Main Difference
The main difference between Drought and Flood is that the Drought is a extended period when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply and Flood is a overflow of water that submerges land.
Drought vs. Flood
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Drought
A drought or drouth is a natural disaster of below-average precipitation in a given region, resulting in prolonged shortages in the water supply, whether atmospheric, surface water or ground water. A drought can last for months or years, or may be declared after as few as 15 days. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region and harm to the local economy. Annual dry seasons in the tropics significantly increase the chances of a drought developing and subsequent bush fires. Periods of heat can significantly worsen drought conditions by hastening evaporation of water vapour.
Many plant species, such as those in the family Cactaceae (or cacti), have drought tolerance adaptations like reduced leaf area and waxy cuticles to enhance their ability to tolerate drought. Some others survive dry periods as buried seeds. Semi-permanent drought produces arid biomes such as deserts and grasslands. Prolonged droughts have caused mass migrations and humanitarian crisis. Most arid ecosystems have inherently low productivity. The most prolonged drought ever in the world in recorded history occurred in the Atacama Desert in Chile (400 Years).
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Flood
A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrology and are of significant concern in agriculture, civil engineering and public health.
Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as a river, lake, or ocean, in which the water overtops or breaks levees, resulting in some of that water escaping its usual boundaries, or it may occur due to an accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground in an areal flood. While the size of a lake or other body of water will vary with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt, these changes in size are unlikely to be considered significant unless they flood property or drown domestic animals.
Floods can also occur in rivers when the flow rate exceeds the capacity of the river channel, particularly at bends or meanders in the waterway. Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if they are in the natural flood plains of rivers. While riverine flood damage can be eliminated by moving away from rivers and other bodies of water, people have traditionally lived and worked by rivers because the land is usually flat and fertile and because rivers provide easy travel and access to commerce and industry.
Some floods develop slowly, while others such as flash floods can develop in just a few minutes and without visible signs of rain. Additionally, floods can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins.
Wikipedia
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Drought (noun)
A period of unusually low rainfall, longer and more severe than a dry spell.
Drought (noun)
A longer than expected term without success, particularly in sport.
Flood (noun)
A (usually disastrous) overflow of water from a lake or other body of water due to excessive rainfall or other input of water.
Flood (noun)
A large number or quantity of anything appearing more rapidly than can easily be dealt with.
"a flood of complaints"
Flood (noun)
The flowing in of the tide, opposed to the ebb.
Flood (noun)
A floodlight.
Flood (noun)
Menstrual discharge; menses.
Flood (noun)
Water as opposed to land.
Flood (verb)
To overflow, as by water from excessive rainfall.
Flood (verb)
To cover or partly fill as if by a flood.
"The floor was flooded with beer."
"They flooded the room with sewage."
Flood (verb)
To provide (someone or something) with a larger number or quantity of something than can easily be dealt with.
"The station's switchboard was flooded with listeners making complaints."
Flood (verb)
To paste numerous lines of text to (a chat system) in order to disrupt the conversation.
Wiktionary
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Drought (noun)
a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water
"the cause of Europe's recent droughts"
"crops have failed because of drought"
Drought (noun)
a prolonged absence of a specified thing
"he ended a five-game goal drought"
Drought (noun)
thirst
"I asked for something to slake my drought"
Flood (noun)
an overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land
"a flood barrier"
"the villagers had been cut off by floods and landslides"
Flood (noun)
the biblical flood brought by God upon the earth because of the wickedness of the human race (Gen. 6 ff.).
Flood (noun)
the inflow of the tide.
Flood (noun)
a river, stream, or sea.
Flood (noun)
an outpouring of tears
"she burst into floods of tears"
Flood (noun)
an overwhelming quantity of things or people happening or appearing at the same time
"floods of tourists come each year to marvel at the sights"
"his column provoked a flood of complaints"
Flood (noun)
short for floodlight
Flood (verb)
cover or submerge (an area) with water in a flood
"the dam burst, flooding a small town"
Flood (verb)
become covered or submerged by a flood
"Sarah's eyes flooded with tears"
"part of the vessel flooded"
Flood (verb)
(of a flood) force (someone) to leave their home.
Flood (verb)
(of a river) become swollen and overflow (its banks).
Flood (verb)
overfill the carburettor of (an engine) with petrol, causing the engine to fail to start.
Flood (verb)
arrive in overwhelming amounts or quantities
"sunlight flooded in at the windows"
"congratulatory messages flooded in"
"his old fears came flooding back"
Flood (verb)
completely fill or suffuse
"she flooded the room with light"
Flood (verb)
overwhelm with large amounts or quantities
"our switchboard was flooded with calls"
Flood (verb)
(of a woman) experience a uterine haemorrhage.
Oxford Dictionary
Drought (noun)
Dryness; want of rain or of water; especially, such dryness of the weather as affects the earth, and prevents the growth of plants; aridity.
Drought (noun)
Thirst; want of drink.
Drought (noun)
Scarcity; lack.
Flood (noun)
A great flow of water; a body of moving water; the flowing stream, as of a river; especially, a body of water, rising, swelling, and overflowing land not usually thus covered; a deluge; a freshet; an inundation.
Flood (noun)
The flowing in of the tide; the semidiurnal swell or rise of water in the ocean; - opposed to ebb; as, young flood; high flood.
Flood (noun)
A great flow or stream of any fluid substance; as, a flood of light; a flood of lava; hence, a great quantity widely diffused; an overflowing; a superabundance; as, a flood of bank notes; a flood of paper currency.
Flood (noun)
Menstrual disharge; menses.
Flood
To overflow; to inundate; to deluge; as, the swollen river flooded the valley.
Flood
To cause or permit to be inundated; to fill or cover with water or other fluid; as, to flood arable land for irrigation; to fill to excess or to its full capacity; as, to flood a country with a depreciated currency.
Webster Dictionary
Drought (noun)
a temporary shortage of rainfall
Drought (noun)
a prolonged shortage
Flood (noun)
the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land;
"plains fertilized by annual inundations"
Flood (noun)
an overwhelming number or amount;
"a flood of requests"
"a torrent of abuse"
Flood (noun)
light that is a source of artificial illumination having a broad beam; used in photography
Flood (noun)
a large flow
Flood (noun)
the act of flooding; filling to overflowing
Flood (noun)
the inward flow of the tide;
"a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune"
Flood (verb)
fill quickly beyond capacity; as with a liquid;
"the basement was inundated after the storm"
"The images flooded his mind"
Flood (verb)
cover with liquid, usually water;
"The swollen river flooded the village"
"The broken vein had flooded blood in her eyes"
Flood (verb)
supply with an excess of;
"flood the market with tennis shoes"
"Glut the country with cheap imports from the Orient"
Flood (verb)
become filled to overflowing;
"Our basement flooded during the heavy rains"
Princeton's WordNet
Drought Illustrations
Flood Illustrations
