Author(s): Rachel Eagen

Social studies

Ages 7 to 14 years. From the mythological flood stories of ancient cultures to the annual flooding of Earth's mightiest rivers, water can become a raging torrent of destruction. Floods result from the heavy rains and high winds of monsoons that cause an overflow in water sources such as lakes, rivers, and oceans. Discover how monsoons differ from other storms and how people cope with their devastation. Topics include: how ancient peoples predicted floods and monsoons, and the specialised equipment that meteorologists use to forecast these natural disasters today; practical techniques to stay safe in the event of a flood or monsoon; the ways that cities recover from natural disasters, and the harmful; effects of monsoons and floods on our environment; how people adjust to the inevitability of floods in countries such as India and Bangladesh; famous monsoons and floods throughout the world today and in ancient times.