Which term describes the sudden loss of land, such as by flood?

The term that describes the sudden loss of land due to a natural event, such as a flood, is avulsion. Avulsion refers to the process where land is physically removed from its current location, usually in a dramatic fashion, often involving river or flood action. This distinguishes it from other processes like erosion, which is a gradual wearing away of land.

In the case of avulsion, the change in land ownership often occurs instantly, as opposed to being a slow process, thus making it a unique legal and physical phenomenon in real estate. This sudden nature of land loss can have immediate implications for property boundaries and ownership rights, as land may be washed away and no longer be part of a certain tract.

Erosion describes a gradual process of land being worn away over time by natural forces like water or wind. Accretion refers to the gradual buildup of land, often through the deposition of sediment, while severance typically pertains to the separation of part of a property from its owner, often relating more to legal contexts than to physical land loss. Each of these terms describes different processes affecting land, with avulsion being specifically about sudden loss.