Washout
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193140516
2008-02-21T22:52:10Z
Alan Liefting
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rm [[Category:Environmental issues]]
{{otheruses}}
A '''washout''' is the sudden [[erosion]] of soft surfaces by a gush of water usually occurring during a heavy downpour of rain or [[floods|flooding]].
==Effect on road and rail transport==
[[Image:Washout on the RGN.jpg|thumb|200px|A washout occurred on the [[Riverside and Great Northern Railway]] in [[Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin]], on [[June 11]] [[2004]].]]
In road and [[rail transport]], a washout is the result of a natural disaster where the roadbed is eroded away by flowing water, usually as the result of a [[flood]]. When a washout destroys a railroad's [[right-of-way (railroad)|right-of-way]], the [[rail tracks|track]] is sometimes left suspended in midair across the newly formed gap, or it dips down into a ditch. the phenomenon is discussed in more detail under [[erosion]].
[[Category:Flood]]
[[Category:Weather hazards]]
[[Category:Water]]
[[Category:Hydrology]]