Floods can cause damage to homes and possessions as well as disruption to communications. However, flooding can also have positive impacts on an area.
Flooding deposits fine silt (alluvium) onto the floodplain, making it very fertile and excellent for agriculture. People living on or near floodplains may rely upon regular flooding to help support their farming and therefore provide food.
LEDCs tend to be affected more than MEDCs by the effects of flooding. This is partly because LEDCs have more farms, and farming communities are attracted to fertile flood plains. LEDCs often do not have the resources to prevent flooding or deal with the aftermath of flooding.