Ancient people believed that a flood was an attempt by the gods to destroy them. Today people know that normally a body of water overflows its banks as a result of a natural inter- action of climate and geography. Flooding is often cyclic, occurring in the same places at about the same time of year. For ex- ample, river floods in the United States often take place when mountain snows melt and spring rains fill the streams and tributaries. Floods on the East Coast of the United States normally take place during hurricane season, which lasts from June to November. In some parts of the world, flooding takes place in connection with the monsoon season, or rainy season. (Monsoon comes from the Arabic word mawsim, meaning "season.") Below the equator, in South America, floods...