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Rain is pouring hard and fast-more than eight inches in just an hour, turning river water brown with mud. Earthworms wiggle up to the ground as the soil becomes too wet for them. A flood might be coming.

Just about any place on Earth can experience flooding. When so much rain falls that the ground can't absorb it or waterways can't hold it, the overflowing water becomes a destructive force. In the United States, flooding causes more death and damage than tornadoes, hurricanes, or lightning.

How floods develop

During a rainstorm, precipitation-or the water that comes from rain or snow-goes to different places. Some of it flows into streams, lakes, or city water systems. Other precipitation evaporates and returns to the atmosphere.

But much of the rainwater is absorbed by soil. It flows through the top layer of the ground, to plant roots below the surface. This helps provides plants with the water and nutrients they need to grow. The excess water moves deeper into the ground through layers of dirt and rocks where until it becomes part of natural underground wells called groundwater.

A habitat can naturally absorb a healthy amount of rainfall it needs to thrive. But too much rain can cause lake and river levels to rise and overflow their banks, or the soil to become too wet to absorb more water. And though you might think extremely dry habitats would welcome too much rain, it turns out that the parched dirt can't absorb the rain fast enough to capture it all.

Severe coastal storms, quickly melting ice and snow, and collapsed barriers (like concrete dams) can also cause floods. Even damaged beaver dams can lead to an overflow of water that the surrounding earth can't absorb.

Different types of floods

Floods can form slowly over several days or overwhelm an area with little warning. How quickly a flood forms often depends on the habitat.

Slow-forming river flooding happens in regions called floodplains. These are large, flat areas of land along waterways with very shallow banks. When big storms hit, the water overflows the banks and spreads out across the plains.

This type of flooding isn't always bad. It brings nutrients to the surrounding soil, making it fertile for growing crops. That's why many people live in or near floodplains.

But too much water can destroy crops and damage homes. Rushing water can disrupt ecosystems by moving aquatic plants and animals to other habitats. And if flooding is so severe that it flows into local water treatment facilities, experts must monitor the incoming water to make sure the water is safe.

Another type of flooding is called a flash flood, when a flood happens within six hours of a heavy rainfall-as much as eight inches an hour. With no place to go, the moving water will tear through highways, valleys, and canyons, washing away vehicles, roads, bridges, and houses.

Quickly melting ice and snow can also cause flash flooding, especially when mountain snowmelt overflows the waterways below. On coastlines, hurricane rains cause water levels to rise, and the high winds push that water onto land. Called a storm surge, this also causes flash flooding.

Flooding in the future

Scientists believe that warming temperatures caused by climate change are increasing the risk of floods all over the world, especially in coastal and low-lying areas.

Warmer water changes the patterns of ocean currents, which changes global weather patterns. This means that some places will receive more rainfall than the ground can absorb. Other places will get less rain so the land will be drier-and unable to handle rainfall when it does occur.

Scientists think that climate change could also cause stronger hurricanes, with more rain and higher winds causing bigger storm surges. A warmer climate could also mean more snowmelt overwhelming the soil; melting polar ice could cause sea levels to rise and increase flooding. ( Find out how you can help slow climate change.)

How to survive a flood

Experts might issue a flash flood watch if weather conditions are right. It doesn't mean flooding will happen but that meteorologists want people to be prepared. When experts are sure a flash flood is on the way, they issue a warning so people can evacuate immediately. Here's how to keep you and your family safe.

Before a flood
* Know your neighborhood. Research how close you are to streams, drainage channels, canyons, and any other low-lying areas that might flood.
* Keep emergency contact phone numbers in one place so you can get in touch with family members.
* Put together an evacuation plan and share it with everyone in your household. Know what paths and routes you can use to quickly get to a high, dry place.
* Conduct flood drills to practice evacuating quickly.
* Maintain an emergency kit with a three-day supply of food and water. Experts recommend canned or dried foods that don't need to be cooked, and at least one gallon of water per day for each person and pet.

During a flood
* Never wait for orders to leave; if you think a flood might be coming, evacuate immediately.
* If flooding hasn't started, move important items to upper floors of your house.
* If flooding has already started where you are, move to the highest place you can find, like a roof of a house or car. Bring as much food, water, and sheltering blankets as possible.
* Never walk through flood water, especially if it's moving. Hazardous chemicals, sewage, and even wild animals are often in floodwater, and just six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.
* If you must walk through water to escape, walk where the water is still. Never touch electrical equipment if you are standing in water, or even if you're wet.
* If water is quickly rising while you're in your car, leave your vehicle and move to higher ground, like a hill or bridge.

After a flood
* If you've evacuated your house, return only after you're given the all-clear from officials.
* If you stayed put, check your house for damage to electrical systems and appliances. Get rid of any food that might be contaminated from floodwater (or because it's been unrefrigerated for awhile).
* Check your home for wild animals, especially snakes. They can get washed into your home with the floodwater.
* Ask an adult before you use water to brush your teeth, make food, or even wash your hands. Flooding can contaminate water and make you sick.
Learn more about floods at National Geographic.
Flood safety tips from the Nat Geo Kids book Extreme Weather by Thomas Kostigen

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Learn about what causes flooding, different types of floods-and how to stay safe.

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Why Do Floods Happen? | Weather Science | SciShow Kids

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What is thunderstorm? Why questions, science and home experiments for kids

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Thunderstorms

What is a thunderstorm?
A thunderstorm is a storm with lightning and thunder. Its produced by a cumulonimbus cloud, usually producing gusty winds, heavy rain and sometimes hail.

What causes a thunderstorm?
The basic ingredients used to make a thunderstorm are moisture, unstable air and lift. You need moisture to form clouds and rain. You need unstable air that is relatively warm and can rise rapidly. Finally, you need lift. This can form from fronts, sea breezes or mountains.

When are thunderstorms most likely to occur? Thunderstorms can occur year-round and at all hours. But they are most likely to happen in the spring and summer months and during the afternoon and evening hours.

It is estimated that there are around 1,800 thunderstorms that occur across our planet every day. How many thunderstorms are there every day?

Yes, despite their small size, all thunderstorms are dangerous. Every thunderstorm produces lightning, which kills more people each year than tornadoes.
Are thunderstorms dangerous?

Lightning is a bright flash of electricity produced by a thunderstorm. All thunderstorms produce lightning and are very dangerous. If you hear the sound of thunder, then you are in danger from lightning. Lightning kills and injures more people each year than hurricanes or tornadoes; between 75 to 100 people.
What is lightning?

Lightning is an electric current. Within a thundercloud way up in the sky, many small bits of ice (frozen raindrops) bump into each other as they move around in the air. All of those collisions create an electric charge. After a while, the whole cloud fills up with electrical charges. The positive charges or protons form at the top of the cloud and the negative charges or electrons form at the bottom of the cloud. Since opposites attract, that causes a positive charge to build up on the ground beneath the cloud. The grounds electrical charge concentrates around anything that sticks up, such as mountains, people, or single trees. The charge coming up from these points eventually connects with a charge reaching down from the clouds and - zap - lightning strikes!
What causes lightning?

Have you ever rubbed your feet across carpet and then touched a metal door handle? If so, then you know that you can get shocked! Lightning works in the same way.

Thunder is caused by lightning. When a lightning bolt travels from the cloud to the ground it actually opens up a little hole in the air, called a channel. Once then light is gone the air collapses back in and creates a sound wave that we hear as thunder. The reason we see lightning before we hear thunder is because light travels faster than sound!

Click Here to see where lightning is currently striking across the U.S.
If you see dark clouds, then lightning could be present, but the best thing you can do is to listen for thunder. If you hear thunder, then you need to go indoors or get in a car. Don't be outside, where lightning could strike! If your hair stands on end or your skin starts to tingle, lightning maybe about to strike. Get down on your hands and knees and keep your head tucked in. Do not lay flat, because it can give lightning a better chance of strike you.
What causes thunder?

Within those distant thunderstorms, the lightning bolts can be seen as much as 100 miles from us, depending on the height of the bolt, the clarity of the air, and our elevation. Thunder, in comparison, has a much shorter range of detection - usually less than 15 miles in a quiet rural setting and under 5 miles in a noisy city environment. How do you know if lightning is nearby?

Yes, you can use thunder to tell how far away a storm is. Next time you see a storm, count the number of seconds between when you see the lightning and hear the thunder. Take the number of seconds and divide by 5 and that will tell you how far away the storm is in miles. For example: If you counted 10 seconds between the lightning and the thunder, the lightning is 2 miles away!

How far away can you see lightning and hear thunder?
Hail is created when small water droplets are caught in the updraft of a thunderstorm. These water droplets are lifted higher and higher into the sky until they freeze into ice. Once they become heavy, they will start to fall. If the smaller hailstones get caught in the updraft again, they will get more water on them and get lifted higher in the sky and get bigger. Once they get lifted again, they freeze and fall. This happens over and over again until the hailstone is too heavy and then falls to the ground.

Can you tell how far away a storm is?

What is hail?

What is a gust front?
A gust front is the leading edge of the downdraft from a thunderstorm. It is usually marked by gusty cool winds, and sometimes blowing dust. You will feel the wind from the gust front before it starts to rain. What causes the wind to blow? Know the Lingo
As the sun warms the Earth's surface, the atmosphere warms too. Some parts of the Earth receive direct rays from the sun all year and are always warm. Other places receive indirect rays, so the climate is colder. Warm air, which weighs less than cold air, rises. Then cool air moves in and replaces the rising warm air. This movement of air is what makes the wind blow.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH - A severe thunderstorm (damaging winds of 58 miles per hour or more, or 1" hail in diameter or greater) is likely to develop in your area.

DOWNDRAFT - A sudden descent of cool or cold air to the ground, usually with precipitation, and associated with a thunderstorm or shower. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - A severe thunderstorm (damaging winds of 58 miles per hour or more, or hail three-fourths of an inch in diameter or greater) is taking place in your area.

UPDRAFT - A warm column of air that rises within a cloud. If the air is sufficiently moist, then the moisture condenses to become a cumulus cloud.
Know the Facts

The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes.

Thunderstorms happen in every state and every thunderstorm has lightning.

Click Here to see if there are any active warnings in your area.

Thunderstorm Safety Tips

IF YOU'RE INDOORS: Avoid water. It's a great conductor of electricity, so do not take a shower, wash your hands, wash dishes or do laundry. Do not use a corded telephone. Lightning may strike exterior phone lines. Do not use electric equipment like computers and appliances during a storm. Stay away from windows and doors and stay off porches.

IF SOMEONE IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING: Call for help. Call 9-1-1 or send for help immediately. The injured person does not carry an electrical charge, so it is okay to touch them.
IF YOU'RE OUTDOORS: Keep an eye at the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of lightning, or increasing winds. Lightning often proceeds rain, so don't wait for the rain to begin. If you hear the sound of thunder, go to a safe place immediately. The best place to go is a sturdy building or a car, but make sure the windows in the car are shut. Avoid sheds, picnic areas, baseball dugouts and bleachers. If there is no shelter around you, stay away from trees. Crouch down in the open area, keeping twice as far away from a tree as far as it is tall. Put your feet together and place your hands over your ears to minimize hearing damage from thunder. If you're with a group of people stay about 15 feet from each other. Stay out of water, because it's a great conductor of electricity. Swimming, wading, snorkeling and scuba diving are not safe. Also, don't stand in puddles and avoid metal. Stay away from clotheslines, fences, and drop your backpacks because they often have metal on them. If you're playing an outdoor activity, wait at least 30 minutes after the last observed lightning strike or thunder.

Thunderstorm Activities

Lightning Experiment: Here is a great experiment that allows kids to make lightning in their mouth. It's a great way for them to understand how lightning works.

Static Electricity Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to learn about static electricity. This teaches kids about the positive and negative charges and where they come from.

Static Electricity Experiment: Here is yet another static electricity experiment. This teaches kids about the positive and negative charges and where they come from.Static Electricity Experiment: Here is another static electricity experiment. This teaches kids about the positive and negative charges and where they come from.

Thunder Experiment: This experiment allows kids to make thunder, in a way that allows them to understand how it is made by lightning.
Pressure Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows how pressure is created in our atmosphere by sucking an egg in a bottle. This is a very cool experiment!
Science Fair Project Ideas: Here is a complete list of science fair project ideas. Discover the science behind the weather that impacts us every day.

Make A Barometer Experiment: Here is an experiment that allows the kids to make a barometer.

Evaporation Experiment: Here is an experiment that shows kids how evaporation takes place.

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Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids

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Weather Wiz Kids is a fun and safe website for kids about all the weather info they need to know. It contains tools for weather education, including weather games, activities, experiments, photos, a glossary and educational teaching materials for the classroom.

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Hurricane | The Dr. Binocs Show | Educational Videos For Kids

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Hold on tight, gang - and we mean super tight! - because we're about to check out ten facts on one of nature's most powerful forces - hurricanes!

1. Hurricanes are giant tropical storms that produce heavy rainfall and super-strong winds.

2. Hurricanes form over warm ocean waters near the equator. The warm, moist air above the ocean surface rises, causing air from surrounding areas to be "sucked" in. This "new" air then becomes warm and moist, and rises, too, beginning a continuous cycle that forms clouds. The clouds then rotate with the spin of the Earth. If there is enough warm water to feed the storm, a hurricane forms!

3. Hurricanes rotate around a circular centre called the " eye ", where it is generally calm with no clouds. Surrounding the eye is the eye wall - the most dangerous part of the hurricane with the strongest winds, thickest clouds and heaviest rain!

4. Most hurricanes occur harmlessly out at sea. However, when they move towards land they can be incredibly dangerous and cause serious damage.

5. The strong spiraling winds of a hurricane can reach speeds of up to 320kmph - strong enough to rip up entire trees and destroy buildings!

6. In the southern hemisphere, hurricanes rotate in a clockwise direction, and in the northern hemisphere they rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. This is due to what's called the Coriolis Force, produced by the Earth's rotation.

7. When a hurricane reaches land it often produces a " storm surge". This is when the high winds drive the sea toward the shore, causing water levels to rise and creating large crashing waves. Storm surges can reach 6m high and extend to over 150km!

8. Hurricanes are also called cyclones and typhoons, depending on where they occur. In the Atlantic Ocean and Northwest Pacific they are hurricanes, in the Northwest Pacific they are typhoons and in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean they are cyclones.

9. The largest hurricane on record is Typhoon Tip, which occurred in 1979 in the northwest Pacific. With a diameter of around 2,220km, it was nearly half the size of the United States!

10. Hurricanes are given names by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) so that they can be distinguished. Each year, tropical storms are named in alphabetical order according to a list produced by the WMO. That name stays with the storm if it develops into a hurricane. The names can only be repeated after six years.

Photos: Getty Images UK

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10 Facts about Hurricanes! - National Geographic Kids

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Check out ten top facts about hurricanes here at National Geographic Kids! Learn how hurricanes form, what the world's biggest hurricane is and more!

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Drought - The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Learning Videos For Kids | Peekaboo Kidz

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Earthquake - How Earthquakes Happen || video for kids || earthquake

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Tsunami Facts for Kids - What causes a Tsunami - What is a Tsunami for Kids? - Tsunami Facts Tsunami

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Wherever there is a shortage of rain over a long period of time, there is drought. Drought affects plants, animals, and people. It is a serious problem for farmers and for the people who depend on the crops they produce.

Drought may occur almost anywhere in the world. Deserts receive very little rain all year. They are sometimes said to be in a permanent drought. Places that have a rainy season and a dry season have seasonal drought during the dry season. Other places can experience drought at any time.

Drought results from changes in Earth's atmosphere. Some droughts are caused by shifts in the winds that normally bring rain to an area. Others are caused by changing ocean currents, which affect the temperature and moisture of the air.

Severe droughts can last for months or years. When this happens no crops will grow. As a result many people and animals may die of famine, or lack of food. Severe droughts often force people and animals to move to find water. Some farmers go to places where they think conditions will be better for their crops and animals. Some people give up farming altogether. They move to cities to find other types of work.

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Wherever there is a shortage of rain over a long period of time, there is drought. Drought affects plants, animals, and people. It is a serious problem for farmers and for...

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Is it just us or is it getting hot in here, gang? Prepare to delve into the depths of the earth and uncover these seriously hot volcano facts - if you dare!

1. Put simply, a volcano is an opening in the Earth's surface.

Usually found in a mountain, the opening allows gas, hot magma and ash to escape from beneath the Earth's crust.

2. The word "volcano" comes from the Roman name "Vulcan".

"But who was Vulcan?" you might ask. He was the Roman god of fire!

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3. Volcanoes are often found at meeting points of "tectonic plates".

These plates are pieces of the Earth's surface that fit together just like a jigsaw puzzle.

4. Volcanoes can also occur over "mantle plumes".

Ever heard of mantle plumes? They're super-hot areas of rock inside the Earth!

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Volcanoes of Ecuador primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

5. Approximately 350 million people live within "danger range" of an active volcano.

That means that around one in 20 people live in an area at risk of volcanic activity.

6. Volcanoes are classified as active, dormant or extinct.

This refers to the amount of volcanic activity. " Active" means there's regular activity, " dormant" means there's been recent activity but the volcano is currently quiet, and " extinct " means it's been so long since the last eruption that it's unlikely to ever erupt again.

7. Volcanoes can be a variety of shapes.

These geographical wonders come in various shapes and sizes, but there are two main types - composite volcanoes, which are cone-shaped with steep slopes, and shield volcanoes, which are wide with gentle slopes.

8. Magma and lava are two different things!

Magma is the name given to hot liquid rock inside a volcano. Once it leaves the volcano, it's known as lava.

Psst! Make sure you download our awesome volcano facts infographic - show your friends, family, or stick it on your wall!

9. Volcanoes don't just occur on land.

They can be found on the ocean floor and under ice caps, too!

10. Lava from a volcano can reach 1,250°C!

Lava is so hot it can burn everything in its path. If you used a glass thermometer to take the temperature it would melt!

11. The world's largest active volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

Standing a whopping 4,169m tall, this geological giant last erupted in 1984.

12. Volcanoes exist throughout the solar system!

Other planets and moons have volcanoes, too! The largest volcano in our solar system is Olympus Mons, found on Mars.

13. In A.D. 79, the Italian town of Pompeii was destroyed and buried by a volcano called Mount Vesuvius.

Incredibly, the ash deposits preserved the town and the remains of the people within it. Today, it's one of 's most popular historical sites!

14. About 1,900 volcanoes on Earth are considered active, likely to explode again. Yikes!

Most of the world's active volcanoes are found on the " Ring of Fire", a 40,000 km horseshoe shaped area of the Pacific Ocean.

15. The loudest sound in recorded history was made by a volcano called Krakatau.

Found in Southeast Asia, when Krakatau erupted in 1883 it released 200 megatrons of energy - that's the equivalent of 15,000 nuclear bombs. Boom!

16. Volcanoes can produce rich, fertile land.

Over time, lava and ash break down to produce nutrient-rich soil, great for growing crops! That's why some people like to set up home on the slopes of a volcano.

17. It's not just humans that makes use of volcanoes - birds do, too!

Maleo birds bury their eggs in the sand or soil near volcanoes to keep them warm. When the chicks hatch they claw their way up to the surface!

Check out this explosive video, full of exciting facts and information about volcanoes!

What did you think of our volcano facts, gang? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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Volcano facts | National Geographic Kids

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Is it just us or is it getting hot in here, gang? Prepare to delve into the depths of the earth and uncover these seriously hot volcano facts - if you dare! Usually found in a mountain, the opening allows gas, hot magma and ash to escape from beneath the Earth's crust .

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Natural disasters, both on land and under the ocean, may cause deadly ocean waves called tsunamis. By the time a tsunami reaches shore, it has gained tremendous size and…