Flooding has become the most recent disaster happening in Kenya. Floods are mainly caused by heavy rainstorm that overflow water bodies or gather on certain grounds hence flowing to the lower lying regions. Flash flood is the most dangerous type of flooding. It occurs when man made structures like a dam or a levee collapsing from too much weight and force from water bodies, this has been evidenced by recent collapsing of five bridges in the country. Within a month fifteen thousands have been killed while thirty thousand displaced all over the country in regions experiencing flooding. River Kerio burst its banks while a number of reported events of water bone diseases from the lake region, transport have been paralysed. Among areas affected include Homabay district and west Pokot which dominated by low plains.
In this study disaster management becomes a key pointer to the flooding disaster. The easiest way, which is also the cheapest, is to relocate and move onto higher grounds which are not affected by flooding. In electricity supplied region the fuse box and utility meters should be raised above the flood level in home. Water and electricity do not mix (Carl mendes, 2000).
Flooding hazards can be divided into:
1 primary hazards which occur due to contact with water which include:
Automobiles, houses and bridges being swept away.
Erosion of big structures levees and dams
Livestock, human drowning and pets and properties being carried away
Flood water can concentrate garbage, debris and toxic pollutants that can cause secondary effects of health hazards
Secondary and Tertiary effects include:
Drinking water being polluted especially if sewerage treatment plants are flooded, resulting into diseases like diarrhoea which is evidenced in west Pokot region
Gas and electricity supply is cut short like the recent all country black out which occurred during Christmas season.
Kerio River has suffered transport hikes and shortage of vehicles as during flooding it is advisable not to drive through water even if it is not moving.
As a result the main concerned department is the engineering department which approaches technical techniques which include:
Construction of dams to hold excess water so that discharge downstream can be regulated at a desired rate in the low lying areas like Homabay and west Pokot.
Retention ponds should be constructed alongside the burst channels to also release water at a controlled discharge rate.
Levees, dikes and floodwalls should be built alongside the channel to increase the stage at which the stream floods.
Floodway should be constructed which are strictly not for construction but provides outlet for floods during high discharge period.
With all these put in action flood disaster management can be achieved.