The diagrams show the area around the Blackstone River before and after a flood.
Overall, the flood changed the river pattern a lot. The river became straighter, and the old curved part was separated to form an oxbow lake. The land near the river also looks more damaged after the flood, while the houses on the right side are still there.
Before the flood, the river ran in a winding shape with a big bend in the middle. This bend, marked as an “oxbow,” was still connected to the main river. There were several trees and rocks along the banks, and a small residential area with a number of houses was located on the right-hand side, quite close to the river.
After the flood, the river seems to have broken through the large bend and created a new, more direct channel on the left. Because of this, the former loop was cut off and became an oxbow lake. In addition, the floodplain appears wider and the ground near the river looks more bare and eroded, suggesting that soil and vegetation were washed away.