Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2011, 8(7), 2907-2922; doi:10.3390/ijerph8072907
Assessment of Vulnerability to Extreme Flash Floods in Design Storms
1
Department of Civil Engineering, Sunmoon University, 100, Kalsan-ri, Tangjeong-myeon, Asan-si, Chungnam-do, 336-708, Korea
2
Department of Civil Engineering, Yeungnam University, 214-1, Dae-dong, Gyeongsan-si Gyeongbuk-do, 712-749, Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 30 March 2011 / Revised: 29 June 2011 / Accepted: 5 July 2011 / Published: 14 July 2011
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Earth System Science)
Abstract
There has been an increase in the occurrence of sudden local flooding of great volume and short duration caused by heavy or excessive rainfall intensity over a small area, which presents the greatest potential danger threat to the natural environment, human life, public health and property, etc. Such flash floods have rapid runoff and debris flow that rises quickly with little or no advance warning to prevent flood damage. This study develops a flash flood index through the average of the same scale relative severity factors quantifying characteristics of hydrographs generated from a rainfall-runoff model for the long-term observed rainfall data in a small ungauged study basin, and presents regression equations between rainfall characteristics and the flash flood index. The aim of this study is to develop flash flood index-duration-frequency relation curves by combining the rainfall intensity-duration-frequency relation and the flash flood index from probability rainfall data in order to evaluate vulnerability to extreme flash floods in design storms. This study is an initial effort to quantify the flash flood severity of design storms for both existing and planned flood control facilities to cope with residual flood risks due to extreme flash floods that have ocurred frequently in recent years. View Full-TextKeywords:
flash flood index; extreme flood; design storm; runoff hydrograph
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Kim, E.S.; Choi, H.I. Assessment of Vulnerability to Extreme Flash Floods in Design Storms. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2011, 8, 2907-2922.
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