Extreme rainfall-induced urban flood monitoring and damage assessment in Wuhan (China) and Kumamoto (Japan) cities using Google Earth Engine.

Abstract

Floods in urban areas result in a detrimental impact on the natural environment and human health and pose major risks to assets and communication systems. In cities with high population density, the magnitude of flood damage largely depends upon flood inundation as well as floodwater depths. The present study compared recent flood inundation extent, damages caused, and possible floodwater depth in two highly developed metropolises of China and Japan, i.e., Wuhan and Kumamoto cities, for the year 2020. Sentinel-1 satellite data-driven change detection algorithm in Google Earth Engine (GEE) was applied to identify potentially flooded regions. Major land use land cover classes such as urban areas and croplands affected by the flood were mapped in conjunction with the exposed population. ALOS PALSAR digital elevation model (DEM) was used to study the inundation depth. The study revealed that 322 km2 of the area has been inundated by floodwater in Wuhan city with 230 km2 and 140 km2 areas under damaged croplands and urban regions. Around 817,095 people were exposed to this natural catastrophe in Wuhan. The city Kumamoto has witnessed an inundation area of about 505 km2 with damaged cropland of 350 km2 and an urban area of 83 km2.