cascade down

1. To rush or flow downward in large quantities. Heavy rainfall caused the river to burst its banks, sending water and mud cascading down to the village below. If I finally clean out the gutters, I'm wary of what will come cascading down on me. A: "How am I supposed to get out of the car? Water is just cascading down the street along the curb!" B: "This is how flash flooding happens."

2. To occur in a sequence of stages or phases that begins at higher point in a hierarchy and continues to affect subsequent lower positions. We have to make these kinds of positive changes in the company's upper management—that way, they will cascade down to all the department leaders organically. The controversial move is expected to cascade down to all levels of government. I'm not surprised that company went bankrupt—financial issues seem to just cascade from the top down.