The documentary Nova Killer Floods is based on the story of extreme flooding. Flood is a phase of the water regime of the river, which is repeated every year at the same time of year, is characterized by the highest water content, increased and prolonged rise and fall of water levels in the river. It is observed in the spring when the snow begins to melt, and the water level in the rivers gradually rises. The purpose of this documentary is to show that the power of nature is exceptionally tremendous, and no man will be able to withstand natural disasters.
My prior knowledge of the subject is that, like any natural disaster, floods threaten the deterioration of environmental safety and sanitary and epidemiological situation. Outbreaks of mass infectious diseases may occur in the event of damage or destruction during floods of sewage treatment plants, cattle burial grounds, landfills, and storage facilities for epidemiologically hazardous waste. Flushing agrochemicals, biological waste, oil products from the soil surface and their ingress into the primary river cause surface water pollution. Because surface and groundwater are interconnected, toxic substances eventually enter groundwater and threaten to poison residents.
This documentary covers the massive historical floods in Iceland, the French and British boundaries, and in Washington. Massive floods result from the rapid melting of glaciers, which could occur only during periods of severe frosts. Even the most devastating floods today are not beginning to be compared to previously seen floods on Earth. Washington State used to be a flat country until massive floods turned the environment into what it is today. More than 15,000 years ago, Lake Mazzola came ashore, draining an enormous amount of water into Washington. According to Killer Floods, this volume is almost ten times the volume of natural runoff rivers worldwide.
The film states that the pictures of the Hollywood catastrophe never demonstrate the destructive truth of the flood. A vast flood caused the English Channel to divide Europe and France. After the retreat of the glaciers, the land bridge was destroyed, and then the English Channel was built. All mega-floods have one thing in common: large ice sheets melt quickly. Only during the ice age can the amount of ice needed to form mega-floods appear. Thus, even the worst floods on Earth today are much weaker than they were many years ago.
Sound effects and special effects of the film were at a high level. The film showed excellent picture clarity. In addition, the high level of sound quality helped to feel all the emotions associated with natural disasters. The documentary also conveyed the atmosphere of that time and made me think about the power of nature. The documentary explains that floods caused significant damage to forestry, water, and agriculture, as erosion intensified and flooded lands became silted up.
In the event of several days of flooding, young forest and agricultural plantations perished. Floods also killed and injured farm animals. The film also noted that the main direction of flood control is to reduce the maximum water flow in the river due to the redistribution of runoff over time (planting forest strips, plowing the soil across the slope, preserving coastal vegetation, terracing slopes). For medium and large rivers, the regulation of flood runoff with the help of reservoirs is quite effective. In addition, a long-known method of dam construction is widely used to protect against floods. I would suggest this documentary to anyone interested in natural disasters.
Reference
Sechler, C. (2017). Nova Killer Floods. Dailymotion. Web.