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Water

Rivers on the Rise

Rivers on the Rise
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   high interest, readability grades 4 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   4.45

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    runoff, rushes, spills, injury, rainstorm, dikes, levees, sediment, lasts, death, upstream, warning, likely, posted, banks, certain
     content words:    National Weather Service

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Rivers on the Rise
By Patti Hutchison 		  
1     It's been raining for days. The weather forecaster says there is a flood watch in your area. Exactly what does that mean?
 
2     The river near your house usually flows quietly within its banks. But the runoff from the heavy rain has entered the tributaries upstream. More and more water is flowing in the river. It is in danger of nearing flood stage.
 
3     Flood stage is the level at which the water spills over the river banks. Upstream flooding can occur in a small area. This sometimes happens during a sudden rainstorm. A lot of water falls in a short period of time. The smaller tributaries can't hold it all.
 
4     Although upstream flooding can cause much damage, downstream flooding can be even worse. Swollen tributaries add more and more water to the larger rivers they feed into. This happens during a storm that lasts a long time.
 
5     It takes time for all the runoff to enter the river. The water continues to rise downstream. It might not reach its crest for days after the rain has stopped. Large areas are flooded. Much damage occurs.

Paragraphs 6 to 12:
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