Abstract
The flood hazard/risk maps do not allow a non-expert audience an immediate perception of the flooding impacts. Therefore, we need to modernize maps providing new communication approaches. In this context, 3-D representations of flood inundation through emerging formats in virtual and augmented realities may be considered as a powerful tool to engage users with flood hazards. The challenge of the research is to create a virtual 3-D environment aimed at supporting the public, practitioners and decision-makers in interpreting and understanding the impact of simulated flood hazards. For this purpose, the paper aims to perform a comparative analysis of two techniques to carry out the 3-D realistic visualizations of a flood map for representing a potential flooding of the Crati River, in the old town of Cosenza (South of Italy). The first approach develops a simple and quick workflow that provides an overall look at a neighbourhood level, but reveals some limits in water level visualization at the individual buildings scale. The second one requires additional terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) acquisition and overcomes some limits of the first approach, by providing a visual insight about water level close to building façades.
Highlights
The activities associated with flood risk communication are related to the public perception through strategies linked to effective computational data and tools
This paper shows an example of the extension of the flood-mapping concept from an eminently cartographic context to a three-dimensional one, by applying two techniques for the representations of urban flood inundation in a virtual environment for hazard communication purposes
The first procedure develops a simple and quick workflow based on the extrusion of building footprints from airborne LIDAR data and texture-mapping technique, to improve the realism of the building model façades
Summary
The activities associated with flood risk communication are related to the public perception through strategies linked to effective computational data and tools. The results obtained with this approach allow one to provide an overall look at a neighbourhood level, but not at the level of the individual buildings in detail To reach this level, an accurate geometrical description of façade features is required, so the second technique required additional terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) acquisition, needed for 3-D city model reconstruction. A comparative analysis of the two approaches for risk communication is presented, highlighting the level of detail, the pro and cons associated to the use of these procedures and analysing how the visualization outputs of the proposed procedures can be used in practice These issues are discussed with reference to a potential flooding of the Crati River, in the old town of Cosenza (South of Italy).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
