________
Section 3: “Roll up your sleeves”
What do you think are the 3 most important pieces of advice
given about how to clean up after a flood?
1.
2.
3.
Geography 10
Floods in Nova Scotia
Ms. Ripley
Name:_______________________
Section 4: Match these words with a blank space
flash
soak
bases
rains
drainage
snows
steady
frozen
Most river floods result from heavy or long-lasting ____________the rapid
melting of winter _______________ or both. A single cloudburst may cause a
_____________flood, especially if the cloudburst hits the narrow valley of a
young mountain stream. Towns at the ____________of such valleys suffer severe
damage when hit by flash floods.
Large rivers such as the Fraser and the Red never have flash floods. Their
floods result from many days of ______________ rainfall over large parts of
their vast____________basins. In winter and early spring, thaws (warm spells that
melt snow) increase the runoff, especially when the ground is still ___________.
Frozen ground is not porous. Melted snow cannot ________________into the
ground.
Section 5:
people
Match these words with a blank space
breaks
landslides
ice
faster
tall
When a dam forms across a river, it floods the valley above the river up to
the height of the dam. Dams are built to create reservoirs. But dams also form
naturally.
A common type of natural dam is the _____________jam. An ice jam may
form when a frozen river ________________ up in winter or spring thaws. Other
natural dams may result when a volcano erupts and deposits ash, cinders, or lava
across streams. Dams caused by ______________________ are even more
common.
The Mackenzie River floods every year. Because the river flows north, ice
melts at the source ___________ than it melts at the mouth, thus causing an ice
jam. The same problem occurs with other north-flowing rivers such as the Grand
and the Thames in Ontario. The Mackenzie can even flood in the _____________
because ice may start forming at the mouth before there is any freezing upriver.
In 1963, a massive landslide poured into a reservoir in the Italian Alps. The
dam held, but a surge of water swept over the dam and destroyed the town of
Longarone, drowning nearly 3000 __________________.
Geography 10
Floods in Nova Scotia
Ms. Ripley
Name:_______________________
Section 6: Match these words with a blank space
natural
sandbags
spillway
tributaries
build
reforestation
Can floods be prevented? The causes of floods are largely natural. The removal of natural vegetation —such
as trees, shrubs, and grass — usually increases runoff. In areas where this
vegetation has been removed, the replanting of trees ________________and
other natural vegetation helps to prevent floods. Replanting is most important in
the headwater parts of a river’s drainage basin.
If floodwaters are already swelling the river’s tributaries can they be
contained before they overflow, the main stream? If dams are built across
headwaters and _____________ excess runoff can be stored in reservoirs. An
outstanding example of this method of flood control is seen in the Tennessee River
system, where 26 dams have been built to control the river.
Great rivers such as the Red and Mississippi must rise above their natural
levees to overflow. Here the usual method of flood control is to ____________up
the levees. Artificial levees are made by placing or other materials on top of the
natural levees.
What can be done to control flooding near a river’s mouth? On the lower
Mississippi, spillways are used. Spillways are channels that run through the 10 to 17
back swamps parallel to the main stream and then flow into the Gulf of Mexico. At
certain points of the flood plain, water is guided into these spillways to relieve the
flooding in the Mississippi itself. A ___________ is used in Winnipeg to direct the
Red River around the city at peak flood periods. Flood problems are becoming more
severe as more land is cleared of natural vegetation. It is essential that lakes,
ponds, swamps, and other ______________ storage areas for rainwater not be
filled in or used for building purposes.
Geography 10
Floods in Nova Scotia
Ms. Ripley
Name:_______________________