What do scientists mean when they say that a flood is a 100-year flood?
A)A flood of that magnitude will occur once every 100 years.
B)Every year there is a 1% chance of a flood of a certain magnitude occurring.
C)There isn't enough information to determine how frequently flooding occurs.
D)Every year, there is a 10% chance of a flood of a certain magnitude occurring.
E)The last time a flood of that size occurred was 100 years ago.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When scientists refer to a "100-year flood," they mean that there is a 1% chance of a flood of a certain magnitude occurring in any given year. This does not necessarily mean that a flood will occur exactly once every 100 years, as it is possible for multiple "100-year floods" to occur within a shorter time frame.

What Do Scientists Mean When They Say That a Flood