Fluvial flooding occurs when rivers and streams break their banks and water flows out onto the adjacent low-lying areas (the natural floodplains). This can arise where the runoff from heavy rain exceeds the natural capacity of the river channel, and can be exacerbated where a channel is blocked or constrained or, in estuarine areas, where high tide levels impede the flow of the river out into the sea.
Different rivers will respond differently to rainfall events, depending on a range of factors such as the size and slope of the catchment, the permeability of the soil and underlying rock, the degree of urbanisation of the catchment and the degree to which flood waters can be stored and slowly released into lakes and along the river's floodplains. A storm of a given rainfall depth and duration may cause flooding in one river, but not in another, and some catchments may be more prone than others to prolonged rainfall or a series of rain events. River flooding can occur rapidly in short, steep rivers or after some time, and some distance from where the rain fell, in larger or more gently flowing rivers. Changes in rainfall patterns, such as might be caused by climate change, will have different impacts on flood magnitudes and frequency in different catchments.
There have been a number of fluvial flood events in recent years in Ireland; most notably in November 2009 and December 2015/January 2016.
