The magnitude and severity of a flash flood is determined by a number of natural and human

influenced factors including rainfall duration and intensity, antecedent soil moisture conditions,
land cover and soil type, watershed characteristics, and land use. While land use impacts,
particularly urban development, can increase the severity of a flash flooding event
suggested that rainfall intensity and antecedent soil moisture, respectively, play the most
important roles. The complex and intertwined properties of these determining factors allude to
the challenging nature of flash flood forecasting, warning, and classification.

Floods are commonly caused by precipitation events on the site or upstream of it, but are also significantly influenced by
the location, pattern, and duration of the precipitation event, antecedent
soil moisture conditions, land cover and soil type, basin geomorphological characteristics,
seasonality, variability and irregularity of the hydrological regimes, protection measures,
land cover and land use. The urbanization of large areas lead to a considerable reduction in infiltration and increase in
runoff, creating and/or enlarging flood-prone areas. The high population density, infrastructures and socioeconomic
activities tend to intensify flood impacts, thus significantly increasing flood risk. Furthermore, the increase in the
frequency and/or severity of extreme precipitation events may lead to increased flood risk and to higher monetary damages
from flooding.