inundation
Tidal wave arrival
Inundation is flooding—water covering land that is normally dry.
Rivers overflow, storms surge, dams break: The inundation destroyed crops across the valley.
The word extends to any overwhelming quantity: an inundation of emails, an inundation of refugees at the border.
The sense is always of being swamped, unable to cope with volume.
Excess that escapes
- overrunSpread throughout uncontrollably
- overspillExcess beyond capacity
- outpouringCopious, spontaneous release
- cascadeSuccessive downward flow
surge · gush · outflow · runoff · discharge · breach · burst · overwhelm
Defeat by excess
- barrageSustained, overwhelming attack
- avalancheRapid mountain snow collapse
- onslaughtFierce, overwhelming assault
- bombardmentSustained projectile assault
blitz · flood · deluge · torrent · glut · surfeit · overload · swamped
Intense precipitation event
- cloudburstSudden heavy localized rainfall
- torrentViolent rushing flow
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
- torrentialFlowing in violent streams
rainstorm · deluge · precipitation · cyclone · typhoon · hurricane · tempest · rainfall
Overflow from swollen waterways
- flashfloodSudden, violent water overflow
- floodplainFlood-prone riverside lowland
- floodgateWater-controlling barrier mechanism
- leveeRiver flood barrier
dike · sandbags · evacuation · highwater · floodtide · watershed · siltation · mudslide
spillover
Excess that escapes
- overrunSpread throughout uncontrollably
- overspillExcess beyond capacity
- outpouringCopious, spontaneous release
cascade · surge · gush · outflow · runoff · discharge · breach · burst · overwhelm · engulfment
overwhelm
Defeat by excess
- barrageSustained, overwhelming attack
- avalancheRapid mountain snow collapse
- onslaughtFierce, overwhelming assault
bombardment · blitz · flood · deluge · torrent · glut · surfeit · overload · swamped · besieged
downpour
Intense precipitation event
- cloudburstSudden heavy localized rainfall
- torrentViolent rushing flow
- monsoonSeasonal tropical wind pattern
torrential · rainstorm · deluge · precipitation · cyclone · typhoon · hurricane · tempest · rainfall · pluvial
floodwaters
Overflow from swollen waterways
- flashfloodSudden, violent water overflow
- floodplainFlood-prone riverside lowland
- floodgateWater-controlling barrier mechanism
levee · dike · sandbags · evacuation · highwater · floodtide · watershed · siltation · mudslide · devastation
waterlogged
Saturated with liquid
sopping · saturated · soggy · swamped · submerged · permeated · steeped · awash · flooded · immersed
- excessexcess, too much, excessive, excessiveness, overabundance
- floodingmonsoon, flash flood, flood damage, flood zone, river flood
- floodwaterflood waters, rising water, rising waters, muddy water, overflow
- NileNile, River Nile, Blue Nile, White Nile, Nile Delta
- overflowoverflow pipe, overflow drain, overflow tank, overfill, spillover
- rainy seasonrain, monsoon, rainfall, wet season, rainy season