in flood

idiom

of a river, lake, etc.

: close to overflowing its banks and flooding the land next to it

After a week of rain, the river is in (full) flood.

Note: The phrase in full flood is sometimes used figuratively to describe the time when something is most active, successful, etc.

a political movement that was in full flood in the 1980s

Examples of in flood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ninety-eight percent of the purchase price of a duck stamp goes directly to acquire and protect wetlands, to help purify water, aid in flood control, reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities. —Grrlscientist, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

Floods have become generally less deadly thanks to the improvements in flood protection structures and early warning systems. —Samuel Granados, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025

The country's septic infrastructure has largely contributed to the spread of bacteria and other diseases in flood and waste waters, and those bacteria can cause life-threatening infections and some deaths. —Devika Rao, theweek, 22 Nov. 2024

This approach would better reflect the uncertainty inherent in flood events. —Geraldine Castro, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2024