Abstract
A damaging hydrogeological event (DHE) is characterized by two components: a rainfall event and a subsequent damage event, which is the result of floods and landslides triggered by rainfall. The characteristics of both events depend on climatic, geomorphological and anthropogenic factors. In this paper, a methodology to classify the severity of DHEs is presented. A chart which considers indicators of both the damage (Dscore) and the daily rainfall (Rscore) values recorded in the study area is proposed. According to the chart, the events are classified into four types: ordinary events, with low Dscore and Rscore values; extraordinary events, with high Rscore values but low Dscore values; catastrophic events, characterized by non-exceptional rainfall (low Rscore) and severe damage (high Dscore); major catastrophic events, obtained by both high Dscore and Rscore values. Using this approach, the 2013 DHE that occurred in Calabria (Italy) was classified as an ordinary event, when compared to the previous ones, even though the widespread diffusion of damage data induced the perception of high severity damage. The rainfall that triggered this event confirms the negative trend of heavy daily precipitation detected in Calabria, and the damage can be ascribed more to sub-daily than daily rainfall affecting urbanized flood-prone areas.
Highlights
Damaging hydrogeological events (DHEs) are defined as the occurrence of phenomena triggered by rainfall, such as landslides and floods, which cause damage to people and property [1,2,3]
During the past century, DHEs were identified following the year of occurrence; nowadays, the event is identified by means of both the year and the month of occurrence, given that a region can be affected by more than one event per year
This paper presents a methodology to assess the severity levels of DHEs, based on both rainfall and damage intensities of the past events that occurred in the study area
Summary
Damaging hydrogeological events (DHEs) are defined as the occurrence of phenomena triggered by rainfall, such as landslides and floods, which cause damage to people and property [1,2,3]. These events can have catastrophic effects [4] or produce more or less severe damage, according to both the socioeconomic context of the affected areas [5,6] and human behaviors. This paper presents a methodology to assess the severity levels of DHEs, based on both rainfall and damage intensities of the past events that occurred in the study area. An application of the methodology to a region of Calabria, Italy is presented, and the assessment of the severity of the DHE that occurred on 19 November 2013 is performed
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