10. Impacts of Coastal Waters and Flooding on Human Health

Floods are among the most common natural hazards with complex and far-reaching impacts. Coastal floods are most often caused by storm surge (coastal), rivers that exceed their flood stage capacity (fluvial), and torrential rainfall (pluvial). Increasingly, compound flooding by all three causes is the most severe. The adverse consequences of flood events, especially coastal flooding, to human health. Drowning is the major cause of death, followed by heart attacks, hypothermia, blunt trauma caused by wind-borne objects and vehicle-related accidents. Snakebites, electrocution and wound infections are also causes of death. Less obvious health impacts involve diseases and toxins spread by water and water-nurtured vectors (e.g. mosquitos).